Child-Nutrition Books

Good book, lots of great tips to save money while feeding your baby in a healthy manner.

I bought this book because I wanted to make my own baby food but didn't know where to start. This book is a good starting point with instructions on everything from basic purees to more complex mixed recipes. There are also simple instruction on how to prepare the foods. I only rated it four stars because I believe some of the recipes are a little complex for an infants palate.

What I liked about this book is it gives recipes and ideas for using meat. Meat purees seemed to be lacking in most baby food books. There are also recipes that go above and beyond the usual sweet potato and banana yada yada yada. As someone who likes to try different foods, I appreciated this. What I don't like is that the author seems to ignore the AAP's guidelines for introducing citrus, tomatoes, cow's milk and berries. Since she is based out of the UK, it may explain the differences. If your child has shown any type of food sensitivity, skip those recipes or modify them to your child's needs.

this book is great. it has easy tips about making food and feeding your baby. i really appreciate the microwave instructions, steam instructions, and boiling instructions for the recipes. so far my baby has enjoyed everything that i've made.

I could not FULLY appreciate this cookbook because I had to pick and choose around the recipes so as to be careful not to introduce certain "hazardous" foods too soon. The book states WHEN to introduce certain foods, but have different guidelines than what the APA is stating. Maybe because this is a British author? FOr instance, I will not be giving eggs to my baby until around 1 year. Also, some recipes call for butter or berries and other "off limits" foods that I plan to avoid until after 1 yr. So I wasn't able to get a 100 baby purees out of it - but I did like some ideas about what foods are good mixed together (
ex. sweet potatoes and apples). And I liked her tips about freezing and storing baby foods, so not a total loss. Just take this book with a grain of salt and remember she is not a peditrician - so be sure to check with your doctor about when and what to introduce.

I love this book. It is a must have for every parent with an autistic child. She covers a lot of information and doesn't make it boring! She covers diet, yeast, DAN!, and a lot more. It is well written and has the details we parents need to know for our kids. Great book, with lots of support for the GFCF diet, including recipes. Her son also had a lot of other food sensitivities, and she discusses how to deal with such a limited diet. Excellent!

This book is one of the classics about the gluten-free casein-free diet and how powerful it can be. This diet alone stopped my son's regression and turned him around onto the path of healing. It has taken a lot more than just the diet (as it does with most kids) but now he is nearly recovered. Books like this one, written by parents about their own experience with their child, are so important. They tell stories that often don't make it into the media. It is parents who are motivated to move mountains and heal their kids, and parents facing this daunting task now can learn a lot from those who have gone before us. For those interested, this book also talks about the early days of biomed- the first DAN! conference, the discovery of the DPP-IV enzyme, even Bernie Rimland appears!

We have recently discovered that my 2 year old grandson may be on the spectrum of autism with pdd. This book gave me much information that we have found helpful. As a result of reading it, my son and his wife put the child on a glutenfree and casein free diet. I am gluten intolerant, so it seems that this should be helpful. We are still testing, but I was glad to have this author's account of the her son's issues and the lengths to which she and her husband were willing to go to find solutions. The book is being passed on to other members of the family to educate themselves.

I believe any parent with a child diagnosed with Autism, ASD, PDD, allergies and bowel disease should invest their time and money in reading this book. Reading this book validated what I had suspected with my child. Karyn Seroussi filled in the blanks. I feel empowered. Yes, it is difficult to accept her suggestions to a restricted diet for some. It is selfish to not at least try the diet because it is inconvenient.

I have been preparing special meals for my daughter since she was able to eat solid foods because she has severe food allergies to milk, soy, all nuts and eggs. My pediatrician took it even further and tested for food sensitivities (IgG; Elisa testing) and discovered a list of food intolerances. Same ped checked her titers for MMR and discovered they were through the roof. My baby's system was overloaded with vaccines. I was fortunate to have an open-minded pediatrician on my daughter's side. She has been on a specialized diet removing the additional 23 harmful foods (IgG) for one year now and she has improved tremendously. Especially removing the apples and tomatoes from her diet. However, it wasn't until reading this book did I understand the reason for her improvement. I even took it further and removed the last phenol from her diet.....BANANAS. She no longer has hours of inconsolable crying. Her GI physician wanted to put her on Prevacid and all along it was bananas. Needless to say I didn't start her on Prevacid. She recently started Nystatin and after the initial die-off of yeast, the haze has lifted. For the first time since she was 3 months old, she's now 5 years old, she laughed when we tickled her. I didn't understand the effect of yeast until reading this book. At least I was already on the right path. MOM'S KNOW........

