Great Expectations: Best Food for Your Baby & Toddler: From First Foods to Meals Your Child will Love

by Jeannette L. Bessinger, Tracee Yablon-Brenner

Overview

The definitive guide to infant and toddler feeding—from first foods to meals your child will love

To ensure that baby gets the best, most wholesome, and natural food possible, go homemade! The newest entry in the acclaimed Great Expectations series focuses on easy preparation of nutritious baby and toddler meals at home—from the first finger-foods to more than 130 delicious kid-tested recipes that will lay the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating.

The book teaches parents how to select the right food, set up a pantry (with a guide to key kitchen equipment), establish smart eating routines, and introduce a wide variety of tastes and textures. It also explores today’s most pressing nutrition issues: Should you buy only organic food? Is it healthy to restrict a toddler's calorie intake? Is a vegetarian diet good for a very young child? Additional resources include information on breastfeeding and food allergies, as well as a comprehensive listing of whole foods companies and products that make healthy eating faster and easier.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402736186
Publisher:	Sterling
Publication date:	06/01/2010
Series:	Great Expectations Series
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.70(h) x 1.20(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword Stacey Antine vi

Introduction viii

Part I They Are What They Eat

1 American Children's Health Crisis: The Baby Connection 3

Obesity Epidemic 3

Obesity Prevention 9

2 The Case for Real Food 11

American Infant and Toddler Diets: The S.A.D. Facts 11

Busting the Real Food and S.A.D. Food Myths 19

3 Starting Out Right: Natural Nutrition Basics 23

A Maturing Digestive System 23

Baby and Toddler Nutrition 24

A Balanced Diet: Baby and Toddler Nutrition Needs 35

Decoding Food Labels 36

A High-Quality Diet 37

4 The Vegetarian Toddler: Pros and Cons 39

Vegetarianism Defined 39

Vegetarian Diet: Is It Safe? 39

The Health Benefits 40

The Challenges 41

Guidelines for Meeting Vegetarian Nutrient Needs 43

The Soy Controversy 48

Part II Feeding Your Child

5 The First Year 55

Rapid Growth 55

Feeding at Birth to 4 Months 55

Feeding at 4 to 6 Months 89

Feeding at 6 to 9 Months 100

Feeding at 9 to 12 Months 108

6 The Toddler Years (12 Months to 3 Years) 119

Menu Variety 119

Feeding at 12 to 18 Months 119

Feeding at 18 Months to 3 Years 136

Part III Real Food for Real Kids

7 Homemade Baby Food: Cooking with Confidence, Speed, and Ease 153

Preparing Your Kitchen 154

Preparing Your Pantry 162

Indispensable Cooking Techniques 166

8 Real Baby Food Guide 179

Homemade Baby Food 179

Recipes for 6 to 9 Months 184

9 Recipes for 9 to 12 Months 211

Finger Foods 211

Vegetable Recipes 213

Fruit Recipes 223

Pasta and Grains Recipes 227

Protein Entrée Recipes 236

10 Recipes for 12 to 18 Months 245

Vegetable Recipes 245

Fruit Recipes 248

Pasta and Grains Recipes 253

Muffin, Pancake, Cookie, and Cake Recipes 257

Protein Entrée Recipes 265

11 Recipes for 18 Months to 3 Years (and the Whole Family!) 287

Invisible Nutrition Boosters 287

Vegetable Recipes 290

Fruit Recipes 294

Pasta and Grains Recipes 297

Muffin, Quick Bread, and French Toast Recipes 304

Protein Entrée Recipes 310

12 Looking Forward 335

Protective Practices 335

Resources 343

Glossary 355

Index 370