The Baby Food Bible

May 19, 2008
Dietician and mother of two, Behan (Eat Well, Lose Weight, While Breastfeeding
) covers all the bases in her latest work. Concerned with child obesity, Behan believes parents can protect their children by “taking on an approach to eating and feeding... that promotes optimal health and strong family relations.” In order to do this, Behan argues, parents must first “establish and protect family mealtime, and introduce children to a variety of truly good food.” The author explains, very specifically, how parents can achieve this. She discusses how and when to introduce solids and includes charts of specific foods and amounts to feed per day. An alphabetical “Superior Foods” list gives readers tips on how to buy, store and prepare over 100 fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, etc. She then explains how to make homemade baby food and suggests combos such as sweet potato and banana puree and, later, offers her favorite recipes (basics like roast chicken and beef stew) for when children begin to eat table food (after age one). Also included are practical tips on how to promote healthy eating, such as turning the television off at mealtimes and watering down juice to limit sugar and calories, and effectively teaching table manners. This is an excellent, comprehensive guide worthy of all parents' collections.