This is a wonderfully written story of ups, downs and eventually ups. It will not be the answer to everyone's situation. Although I highly recommend reading the book if only to better understand and answer your own questions.

~ From a parent of a non-Autistic child but instead with a child with diagnosed with PDD, LGS, asthma and severe food allergies.

This book is wonderfully written! You will learn so much. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has or suspects their child has autism!

This book is great to help you learn to make baby food. Very easy to understand and even helps with the basics of cooking things like green beans. Then tells how to prepare them for the baby to eat. It also gives information on when to introduce certain foods, (8 months or a year, etc). A must have if you want to make your own baby food.

Excellent for first time baby food chef. Lots of explanations & not anywhere near as daunting as I thought it would be. Wish I had done this with my first baby, very satisfying to feed them home cooked food (plus it's so much less expensive)!

Well written and knowledgeable book on prepping and preparing food for babes. Has a great chart on what foods are suggested to start when. Especially helpful for first time parents learning how to feed their child.

I don't understand people's negative reviews, especially those complaining that the recipes are too simplistic. What do you expect? Coq au Vin? It's food for BABIES... Anyway, that aside, I make lots of purees on a Saturday or Sunday while my son is napping and freeze them in ice cube trays (except for meat and grain purees, which we keep in the fridge because they don't freeze well). It takes a couple of hours to make three veggie purees, three fruit purees, one grain and one meat puree. This will last my son for about two weeks, and all we have to do during that time is microwave or stovetop three or four cubes of fruit and add oatmeal (or whatever cereal your child likes) for breakfast, or three-four cubes of veggies and add some grain and meat from the fridge for lunch and dinner. Pretty simple, yet our son gets a variety of food every day. Once your food introductions (to check for allergies) are done, you can mix up whatever purees you think sound good. Be creative and you and your child will be well-rewarded.

As a first time mom, this book served as a guideline of what foods to feed my baby first since my doctor wasn't much help. I knew to start with veggies then fruit from my doctor's advise because babies tend to like sweet food first. My daughter is now 7 months and using the food index in the back of the book to know how to create simple pureed foods has been very helpful. I highly recommend it to any new mom.

My sister-in-law gave this to me when she visited, and I've been using this book ever since. My son is almost 8 months, and I didn't start giving him solids until he turned 6 months old (started with rice cereal and apples). Before I had this book, I searched for recipes online, and then I'd search for the nutritional information on some other site. This book combines the "recipes" (which are pureeing instructions...that I'm grateful to have handy!) and nutritional information plus info about how to handle and store the food. I also have Jessica Seinfeld's book which I plan on using later when my son gets older, but for now this book is perfect. The only thing I disagree with is that she recommends whole milk yogurt during the 6-9 month stage food and the 9-12 month foods. I'd rather wait until after his first birthday to introduce milk.

Far more than just a collection of recipes, this book is a must-have for anyone caring for a baby or toddler. The recipes are organized by age and contain detailed information about feeding your little one at each stage. Every recipe has nutritional information as well as symbols indicating whether the recipe is wheat-free, vegetarian, sugar free (etc) to allow for a quick assessment of the recipe's ingredients. Ingredients for the recipes are basic and wholesome. All of the recipes we have tried have been delicious!

Lisa Barnes is a genious and a source of comfort to all nervous new mommies who want to give their children the best nutrition possible. Every recipe is easy, nutritious and delicious- best of all. My 10 month old has eaten fresh purees and other recipes from her book since 6 months old. He is what I call, a "baby food snob," in that he will not even look at processed jarred baby foods. She follows food safety recommendations and guidelines that are the same as the American Academy of Pediatrics (there is no quote or mention of them in her book, it is just the same advice). I bought many other baby foods books and this by far is the best and offers the most solid advice and guidelines for a healthy diet for baby. Lisa offers stage-by-stage advice for what to cook next and what to expect, which is priceless. I recommend this book to everyone!!!!

