The Wholesome Baby Food Guide: Over 150 Easy, Delicious, and Healthy Recipes from Purees to Solids [Paperback]

Maggie Meade (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 21, 2012

Baby food can be fresh, vibrant and delicious when it's made easily at home. It does not have to come from a jar and be tasteless, processed and bland. It In THE WHOLESOME BABY FOOD GUIDE, Maggie Meade will show you how fast and easy it is to feed your baby fresh homemade goodness.

Based on the top-rated baby food website, THE WHOLESOME BABY FOOD GUIDE is filled with carefully researched information on nutrition, allergies, myths, and the best practices for introducing foods to your little ones.

With more than 150 recipes, as well as storage tips, and allergy alerts, this is the only baby food book you will ever need. Maggie also reviews the three major stages of a baby's learning to eat:

• 4-6 months
• 6-8 months and
• 8 months and beyond

With courage, humor, and gentle motivation, this book will show parents that their baby's food doesn't have to come from a jar to be healthy and safe. In fact, the healthiest, safest, and tastiest (not to mention least expensive!) foods for babies are those cooked from real ingredients in the kitchen at home.

This book sets the stage for a child's lifelong love of healthy and wholesome foods. Move over commercial baby food companies -- parents are getting into the kitchen!

Editorial Reviews

Review

 "Readers will appreciate her easy approach to making purees, as she includes required tool lists, nutritional facts, and clear instructions for each recipe." - The Library Journal

Meade also breaks down what kinds of food to give baby at what age and how to spot a food allergy. Recipes are divided by age, which is really helpful. So, if the jar isn't going to be your child's source of baby food, this could be a good guide for making food yourself." - Arizona Statesman

From preparing baby's first purees to serving full-fledged meals, this is the perfect cookbook for parents who want to get the new baby in the house off to the best start possible.  Her book is meant to be good for the baby, and fun for you and is just about the only book you need about feeding your child." - Tuscon Citizen

"Maggie gives parents the courage to feel confident in the kitchen with her whip smart humor and gentle motivation. She's not preaching here, she's right there with you. She's been there and done that with THREE BOYS!" - Christina S. founder of Take Back Your Table takebackyourtable.com

A super combination - apple cranberry sauce is easy to prepare and can be enjoyed by the whole family.

About the Author

Maggie Meade writes and edits the top-rated baby food website wholesomebabyfood.com. She is the mother of three sons who enjoyed fresh homemade baby food throughout their introduction to solid foods.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Life & Style; 1 edition (February 21, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044658410X
• ISBN-13: 978-0446584104
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Natural Foods
  • #51 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Diet > Healthy
  • #74 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Vegetables & Vegetarian

More About the Author

Maggie Meade created the website WholesomeBabyFood.com in 2003 as a complete resource for parents who are starting their babies on solid foods and looking to introduce their babies to fresh and tasty homemade baby foods. The book and the website is research based and combines personal experience, recipes and tips for making fresh homemade baby food. Maggie's twins enjoyed homemade baby foods as did her first son. Yes, it's so simple that parents with multiples can do it easily!

Her new book is a complete guide for introducing solid foods, containing nutritional information along with information and exclusive delicious recipes. Fans of WholesomeBabyFood.com (now a part of Momtastic.com) will enjoy the familiar tone and style and so much more, in book format.

Maggie lives in New England with her husband, twin boys, a German Shepard and a tabby cat; she also has an older son who is away at university.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book! May 9, 2012

By ecoover

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased this book after spending some time on the Wholesome Baby Food website. I really wanted to make my own baby food but was apprehensive about the time involved. As a working mom, I don't have a lot of spare time these days. This book gave me just the push I needed and I am so happy I decided to go for it. It really does just take an hour or two each month to make tons of delicious baby food! My son has happily eaten everything I've made so far-- even the green veggies. And the savings can't be beat! The first batch of food I made cost just $9 and it lasted thru the first month that he started solids. Compare that to the pouches of organic baby food at $1.19-$1.49 each, and it's a no-brainer! I also loved the wealth of information in the first half of the book before you even get to the recipes. It's only been 2 months of solid food and I've pulled this book out dozens of times. I will be recommending this to all of my friends!

On a side note, I use my Magic Bullet to puree everything and then freeze it in ice cube trays. There are some great (and cheap) Rubbermaid ice cube trays that nest inside each other for storage, but if you reverse the way you stack them, then they stack on top of each other for freezing. I have 9 of them so I can do one big round of baby food making and then put the trays away until next time and they hardly take up any space at all.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Recipes are okay, but book isn't organized to my liking. April 23, 2013

By Janna L. Donohue

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I prefer cookbooks with pictures and one recipe per page. This is jam packed (which many people might like) with recipes but there is too much on each page for my liking. And it's paperbacked so it's impossible to leave it open as you're cooking.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great info April 11, 2012

By J. Lo

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I got this book for my niece who has a 6 month old baby. She also has the Baby Bullet and this book has given her a lot of good information as to how to make baby food, storing, how to introduce foods, etc , etc. Very good resource and recipes.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally - a baby food book for real parents who like real food, and real information March 6, 2012

By Brenda M. Ulrich

Format:Paperback

I've been a fan of Maggie Meade's "wholesomebabyfood.com" website for years. Practical, tasty, inexpensive, healthy, easy-to-prepare foods for babies - what more could you want? As it turns out, this book -- more of Maggie's great recipes, plus a ton of information, well-organized and easily read, on introducing solids, allergy issues, and step by step information of how to prepare and store baby food, all with Maggie's supportive, humorous approach... (I ask you: what celebrity baby food book has a section called 'the scoop on poop' - where you can figure out what's going on inside your baby by, well, seeing what comes out?)

And the recipes - I would cook these for myself or older members of my family without a second thought: Lentil, sweet potato and apple salad? Beefy hash dinnner? Apple cheddar tortilla? yum!

4.0 out of 5 stars another useful book in baby food May 28, 2013

By michelle

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Not only provides recipes but a variety of cooking methods for each recipe. And each recipe provides information if it can be made ahead of time and if it is freezer friendly or not. While providing information in choosing what type of food for baby food making. Also adding a basic fundamentals in baby food making like for instance how long to store baby food, what myths and fact in baby food, nutritional information, what to introduce at the various stages, forbidden foods an potential allergies, food safety, techniques and so much more.

Sure they have a website with equal information but having a physical copy with you while making baby food a great tool to have. And constantly returning back to this book to see the various options to make food for my little one an so far she love's the results. And having your mis en place ready making her food ahead of time very quick. In a day I have several options available for 2months.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful May 26, 2013

By nicole brown

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I found the guide helpful by letting me know the age appropriate foods and giving ,me recipes to follow great book

5.0 out of 5 stars Best baby food book out there. May 23, 2013

By Electro Guru

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Admittedly, I'm not the cook or the baby food maker in our house, my wife is, and she raves about this book. We purchased a couple of other books at the same time and returned all of them since this is the only book we use and need. You won't be disappointed.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing healthy cookbook May 6, 2013

By Sara huff

Format:Paperback

This book makes it simple and easy to make delicious and nutritious homemade baby food! I like how it breaks it down by food types and gives u lots of info on nutrition in general! A must own if u plan or want to make ur babies food:) just think you cook your own dinner why not your babies??