Child-Nutrition Books

I just love this book, as well as all the other Girlosophy books I've had the chance to read. In the usual fashion, lots of gorgeous photos and inspirational content is included. The smoothie/juice recipes are delicious, but everything else is a bit too complicated for my unskilled self. I'd be all about the recipes otherwise!

My 12 year old daughter has checked this book out of the library, renewed it and checked it out again and again. The first time she brought it home, she was so excited about cooking dinner for the family, without having cooked much before. She asked me a few questions, but for the most part, she did it all by herself, and it was delicious.

As the author of books on Healthy Eating and Food Additives, I was very pleased to see that the recipes are generally healthy and recommend using organic and other healthy ingredients. Although it is not laid out like a typical recipe book and it can be difficult, for my mature eyes, to read the white and colored print (this is the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5), my daughter seems to have no problem with it. She loves the book. She's got a birthday coming up this month and she doesn't know it yet, but she won't have to be checking it out of the library any more.

I think this is an outstanding book to get young girls interested in cooking healthy food. And unlike other recipe books on the market targeted to young girls, that claim to have healthy recipes, this one really does!

I recently stumbled upon the girlosophy series and have loved every edition. This addition is wonderful. It offers healthy and interesting recipes, with a cultural and connecting component to the contributors. I have used it as a tool in running girls groups at my place of employment. I recommend this book to others who are into healthy living and are a teacher, mother, counselor, sister or friend of any woman.

This book is a must read for every parent. It contains great remidies and nutritional information...I have had a copt for years. I wanted to get a copy for my brother as he is soon to be a father and I didn't want to give up my copy. I went to the Savage Nation webste because Michael Savage )formerly Michael Weiner PhD) is the the books author and has re-issued it (for $19) but he is back-ordered so I thought I'd check out Amazon for an original copy. Imagine my supprise when I saw it going for between $48 and $200. Good grief, I think I can wait the month or so of the back order and save the difference. But like I said, It's a great book!

The book is easy to read, concise, descriptive and gives alternative solutions to modern medicine (otc / prescriptions). I like the suggestions that perhaps what ails most children is lack of good, solid, and complete nutrition. I have tried two of the cures (ear ache drops and gas remedy??) and if anything it seems to have helped to reduce the time the ailment was present for my child. The only downside for me was being able to find some of the herbs he describes. The upside to that was that it interested me in starting my own herb garden so that I can have these materials readily available.

I followed the advice of this book and Super Baby Food and I can honestly say that my child is healthy, thriving and of robust health.....you are what you eat.

This is an excellent, well-written book by a person that is obviously very knowledgeable in natural healing. The book not only contains herbal recipes and children's diet recommendations to help heal many common childhood ailments but also diet recommendations to help PREVENT ailments as well. I was also pleasantly surprised to find good, nutritional recipes that my kids will actually eat. Thank you, Dr. Weiner/Savage!!!

As a child psychiatrist, I recommend this excellent book without reservation to parents of children who are overweight. "Helping Your Child Lose Weight The Healthy Way" provides parents with lots of useful information and practical tips for helping their child modify his or her eating and exercise patterns, while maintaining both the physical and emotional health of the child. Thanks to the authors for providing such a useful resource for both parents and health care professionals who work with children.

I just read through this book for an hour or so... didn't read everything, obviously, but got the gist, I think.

I like the book's sensible approach to MODERATION in both food & fitness. Baby steps, which is right on the money.

I also enjoyed reading the book's suggestions on how to discuss weight sensitively with children of different age groups, and also how to approach mealtimes without creating problems later down the line for the child.

My problem, however, is with the nutritional advice. This book is all about low-fat everything, despite being edited in 2001. Haven't we gotten past the old "all fat is bad fat" stance of the early 90's? This book is constantly suggesting we feed our children empty carbs like pretzels, bagels, fat-free chips, etc. UGH!!

While I am not an Atkins junkie, I try to keep up-to-date on nutrition and I believe simple sugars such as those described contribute to weight gain as much (or possibly even more) than our old enemy, fat. Furthermore, there are good, heart-healthy fats out there that kids should be encouraged to eat: nuts, avocado, seeds, etc. Unfortunately, this book makes no mention of this.

