Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook by Lizzie Vann, Daphne Razazan
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Book Reviews of Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook
Book Review: Wonderful cookbook
Summary: 4 Stars
Even if you do not have access to an "organic" store this book is a great recipe resource and also provides easy low cost ways to begin organic.One of the best things about the book is that the foods are quite different from what you would find in the store or at most restuarants and to see your child take to these foods (as well as you) is simply wonderful.
Book Review: Great quality
Summary: 4 Stars
I ordered a book for making homemade baby food. The book was very informative and was in great condition when it arrived.Book Review: Great recipes, some poor advice
Summary: 3 Stars
First off, this cookbook does contain some wonderful recipes for babies and toddlers which are easy and quick to prepare and are very nutritious. However, like other reviewers below, I too take exception to the poor advice given regarding breastfeeding and the nutritional importance of breastmilk. In the introduction the author writes, "I believe there is nothing more important than the quality of the food that we feed our children - their development, health, and happiness depend on it... always use organic ingredients... always use natural ingredients... keep sugar and processed ingredients out of your child's diet for as long as possible." One chapter is entitled, "As Nature Intended".A quote by the author on the back of the book states, "There should be no compromise in what we feed our children." But unfortunately she does not seem to apply any of these principles to what we feed them before they eat solid food. Rather than advising a mother returning to work to pump her breastmilk for her baby, she tells her to switch to formula! Now which is more "natural, organic, and unprocessed", fresh human milk or prepackaged formula? She further states in the first recipe section that "breast or formula milk is the only suitable food during the first four months. After this, your baby needs some solid food in her diet... By four to seven months of age milk alone no longer meets her body's demands for nutrition and energy as she grows." I don't know where she got this information, but it is complete nonsense. First, formula is NOT on a par with breastmilk in terms of "suitability". It is a poor substitute which should only be used by those unable to produce milk of their own. Second, a baby absolutely does not NEED other foods at four months of age, or even at seven. Some babies will want food at four months, others not for a lot longer. My daughter was not interested in solid food until she was eight months old. Breast milk is perfectly sufficient to sustain thriving babies up to a year old with no supplementation. Even at a year, most babies should still be receiving the bulk of their calories from breastmilk, and contrary to the author's advice, breastmilk should be given BEFORE solid food to ensure the infant is receiving the correct fats and cholesterol s/he needs to grow and develop properly. My daughter is now 11 months old and is still about 80% breastfed, and she is certainly not suffering for lack of nutrition -- in fact she is the same size as many 2-year-olds we see around here (22.5lb and 30in, not fat by any means but strong and sturdy).
My other issue is with her treatment of bread. For someone who is so zealous for healthy food, I am at a loss as to why she would promote white bread for young children. She includes a few bread recipes using "brown or white" flour, and states, "Toddlers sometimes prefer simple white bread. Do not get into a battle if that is your child's choice; respect your child's wishes and try something new a month or two later." This is just bad advice. Refined white flour, like refined white sugar and refined white salt, is basically a slow poison. Better advice would be to never even introduce white bread into the child's diet at all; the child can't "prefer" or "choose" what isn't there.
One last caveat: in her "Fresh and Fruity Shakes" recipe she writes, "... rice, soy, and follow-up milks may be substituted", and in the appendices on vegetarianism she also recommends tofu and soy protein. Although soy is high in protein and is a popular milk and meat substitute, recent research indicates it is NOT suitable for infants and children. It contains phytoestrogens which can negatively affect thyroid function, the endocrine system and growth/sex hormones. If a milk substitute is desired, please give your children rice or nut milk instead. If a meat substitute is wanted, it is better to use tempeh instead of tofu as the fermentation reduces the levels of harmful toxins and also increases the good things such as protein content.
Overall, besides the aforementioned exceptions, the recipes in this book are excellent, and as an added bonus there is also a handy seasonal produce chart in the back to guide you in your grocery selections.
