It's not just baby who will love these recipes! (Feeding Your Baby and Toddler - Annabel Karmel)

Member Name: k81979

Product:	Feeding Your Baby and Toddler - Annabel Karmel
Date:	04/08/09 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gorgeous photos, simple nutritious recipes, suitable for the whole family.

Disadvantages: None, it's all good.

My son has now reached the stage where regular milk feeds are just not enough for him. He can sit up pretty well, his hands are always putting random objects into his mouth and he has an alarming interest in my mugs of coffee. All this, apparently, points to him being ready to start on solids - one of the most exciting milestones in a baby's first year! So we have started on baby rice and purees, and I am eager to learn more about nutritious food that I can prepare over the coming weeks and months.

I had seen many Annabel Karmel articles in magazines and on websites, and seen her on television programmes such as This Morning, where it was plain to see that she really knew her stuff. She has many books on the market, and extensive experience in the field of child nutrition. I picked this book after flicking through a few, some of them are fairly similar in nature.

The recommended price for this book is £14.99, however it is currently £9.74 on Amazon.

This book is a complete guide to baby and toddler nutrition, and as such starts from birth. The first chapter mentions briefly breast and bottle feeding, and goes on to talk about the different nutrients needed in a child's diet. There is advice on healthy eating and food allergies, and a list of storecupboard essentials. Useful kitchen equipment is mentioned, and then we're off! Weaning begins!

The rest of the book is divided into sections according to age.

Weaning your baby (6-9 months)
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This section covers the basics of simple purees and baby rice. It gives clear instructions on how to introduce those first foods to babies, and tells you how much a baby should be taking which is something I was unsure about. There are recipes for fruit and vegetable purees, which makes enough for about 8 feeds in one go, so plenty to freeze for later.

Once smooth purees are out of the way, the chapter finishes on more textured food and further ideas for interesting flavours.

9-12 months
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By now, babies should be trying more solid food, and so recipes tend to focus on things that can easily be eaten using their fingers. There is advice on teething, and more ingredients are added to the recipes, including red meat.

12-18 months
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This chapter discusses what to do about food if your child is unwell, and looks at how you can make meals fun for your child and encourage them to eat food they perhaps might not try otherwise. The recipes take advantage of the fact that a child can eat far more foods now, and covers a wide range of nutritious meals. There are some very fun looking snails made out of chicken sausages, mashed potato and peas! I also like the jelly boats made by filling quarters of orange peel with jelly - such a simple idea but something I would never have come up with myself.

18 months-2 years
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More recipes, focussing on older toddlers this time. There is advice on fussy eaters and strategies to cope with this, and a section of the recipes is dedicated to food that might encourage even the pickiest of eaters to have a go. Meals in this section are high energy food, bearing in mind that toddlers of this age are constantly on the go, and are quick to prepare.

2-3 years
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This chapter offers advice on getting children cooking, and recipes are intended to encourage children's interest in food. There are example of party food and some nice ideas for simple but effective iced birthday cakes.

3-7 years
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The final chapter looks at food approriate for children going to school, and the nutrients that they need in order to function well throughout the day. There are plenty of recipes for packed lunches, and for healthy snacks when they get back in from school.

Menus
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Right at the back of the book is the part that I found very useful - menu guides for the different stages. As a first time mother, it was helpful to have a guide to follow for timings and quantities. I am only on the first menu at the moment, but it seems to be working well so far!

The main plus point for this book for me, aside from the menus? The wonderful photos illustrating the recipes. Each picture looks mouthwateringly good, even to an adult! Care had been taken over the photographs, and indeed presentation is a part of Annabel Karmel's food 'philosophy' - if it looks good, children are more likely to eat it.

This book was bought with the intention of using it to create nutritious food for my son. However, many of the recipes are suitable for whole families, and children and adults alike will love them. This is a great advantage when cooking for a family - no need to prepare separate food for children and adults.

I would recommend this book to anyone with children, and especially to first time parents like myself who would like almost step-by-step guides to weaning and beyond. An absolute delight!

Summary: All you'll need for inspiring recipes for children.