The suggested diets in this book, then, seem to me less than ideal for supporting weight loss while keeping the child satisfied (as is one of their "Rights of Chidren" addressed early on in the book). How can a kid be expected to be sated when his/her belly is full of empty carbs? I wouldn't be surprised that children would feel denied on such low-fat diets, and then overcompensate on fatty snacks when out of parental control.

I'd like to see a book that recommends a whole-foods snack like nuts 'n berries, as opposed to one touting the benefits of a pack of low fat crackers and some non-fat cheese spread.

Finally, on the topic of exercise... while this book includes LOTS of suggestions for working physical activity into a child's daily routine, I was hoping it would cover age-appropriate exercise goals for children. That is, how far/long is it healthy for a preschool child to walk? A school-age child? When is a good age to begin strength training, and what are some safety guidelines? etc. This information does not appear to be included in this book, which is unfortunate.

But again, I did like the overall tone of this book. It's very encouraging and also drives home how we as parents need to model healthy eating & exercise habits at home, for our children to grow up strong & fit. Cheers!

I should say up-front that Judi is my nutritionist and I have been seeing her for about six months with wonderful results. I read and enjoyed her book, which contains the same great information that she provides in her office.
Though the book is geared towards parents, the message applies to anyone and everyone that is trying to lose weight, eat healthily, and generally improve their relationship with food.
The book promotes moderation, something that is woefully missing in so many diet advice books. Everyone is pitching extreme thinking to deal with a problem that many people view as extreme. But in the real world, we are surrounded by hundreds of diet decisions each day and consistently making healthy moderate choices is a skill like anything-- it must be developed over a period of time-- it requires education, common sense and the empathy of the people around us as we learn.
This book is really a wonderful resource for parents, who are teaching their children to take care of their health as they grow, and for adults who are working to keep themselves fit and well.

What, No Meat?!: What to Do When Your Kid Becomes a Vegetarian
I love this book b/c it's easy to read and understand. THe menus and recipes are simple as well - although I wish there were more! It's a great book for new vegetarians and their meat-eating parents. It's also good for vegetarian parents who are not exactly sure about nutritional values.

The cover of I'm A Vegetarian features three kids who appear to be about 11 to 20 years old, a clue that this book is written for "tweens" and teens. The writing style is simple, easy-to-understand, and fun-to-read, making it a sure winner for this age group. However, the book would appeal just as much to parents and younger children. The author and her husband have raised two vegetarian daughters, and her connection with what veg kids want and need to know is clear and strong. She has a knack for presenting facts and information that keeps your attention, and most importantly, will appeal to young minds.

The book starts by defining "vegetarianism," and includes quotes from kids of all ages explaining why they decided to become vegetarians. Interspersed throughout the chapters are quotes from famous people and interesting facts about animals, animal agriculture, the environment, and nutrition. Short activities help to illustrate the topic of each section. For example, to help children understand how much space a chicken is allotted in a typical egg-laying factory cage, the author suggests taking a ruler and a sheet of paper and tracing a six-inch square. This is a quick, easy lesson that really brings the point home.

Schwartz goes on to discuss how to deal with parents who aren't happy about having a child convert to vegetarianism and "other sticky situations," like talking to one's peers, handling holiday dinners, and getting decent veg food in the school cafeteria. She covers these topics by offering simple advice without sounding preachy. She keeps it upbeat and positive, which kids will appreciate, but which some may find unrealistic. Still, her saucy comebacks are priceless, and will allow veg kids to arm themselves with funny comments whenever they are put on the spot.

In the chapter "Food, Glorious Food!" Schwartz presents a history of vegetarianism and a primer on "new" foods, many of which are not eaten regularly within the standard American diet. She introduces soy foods including soymilk, tofu, TVP, tempeh, and miso, and includes information on lentils and quinoa, plus peanuts, chickpeas, and potatoes, all of which have interesting stories behind them. She even briefly discusses genetically modified foods.

