Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods (Paperback)

by Cynthia Lair (Author), Peggy O'Mara (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A jewel of a cookbook. -- Marian Tompson, co-founder of La Leche League International

Delicious, totally doable recipes. What a fantastic starter book for people looking to incorporate more whole foods into the day to day diets of their entire families. -- Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Cooking

Feeding the Whole Family is the perfect guidebook for families interested in whole, organic, natural foods. Essential for those who want to start solids naturally without a big fuss. -- Mothering

This book fills an important niche, and will be treasured by the cook who wants to prepare delicious, healthful fare that the whole family can enjoy. It will likely remain among a family's favorite cookbooks long after the toddlers have reached their teens. -- NAPRA ReView

This is a book that says - relax - here's how to use whole foods and feed your family from the same pot. You'll find common-sense support on how to eat when you're breastfeeding, start your baby on solids, and make homemade baby food. I'll bet this cookbook won't end up sitting on your shelf. -- Barbara Mc Nally, A Real Life

Product Description

Feeding the Whole Family starts with the basics of creating a whole foods diet, from understanding grains and beans to determining what meats are acceptable to eat. Author Cynthia Lair then applies these lessons to cooking for young children and babies aged six months and older. She explains how to adapt each recipe separately for both children's and adults' palates. This updated edition includes the most current nutritional research along with 65 delicious new recipes, including meat dishes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books; 3rd edition (January 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157061525X
• ISBN-13: 978-1570615252
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,362 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #5 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Diets & Weight Loss > Special Conditions > Whole Foods
  #10 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Health & Nutrition
  #66 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Natural Foods

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and sensible, January 23, 2008

By	Julie Neal "The Complete Walt Disney World" (Sanibel Island, Fla.) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I love the ideas in this cookbook, which focuses on whole foods the entire family will enjoy. It's clear and sensible, and includes a couple hundred pages of recipes.

What makes a whole food? Author Cynthia Lair writes that the best way to determine whether a food is whole or not is to ask these questions:
* Can I imagine it growing? (It's tough to imagine a field of marshmallows.)
* How many ingredients does it have? (It should have only one: apple, wild rice, salmon.)
* What's been done to the food since it was harvested? (The less, the better.)
* Is this product part of a food or the whole entity? (Only the juice? It's not whole.)
* How long has this food been known to nourish human beings? (Probably centuries.)

The recipes are helpful. Most include instructions on how to alter their dishes to make them appropriate for babies.

The chapters are:
1) Wholesome Family Eating
* What do we mean by wholesome?
* Shopping for sustenance
* Sharing a nourishing meal
* Setting the table, setting the scene
2) Including Baby
* Start with the best, the breast
* Starting solids
* Food allergies and intolerances
* Expanding the diet of the older baby
3) Raising Healthy Eaters
* Parents as role models
* Setting boundaries
* What should I give my child to drink?
* Involving your children in the kitchen
* Presenting food so it appeals to young children
* "My child won't eat vegetables"
4) Basic Grain and Bean Cookery
5) Bustling Breakfasts
6) Lively Lunch Boxes
7) Soothing Soups
8) Substantial Suppers
9) Got Color?
10) Fresh-Baked Breads and Muffins
11) Refreshing Relishes, Convenient Condiments
11) Simple Sweet Desserts
12) Daily Drinks and Brews

Lair also wrote Feeding the Young Athlete: Sports Nutrition Made Easy for Players and Parents. Other good books about eating whole foods include Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Feeding the Whole Family, March 10, 2008

By	Leenie "Holistic Mom" (NH) - See all my reviews

I have the first edition of this cookbook and it rates up there with my 5 most used cookbooks. I have bought multiple copies and given them as gifts to friends and family members. I cook primarily whole foods for my family, which in common terms means that I cook from scratch about 18-20 of our 21 weekly meals. Many of these recipes can be made quickly (30 minutes) with some planning.

The author gives wonderful advice for cooking beans, basic recipes for various grains and family favorite sauces. Most of the soup recipes are staples in our house. The introduction of 'new' and different grains...millet, quinoa, buckwheat...is a great way to add variety to your family's diet and most are quick and easy to make. Our culture eats far too much wheat and making some wheat-free meals is a welcome change in most families.

If I had just 1 box of books I could keep, this would be one of the books I would be sure made its way into the box.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, May 3, 2008

By	shellebelle (Colorado) - See all my reviews

I have had this book on my wish list for ages but couldn't justify another whole foods cookbook. I decided to try it after it was updated and after reading the authors essay on how we create picky eaters, I am glad I did. The recipes I have tried have been simple to make and taste delicious.The ingredients called for are easily found. I especially liked the lunch section as I struggle with packing my son a lunch. The book also has a nice section on nutrition that is helpful and informative for those new to whole foods cooking. I recommend this book to anyone looking for delicious meals for their families.