Customer Reviews

Simply Natural Baby Food: Easy Recipes for Delicious Meals Your Infant and Toddler Will Love

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I love this little book. I know a past reviewer criticised the book for being too thin but that's one of the things I like about it. I have always enjoyed cooking and bought quite a few baby cook books when my daughter was very young thinking I would potter around making her perfect gourmet meals but soon realised that there are many days when the thought of even leafing through the pages of those cookbooks is too much effort. I just find them too overwhelming and invariably reach for this book because the recipes are simple but still tasty. You don't need to be a great cook to be able to make these recipes, the instructions are very easy to follow.

Despite being a slender volume, the book packs a lot of information into its pages, and still has a great collection of recipes.

I never found it to be a problem finding any of the ingredients. I have to admit that even though I consider my cooking to be quite wholesome I had never used some of the items like dried seaweed (you only use a pinch) and ground seeds myself, but after reading in the book just why these things are included, I found myself adding them to my own food as well. They are incredibly nutritious and such an easy way to bolster your child's immune system which I found so reassuring during the winter. I'm sure you can order these ingredients online if you can't find them in a store nearby. You use such a small amount that they will last for ages. And you can always leave those items out if you prefer.

The book is written in a very friendly manner and is a nice balance between educating and guiding you as to what your baby's and toddler's developmental needs are with easy to follow recipes. A reviewer below wrote that the last thing they needed was to be making their own baby cereal. Well I guess if that's your mindset then this book isn't for you because honestly it takes all of two seconds to make the cereal, and the jar lasts a very long time when you are using a couple of tablespoons at a time! Not that you can't find good organic packaged baby cereal, (I did try that myself but my baby would never eat it). And there's nothing stopping you from using the recipes as guides and substituting purchased products for some ingredients if it makes life easier.

The book takes you right through to when your child is a toddler with tips that help you sneak vegetables into their diet and great snack ideas too. There are some lovely recipes for cookies and cakes as well, which is nice, it's very realistic in that although you want to feel that you are presenting your child with yummy healthy food, there's always a place for sweet treats in life. I'm not personally a fan of soy products which some of the recipes call for, but I just substitute the tofu or whatever with chicken,lamb or fish.

I went online to check out the authors website and was happy to see that the adorable little girls on the website who I assume are the author's daughters look like very happy and healthy children. They are a great advertisement for the book.

This book certainly has some mixed reviews. It seems people either love it or hate. While I am one of the ones who LOVE this book, I can see why this book would not be for everybody. Here are my thoughts:

"Simply Natural Baby Food" does not try to make you vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, a raw fooder, or a carnivore - however, it pulls aspects from many different diets. There are many vegetarian recipes, there are vegan recipes, there are some smoothies and treats made from raw foods, there are recipes that use alternative grains like brown rice flour for those with wheat or gluten allergies, there are recipes that use whole grains and sea vegetables that are common in a macrobiotic diet, there are recipes that incorporate dairy products, eggs, fish or poultry.

While this may sound like it encompasses everybody, it does not. This book is for people who want to eat (and want their children to eat) whole foods. That means whole grains like brown rice, millet and quinoa; beans and legumes; fruit and vegetables; cultured dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese; more plant foods than animal foods; no white flour or refined grains; and no refined sugar.

For many feeding your child fresh, organic, whole foods without sugar, articial colors and trans-fats may be too far removed from what they are accustomed to eating. If you expect to be able to find the ingredients for the recipes in this book at your local 7-11, you definitely have the wrong book - but if you prefer to shop at a natural foods store - or at least are open to checking one out (or even an online store), you will enjoy this book.

I for one found it a refreshing change from the other books that offer recipes using jello, bisquick, and colored cereals. And that's not to say that the foods are bland-tasting health foods either. My husband, children, and I love the White Bean and Corn Chowder,Apple Oat Pancakes, Apple Bran Muffins, Quick Cheesy Rice, Banana Oatmeal Cookies, Pineapple Carrot Cake, Instant Banana Pudding, Smoothies, and the "Better Than Ice Cream" made in the food processor is incredible.

I want a different way of eating for my children than I was brought up with. Look at the obesity rate of children in this country. Children are now suffering from previously adult only diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more. In fact, this generation of children is expected to be the first generation ever to live a shorter life span than their parents. Processed food laden with trans fats, chemicals, pesticides, artificial colors and flavors, sugar, and sodium found in our local supermarkets are not producing healthy, fit children. This book gives an alternative - and I see my children thriving on these recipes - and the rest of my family as well.

Simply Natural Baby Food by Cathe Olson is a simply wonderful book.
This little gem is a must-have for anyone wanting to give their baby or toddler
the very best in whole, nutritious foods. Finally, here's a great collection
of baby food recipes and ideas that go beyond traditional jar food and provide
our babies and toddlers with exactly what they need, when they need it.

Simply Natural Baby Food provides recipes for Starting Solids, Intermediate
Foods, Older Baby Foods and Toddler Foods. There are many wonderful ideas for
breakfast foods, snacks, soups, sandwiches, grains and vegetables, entrees and
yummy sugar free desserts and beverages. Each section provides information
about the nutritional needs of your growing baby with fun wholesome recipes.

This recipe book is not just "baby food" as the title suggests. With lots of
yummy recipes for snacks and meals, this is a book you'll continue to use well
into childhood. Things like fig bars, zucchini cake, and carrot cake sprout
cookies will please the whole family.