Finally, after providing a general discussion of eating a balanced diet in the chapter entitled "Be Smart - Stay Healthy," Schwartz goes on to discuss nutrition in more detail. This section is so easy to comprehend that my 5-year-old enjoyed reading it with me. Provided are sample lacto-ovo and vegan diet menus, lots of meal ideas, and a handful of recipes to get you started. This title is highly recommended for new vegetarian kids as well as their meat-eating or vegetarian parents. It would also work well for vegetarian parents who want to teach their children aged 5 to teen about nutrition.

This book is written in a very fun, age-appropriate style. It highlights many of the concerns and interests of the young vegetarian. It includes jokes, recipes, information, comebacks, and even famous vegetarians. A great read for the young vegetarian, especially one you may be afraid of losing to peer pressure. NOTE: Although veganism is mentioned, the book focuses on vegetarianism, not veganism.

I sent this book to my over weight granddaughter to help her see the importance to good food decisions. I want her to like herself but understand keeping her weight under control is in good food choices. She is in another town so unfortunately I have not seen the book and am judging this by her phone call. When I did come to town, she couldn't find it. She is a good reader. "Grandma, the book looks interesting but it is really a big book and the pictures aren't as good as the cookbooks you also sent that I am enjoying much more. I guess I will read it however I am on only page 29". My thought is it will a book she can refer to if she needs information.

We have been using this book with Sonlight Curriculum this year. My children range in age from 6 to 12 years old. The book at times is too difficult for the 6 year old and too easy for the 12 year old, but in general it has been very useful. The chapters are short and difficult concepts are clearly explained. My children are alwys excited to get to the activity section of each chapter, but are disappointed about half the time. The 'activities' usually always work, but they are not always very fun or interesting.

This is the second Janice Van Cleave book I have purchased for our homeschool and I LOVE it!
Our family utilizes the Sonlight homeschooling curriculum but our child keeps begging for "more science" so I purchased a copy of "Food and Nutrition for Every Kid."
This book is divided into twenty five chapters which cover the subject of nutrition from "Why Water is Essential to Life to How to Make Food Last." At the beginning of the book Janice has written an introduction to share with you how to utilize this book.
Each chapter contains "What You Need to Know, Exercises, Activity (which is a science experiment) and Solutions to Exercises."
This book provides you with a complete hands on science curriculum which is fun for both parent and child!

My physicain at the Mayo Clinic recommended this book to me as "the Gold Standard" for nutrition lifestyle and weight control.

You want it!

Most excellent, however, "The Learn Program for Weight Management 2000" has now been released. (As has new casette tapes)

If you can accept reality and are intrested in a long term comitment this is a book that will help you achieve a healthy life style.

This book breaks weight management down to 16 easy to follow lessons. It takes a light approach to issues like dealing with family, and special occasions. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a long-term approach to weight loss.

This is an absolutely fabulous book and has been a total lifesaver in dealing with a VERY picky 2 year old!!! The idea's are wonderful and I would highly recommend this book to ANYONE (Mummy or Daddy!!!)

Ann's style makes it easy to navigate the often-difficult world of baby and toddler dining. She covers these topics much better than other books.

Ann Douglas gives practical nutrition and allergy pieces of advice and more--sprinkling her books with fantastic and real stories of other moms. She doesn't preach and does allow for the discussion of alternative and natural choices, such as vegetarianism.

This book is a great companion to her other works, such as "Sleep Solutions".

As a new Mom of a baby approaching the "solid foods" age, I found this book to be very useful. Specifically, I really liked the concise approaches in the book (generally in table format) in the areas of 1) what foods to introduce and suggested general orders, 2) what foods to avoid until given points in time (egg whites, honey, etc..) and 3) how to change textures and introduce new foods as you approach an older baby/toddler.

I liked the fact that the approach was "open" in that I don't need to follow as rigid a timeline or schedule as I may have found from other sources. The tips and quotes from other Mom's also made the book unique - afterall, I consider other Mom's to be experts at this point!