This is the best baby cookbook I've found!
I love it, it has a couple options for cooking the baby food, making it easy for anyone to do.
It has A LOT of recipies from babies to toddlers, its great!
I highly recommend!

i got this and baby blender foods from the local library before i purchased either one of them.
at first i liked the baby blender foods better. it seemed more down to earth, more what i would expect. i wasnt thrilled with the petit apetit. it seemed a little haughty toighty for me.

but when the time came to make a copy or two of recipes that i wanted to test drive, i found i was pulling more out of the PA than the other one. the recipe that especially impressed me was the egg free milk free pancakes (which i just made and our daughter gobbled them up).

baby blender foods is a good typical baby food cookbook. it delivers everything you would expect. you could find the same material for free at [...] PA on the other hand has a much more diverse menu. It also goes beyond just the basics of what tehy can have, but it says what is in each recipe, if it is vegetarian or vegan, wheat free, egg free, etc... And (this is what also sold me) it follows the feeding schedule for the baby not just up until 12 months but up to four years! It really takes you beyond the jarred food and the good old stand bys.

It does say use all organic and free range whatever... and realistically we can't all afford to. At first i thought it was a bit snobby. If i could afford it, i probably would. but it's not always possible. so if you can get past that and just understand that replacements are totally doable, then you'll be fine.

I breastfed two children (one for 18 months, and the other for 15 months) and I could not have done it without this book. I had issues like breastfeeding a premature baby, a jaundiced baby, having mastitis, etc. and this book helped me through all of my problems. The book answered all of my questions and helped me have the confidence to support my decisions. Many people make breastfeeding out to be so difficult but Jack Newman M.D. (the author) takes the stress out of it. For example, he doesn't find it helpful to weigh babies constantly, measure each feeding, or wake up your baby to feed, etc. These things put more stress on breastfeeding mom's when they are not necessary if the baby is breastfeeding well. I would recommend this book to every breastfeeding Mom. I give these books as gifts to friends and family when they are expecting so they can read it before the birth of their child to be prepared and to have a wonderful breastfeeding experience like I did.

I was a little nervous about breastfeeding. My mother never breastfed me and I do not begrudge her that. I finally made the decision because I did not want to have to spend time mixing formula all the time, breastfeeding seemed easier. I got this book and a bunch of others. The others ended up dusty in a box somewhere and never read. This one ended up dog eared and treated almost as reverently as one would treat a Bible.

This book helped me through problem after problem. I absorbed this book and used it to help my son and I find a good latch. Then I read it and used it again for my daughter and a third time it was brought out when I got pregnant with my third child. It was comforting and helpful and made me feel great about my choice. When others tried to make me feel helpless and all was lost, this book seemed to have the answers. I have recommended it to any new mother I have the chance to talk to, and all of them have benefited by it.

This book is a lifesaver if you are serious about breastfeeding. I have never regretted my purchase of this book for a moment.

Dr Newman and Teresa Pittman have covered topics and breastfeeding problems that other books do not even touch. After two good breastfeeding experiences, I expereinced problems with my 3rd child. If only I would have had this book and his other book (the latch and other keys to breastfeeding sucsess) maybe I could have breastfed more instead of pumped so much. I am pregnant now, and hoping, God Willing to have a better experience this time.

I was told about this book from a BF Group I am a member of. I was intrigued by some of the Author's views because some of them are very different than other BF books I have read. After reading his book I feel empowered and liberated from the typical sterotypes placed on BF moms. The Author takes his many experiances from around the world and puts what should be a natural event in a woman's life into perspective. BF is a difficult journey for many women and this book will help you with BF, starting solids, multiples, and tandum nursing. He also talks in detail about formula and formula companies, Details that I had no idea about formula. You won't be sorry you got this book!