Go ahead. Think outside the jar!--Ginger Carlson

Get your freezer space ready. Many of these recipes make large quanties, but it all freezes well. I found myself cooking a lot for several days, but since I can store the food in my freezer and use small quantities at a time, I then have a week or so off from cooking. If you already practice eating whole foods and buying in bulk, chances are that you will have most of the ingredients laying around anyway. I did have to pick up a few specialty items at the local food co-op, but I shop there all the time anyway! The food is good, and my husband and I eat it as well. I have seen an improvemnet in my son's sleeping habits since we began practicing the recipes in this book. This is not only a book of recipes, but also a book about lifestyle change. I have learned so much. I wish I had this book a year ago! It is now a must buy for anyone I know who is having a baby.

I love this book. It was just what I needed to find out about making baby food. The recipes are easy and the author explains how to make the first purees and then move on to more texture and ingredients.

The best thing is that the ingredients for all the recipes are whole foods - no refined flours, grains, or sweeteners. Our family meals have never been better now that we have nutritions soups, entrees, snacks and desserts. We have all benefited from these healthy and nutritious recipes.

But yes - you will need to go to a health food store for some ingredients (thought that's where I prefer to shop anyway).

If you are looking for a wholesome, non-processed way of eating, you will LOVE this book.

Cathe Olson has created a fantastic cookbook that offers you simple-to-make recipes with extremely healthy ingredients that you can feel really good about feeding to your baby or toddler. I think it is very important to feed your baby the best, most natural foods when they are young; not only to start them off with the most healthy "building blocks" for their growing bodies, but also so that the child comes to appreciate the various tastes and textures of "real", natural food, instead of the highly processed, prepackaged children's meals that are out there.
Cathe has wonderful pureed recipes for very young infants (purple puree with made with red cabbage and other great ingredients was my daughter's favorite!), and then she introduces more chunky recipes for older babies and toddlers. There is a fun section full of easy and unique sandwich ideas, and some delicious dessert recipes for toddlers (and adults!) that don't even contain sugar.
I also really appreciate all of the helpful cooking, storing, and feeding hints that are scattered throughout the book. Extremely helpful are her instructions on how to cook brown rice and various grains and legumes for infants; it's great to know how much water to use and the cooking times when making these staple foods for babies.
Cathe offers both vegetarian and meat options for the older baby/toddler recipes, so you can take your pick there. She has introduced me to some really interesting (and natural, of course) salt and sugar alternatives, and her use of using sea vegetables to increase the nutrition of foods was also quite enlightening for me. All in all, a great book for anyone wanting some creative and healthful recipes for your infant and toddler!

I loved this book!! So many great ideas for feeding my year old. She just started eating solids a couple weeks ago! I especially love the Oatmeal Banana Cookies (No sugar! No dairy! No eggs!).

I don't find it hard to locate the ingredients needed for some of the recipes, even though I live in rural Canada.

Healthy, fun and easy!!!

My daughter is 6 months old right now and just starting out with solid foods. I have always known I wanted to make my own baby food, but just didn't know how. I have been searching for months for the perfect book and asking every mom I know for advice. I finally found this book in my library and it has been the answer to all my questions. It is due back now, so I am running out to a bookstore first thing tomorrow to purchase it. I had taken out other books that were complicated, and used ingredients I did not agree with. Cathe Olson knows how to make a user friendly book. Thank you!

I suppose if you have time to spend surfing the internet you may be able to find all the info in the book like the previous reviewer suggests but as a mom of an infant and a toddler - where would I get the time. I'd much rather have someone do all the research and recipe testing for me and put it all together in one place - and with the relatively low price of this book - it is well worth purchasing.

Simply Natural Baby Food has all the info I need to start my baby on solids while lots of fun, healthy recipes for my toddler - and great meal ideas for the rest of the family as well.

I like that it is a small, well organized book - unlike some of the other baby food books that are huge and overwhelming. This book is so easy to use - I can find what I need quickly and easily.

I especially like the soups, the cookies and crackers, and the Better Than Ice Cream has to be one of the most delicious desserts I have ever tried. I love that the recipes are so easy and that they are made from whole foods. I enjoyed Olson's other book, The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook as well.

This book has great recipes for babies, toddlers, and the whole family. I especially like this book because a) the recipes are very easy to make (great for a busy mom), b) the recipes are super healthy (no refined sugar or grains), and c) everybody in my family likes the dishes I prepare. So far, our favorites are: apple-oat pancakes, split pea soup, creamy carrot soup, white bean and corn chowder, squashed macaroni, carrot corn muffins, apple-bran muffins, pineapple-carrot cake, banana oatmeal cookies, and instant banana pudding - plus the smoothies and "better than ice cream" recipes. And that's not even counting the baby food.

If you want to raise your children to eat whole, natural foods, this is the book for you. I also have Olson's other book, The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook, and I love that as well.

Edited to add:
I came to order another copy of this book for a friend who just had a baby and saw the above review. I am really surprised by it. Nowhere in the book does the author tell you to feed your baby vegan or vegetarian. She does offer many vegetarian recipes but she also has some recipes for fish or poultry. The only thing I think she says is that red meat is hard to digest for infants. What's great about this book is that it offers recipes for everyone - vegetarian, vegan, and those eating animal foods. However, they are all whole foods so you do have to be willing to venture into a health food store to get some ingredients.