*Update*
Regardless of the author's nationality, there is no excuse for not using current information when dishing out nutritional advice for babies. If you do not intend to check with the most authoritative, trusted sources for the most up-to-date recommendations, then you should refrain from offering breastfeeding and weaning advice and stick to recipes. The author of this book has taken it upon herself to dispense breastfeeding and weaning advice, and she therefore has a responsibility to get it right. La Leche League is recognized as the world's foremost authority on all things breastfeeding and is an international organization, not just American. There is no reason the author couldn't have used LLL as an information resource when discussing breastfeeding; yet almost everything she writes on the subject is contradicted by LLL's massive store of wisdom. The plain and obvious truth of the matter is that the author has simply regurgitated archaic, out-of-date info she probably obtained from an old M.D. who hasn't cracked a journal to read up on new developments since he finished medical school 30 years ago.
The reason people "draw the line" at breastfeeding/formula-feeding is precisely that it is NOT just another "lifestyle" or "parenting" choice, no matter how much it is presented that way by the formula companies. Choosing to feed a baby an artificial food not of its biological adaptation, just because it's more convenient, has lifelong consequences for that child, including potentially devastating health problems. This is well-documented, not mere conjecture or propaganda. Saying formula-feeding by choice is a valid option is like saying smoking heavily around your baby is a valid option, and what the heck right does anyone have to tell you otherwise. Meaning, it is about the baby's health, i.e. the future health of an adult, and that if you bring a child into this world, you ought to at least have the grace to feed it properly if you possibly can. A baby's biology expects human breastmilk; that is its birthright, in the truest sense of the word. It is a HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE. The basic right of the child to retain its optimal health overrides any consideration of mere "convenience" for the parents (and i would venture to say that anyone who isn't prepared to sacrifice a little for the sake of their child isn't ready to be a parent anyway).
If you think people blow the whole breast-feeding/formula-feeding thing out of proportion, then you don't understand the gravity of the issues involved. I recommend you do what this author didn't do, and read up on the latest information.
Book Review: Good recipes, Poor Information
Summary: 3 Stars
This is an easy to read book with fabulous pictures of very delicious foods. This book is a good resource for nutritious meals for your children. However, Ms. Vann gives poor information on the most important first food for children- breast milk. Her information on weaning is on the page for 4 to 7 month old babies, which implies this is when they should be weaned. A question is posed to her in this book. A mother is asking if she should switch from breastmilk to formula when she returns to work. Ms. Vann says she should switch BEFORE she returns to work. For a book so concerned with optimum nutrition, one would think that she would place more importance on the necessity of breastmilk as the most important basis for health, rather than declaring organic foods to be above this. She also states that food should be given before breastmilk to set children up for healthy eating habits. Breastmilk, in fact, should be the only source of nutrition for the first 6 months, and supplemental foods should compliment this thereafter for the first year.The author also does not seem to be well informed of the optimal length breastfeeding should continue. The World Health Organization along with UNICEF recommmends that breastfeeding continue to age two and beyond. Ms. Vann mentions some cultures breastfeed for this long only when there is inadequate food available.
This book has some useful recipes but I would not recommend it to anyone based on the poor information on breastfeeding. After all, a babies FIRST food has the biggest impact on a child's health!
Book Review: good cookbook
Summary: 3 Stars
It's a good cookbook for the cook looking to get a little more creative or looking for new ideas for babies/toddlers. But organic? It's no different. You could use any baby cookbook & just use organic ingredients in place of conventional. But that's how it's going to be for any cookbook that boasts "organic" in the title. It's a bit of a marketing sham if you ask me. But I do enjoy the cookbook. My two year old liked helping me make the fruit bread sticks & she really loved eating them! Very healthy. I strongly agree with some of the other reviews however that you should not use this cookbook as a guide to know when to feed your baby what foods. Food allergies are scary things and a 4 month old should not be eating dairy.