After reading through several other breast feeding books, not to mention many online searches, this is the one that became the breastfeeding bible for me. Highly recommended for any pregnant or new moms. I had problems nursing my baby for 6 weeks but eventually we got the hang of it, thanks to this book and a local La Leche League leader (ladies if you are in pain call your local LLL - especially if you are close to quittting!!!). AND you can email Newman at his website as well for advice! One of the best things about this book for me was the confidence it gave me that I could feed my baby and that I didn't have to follow a litany of rules or be perfect in order to do that. He reminds you that women are and have been breastfeeding their babies for millenia...and helps open your mind to a way of mothering that is more natural and instinctive as opposed to the more 'traditional' way that basically involves trying to control your baby through scheduling.

there're some useful information , esp. psychological ones. However, i don't like this book myself.

Children are resilient but this book presents ideas which can make a big positive impact on their relationships with you, other people, and food throughout their lifetime. Admittedly, in my case, she is preaching to the choir, and I am simply thrilled with how she weaves seemingly disparate results of various studies into a comprehensive view of feeding as an activity which is important emotionally and developmentally. She doesn't talk about eating in isolation but rather links it to playtime, sleep and wakefulness etc. She addresses both the average child and children that she describes as vulnerable to well-meaning but misguided parents (e.g. preemies, small babies, fat babies). While many books include growth charts, this book is the only one I've seen which explains in detail how babies normally progress through these charts and how to interpret deviations from the norm.

Having glanced at one of Satter's older books, her writing style seems to be more concise now which is good because the book is already hefty enough even though it only elaborates on the more contentious topics. The organizational flow is good and she repeats her main messages often so that it is possible to read the chapters in isolation.

Although it is current only to sometime around its print date (2000), the general info relayed is consistent with the more recent changes in the pediatric practices I've experienced and the other books that I've read. She hasn't updated the breastfeeding chapter, preferring instead to refer people to say "The Nursing Mother's Companion". It seems very even-handed about how it presents both breastfeeding and formula-feeding. Making that choice secondary to the feeding relationship itself.

To sum it all up, she has done her homework and she is providing a valuable public service in presenting her life's work in this book. I initially had a library copy and am now purchasing multiple copies for myself and as gifts to friends who present concerns to me that are answered by this book!

p.s. on a more humorous note, it reminds me of the intent of the book "Good Owners, Great Cats". In this case, if you improve the parenting, the kid will shine!

I bought this book because I work with families who are struggling to parent their children effectively. I needed information to assist their parenting skills. This book had the most comprehensive collection of data, including lactose intolerance that I have found. It is easy for me to understand and therefore will help me with my work journeying with these parents.

This book was recommended by my daughter's pediatrician after I started to worry about her gaining enough weight as she was born extremely premature. It is full of useful, practical advice and common sense on how to encourage good feeding habits in your children. I found this particularly useful as I don't want to pass my own bad feeding habits onto my kids. Only after reading this book did I realise how important feeding is as I was originally only concerned about what I fed my baby and not how I fed her.
She is thriving and enjoying learning to eat by herself and we are much happier and more relaxed parents now that we are following Ellen Satter's simple advice for feeding children.
All new parents should read this book.

I teach infant massage classes and recommend this book to all my new mothers, as they usually have questions and concerns about their child's eating patterns. THe book is most helpful in guiding them to notice the patterns and support what works for their child, rather than blindly follow some prescribed dietary regimen that may be creating discomfort or, worse yet, inappropriate nourishment for a particular child. Eating is not a generalized experience. It is very personal, and supporting a youngster in learning to honor his or her own needs is one of the great gifts parents can give. Patricia Gale, CIIM (Certified Instructor of Infant Massage)

I bought this book to add to my classroom library. I remembered it from my days in elementary school and thought my students would really enjoy it!

When I was a kid I watched the ABC Weekend Special nearly every Saturday morning. And I remember one cartoon it featured called CHOCOLATE FEVER. It was a wonderful cartoon and very enjoyable. Now as an adult I've read the book on which it was based and wish I had read it at the same young age at which I had watched the delightful cartoon. For the book is at least equally delightful.