As a new Mom, I don't have alot of time to read - so I found this easy to read and quick/concise....easier than pulling the information out of multiple other sources. The other great part is where the author gives links to various sources for further info such as baby recipes etc... I also look forward to utilizing the baby food calendar that the author supports through her website.

I would definately recommend this book to other new Moms that are trying to figure out the "solid food" thing!

If you are researching biomedical autism diets---this book is it. Recommended by medical director of ARI and Spectrum Magazine. All I needed to know in one book---digestive system info, importance of the right foods, why diets help heal, how to put a diet into place, how to cook for the diet so you kids will eat. Shows symptoms of autism that improve with diet.

Get it! First book that gives a parent ALL the information to correctly put an autism diet into place.

Excellent first read re: autism diets and autism nutrition. Shows you why and how biomedical autism diets work. I would recommend it to parents if you are adding autism diets to your child's recovery program. Easy to follow---best 101 autism nutrition and diet education. Expert advice--but reader friendly. Practical cooking instruction with recipes for picky eaters.

I received this cookbook as a gift when my son was 14 months old. I was starting to law school and my mother knew I wouldn't have time to spend an hour cooking dinner for my family every night. Now, three years later, I'm graduating from law school with honors, my family is well-fed and happy, and my in-laws whisper to each other how amazing it is that I've managed to cook dinner at home most nights and still maintain my GPA! Thank you, Parenting Magazine!

This cookbook is divided into chapters according to the type of meal and the complexity of the recipe. You have Quick Everyday Breakfasts, Quick Everyday Lunches, Quick Everyday Dinners, Weekend Breakfasts, Weekend Lunches, Weekend Dinners, and some additional chapters on meal-planning, snacks and desserts, and party menus. The recipes themselves are plain and simple good food. There are some "fancier" recipes that I've used to impress dinner guests (lamb, pork tenderloin, etc.), but even those are easy to follow and relatively quick to prepare. Each recipe has serving sizes, nutrition guidelines, cooking time, and prep time, all in easy-to-read format.

A word of warning: The recipes in this book were designed with healthfulness in mind and they tend to be low in fat, sodium, and carbs. However, this book is not for parents trying to follow specialty diets. If you are wanting a book that shows you the three easy steps of raising a vegan child, look elsewhere. But if you want to be one step closer to walking in your kitchen and waving your magic wand for a wholesome delicious meal, buy this book!

We just acquired this book, after reading a review in the Boston Globe. It seems to be a delight, especially with a large number of straightforward, simple recipes that can be prepared in a short (<30 minutes) period of time. We have only tried a couple of the recipes, but they were good. And there are many many more to try

Not just for parents, this book offers some of the classics, along with some great dishes for entertaining. Most are simple and the ingredients are usually already in your kitchen cupboard. Great for parents, but still good even if you're not cooking for a family. One warning--the recipes in here are not low-fat, so if you're dieting, skip this.

As a chronicle of a mother's courageous struggle to help her lead poisoned twins then this was a great read BUT really didn't provide enough information to be a good resource for anyone looking to understand and treat lead poisoned people

Turning Lead Into Gold was a book I couldn't put down! It opened my eyes to lead and other metals that are harmful to us all. Nancy goes into great detail about the harmful effects of toxic metals and what you can do to prevent it. She also goes into how to treat lead poisoning. I bought this book because my son has an elevated lead level but I am recommended it to everyone I know! Because of all the facts in this book about metal poisoning I am getting my whole family tested.

I talk to parents of lead poisoned children everyday as Manager of the Lead Advisory Service Australia and I have only received extremely positive comments from other parents about this book. Some doctors would argue that the book gives false hope to parents because the book details very positive outcomes for children with heavy metal poisoning when they undergo chelation treatment. Interestingly, one of the book's authors, Dr Strauts, apparently does not carry out chelation therapy on children any more - according to one of the parents from Australia who contacted his office in Canada. Also, unfortunately, I was never able to obtain a copy of the protocol for chelation treatment that is mentioned in the book - this would have been useful.
However, despite all the above, I would highly recommend this book and wish someone would write a follow-up, seven years on, outlining similar success stories that are happening today.