This little book is everything you could possibly need for an exciting, zany, and even witty kid's story, particularly for kids who are just starting to read "chapter books". Featuring a somewhat normal young boy (normal in every aspect except his diet) who, because of an insatiable chocolate addiction, develops chocolate spots all over his body, CHOCOLATE FEVER, throws the reader into a series of adventurous twists and turns that never gets boring and always keeps the reader wondering what in the world will happen next...right down to the very last page!

Every children's book of this kind needs a very careful mixture -- a delicate balance, if you will -- of the zany over-the-top kind of scenarios and the more down-to-earth situations. And, perhaps most difficult of all, the author has to be able to present these things to the kids so that the kids reading this book will know which is which. I think Robert Kimmel Smith has succeeded in doing this. CHOCOLATE FEVER has my stamp of approval all over it.

Henry Green loves chocolate and eats it at every meal. He even puts chocolate syrup on his mashed potatoes! One day, Henry finds himself covered with large, brown spots that taste like chocolate. At the hospital, he is diagnosed with "Chocolate Fever." The doctor, excited about all the fortune and fame that will come his way with the discovery of a new disease, forgets about his patient. Henry runs away and then his adventures REALLY begin.

Chocolate Fever
by
Robert Kimmel Smith


Chocolate Fever was a funny and interesting book about a boy named Henry Green who loved chocolate. He ate so much of it that he developed chocolate fever and got big, brown, chocolate spots all over him. The characters seemed real and I felt I knew each one because the author described them and their personalities so well.
My favorite character was Mac. Mac worked at a chocolate store where he became Henry's friend. He also drove a truck to deliver chocolate candy bars. He was caring because he helped Henry when he was in trouble and no one else would help him. Mac was black and there were very few black people so he got stared at a lot. When people were staring at Henry, Mac gave him good and helpful advice because he understood how Henry felt.
One of my favorite parts of the story was when Henry was in the nurse's office and his chocolate spots popped. It scared the nurse and she started screaming. Another funny part was when two thieves, Louie and Lefty, hijacked the truck. While Mac was listing the different kinds of chocolate the thieves were stealing instead of expensive furs, he had a funny laugh he repeated after each type. The way the author described Mac's laugh made me feel like I could almost hear him and it made me laugh out loud. The thieves took Mac and Henry to their hideout. There were lots of dogs outside that smelled Henry's chocolate spots so they invaded the thieves' hideout. They knocked down Louie and Lefty trying to get to Henry so they could lick his chocolate spots.
I liked the way the story ended and I think you will to. I would recommend this book to all children because it is very funny and kids love funny stories.

This was a required book for my son to read this summer. He and I enjoyed it tremondously.

This book was very informative and everything I needed for all of my questions about breastfeeding.

This book helped me feel more prepared for nursing before the birth of my baby. I also reviewed it a bit in the beginning when I had questions or concerns.

I just had a baby in October and this is my second time breastfeedfing. I read it while I was pregnant and I was shocked at how much I didnt know about breastfeedingbeing that I already done it before. I am so glad I read because now i feel more confident in my breastfeeding I dont have any doubts!!!! I highly reccomend this to new moms who are breastfeeding, those who plan to breastfeed, and those who have done it before and plan to do it again. I guarantee you will at least learn one thing you didnt know before. Two thunbs up!!!

This was a great resource for me before and after my baby arrived. She was my first and I had no clue about breastfeeding. I have since bought two additional copies for friends and will buy more for anyone I know who is expecting. Get this before your baby arrives, it will really help!

I used this book 27 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child. I just bought it for my friend's daughter who is having her first and wanting to breastfeed. It has been revised and updated a little, but retains the same great, easy to understand information. The best part is the table of contents. It breaks down the layout of the book to small chunks of information allowing you to quickly find specific information you're looking for,ie: feeding positions, what to do about blocked ducts, building up your milk supply, etc. I highly recommend it!!

This book is awsome. I was required to read it for a college Nutrition class and I am glad I did. I knew before starting this book that fast food is bad for us, but now I know how discusting it is. Since reading this book I have cut out a lot of the fast food that my family eats and I am hoping to cut it all out by the end of the year.

Chew on This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson is about fast food and how bad it is for you. There are a lot of different stories in the book. One was about schools taking out soda machines and putting in water and healthier drinks, but still having McDonald's and Burger King which is even less healthy.

Chew on This was not my favorite book. I am a vegetarian so the meat part made me gag. The book takes a long time to read; it feels like forever. The things that I don't like are when they explain how they kill a chicken and that pink lemonade is really made from bugs. I know that the facts are disgusting, but it is awesome how bugs can turn lemonade pink. The purpose of writing the book is to convince the customers not to eat at fast food restaurants. I suggest that you only read this book if you like reading about disgusting things.

Adrienne F.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi

I read Fast Food Nation a few years back and thoroughly enjoyed this. When I saw this book, by the same author, I assumed it was a sequel to Fast Food Nation with updated information and targeted to the same audience. Unfortunately, my assumptions were incorrect. This book is primarily targeted toward young readers. Where Fast Food Nation is jammed pack with great information, this book is slimmer, has larger type, and many more pictures. It's breezy style and layout reminded me of a middle school textbook.

That's not to say that this book is bad. It has a lot of interesting information (much of which is already covered by Fast Food Nation), but if you are expecting a follow up to the terrific Fast Food Nation, this is not it. Save your money!

This book is clearly aimed at the middle school and high school markets. It's written at a reading level well below the 10th-grade level at which most adult books aim. As a result, I sometimes found the style a bit annoying, and the authors repeat and explain things that I didn't need repeated or explained. Nonetheless, it was easy to forgive the authors some minor annoyance - - overall, this is an interesting and lively book.

Schlosser and Wilson tell us the story of fast food. It would be easy to take the position of muckraker and just expose dirty secrets of the industry. They do a little of that, but mostly they put the industry in historical perspective. How did fast food restaurants evolve? How did they knock off the local diner? Why do they rely on high-turnover teenage labor? How have they restructured the meatpacking and potato industries? How have they restructured urban geography?

In short, those middle school and high school readers will learn something about America by reading a book about McDonald's and its ilk. Adults will likely learn something too.

I purchased a set of five of these books for my seventh grade class to read in book groups. This has been one of the biggest hits of the class! EVERYONE wants to read it. (In junior high, this is rare.) Every day, a student approaches me to enthusiastically share a fact from the book. Science teachers have been asking me about it because the kids are telling them about it. I have only read parts of the book, but it is fascinating and the sources are well-documented. I would highly recommend this book for all ages.

This is a great book and a must have if you want to know the truth about what you are feeding your kids! We can't always provide our kids with the finest foods, especially when traveling or in other people homes, so this book provides valuable information to help you make wise decisions for your kids..Pick it up.. you will be glad you did!! It's also a great gift for a new mom too!!

This covers a ton of comparisons, and gives you great substitutions. Instead of being frustrated about what to REALLY eat, this gives you reasonable substitutions so that you can eat a much healthier meal and your kids can too. It's amazing how you can get tricked by the titles of food combos and make some really bad choices. Really a must for every parent and or grandparent who are responsible for feeding young (and not so young) children meals while on the go.

I bought both books-one for adults and one for kids. Now, my 10 and 7 yr old grandsons ask if what they're eating is on the "eat this" side before they order. Such a simple idea, layed out in a colorful format. I'm very happy with both books and have recommended them to all my friends and family members.

Great illustrations, easy concepts to understand.Great every day trade offs for everyday foods. (Including restaurant foods we all eat to fast food and fancier places) This is something that anyone can reap the rewards from reading. If you thought you knew it all, you may read this and think again.

This is a decent book, very similar to the first one. Even if you own the first book, this is a good buy because you're getting additional information on foods and restaurants, NOT a repeat of them. However, I was disappointed by it being called "For Kids," because my own 10-year-old will NOT eat most of the restaurant suggestions. I would like to see something that's TRULY kid-friendly (for the finicky eater!). Drop the "for kids" label, and it would be worthy of more stars.