First Meals Revised: Fast, healthy, and fun foods to tempt infants and toddlers
by Annabel Karmel
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Book Reviews of First Meals Revised: Fast, healthy, and fun foods to tempt infants and toddlers
Book Review: Beautiful presentation, but...
Summary: 3 Stars
I have 2 toddlers that are quite picky eaters. So when I read that the recipes were "tried and tested by a panel of babies and toddlers," I thought this book must be for me. What that statement failed to mention is whether the meals were successful with the children they were tested on. Please excuse my arrogance by saying that I am a very good cook, but I haven't received a complaint to my face yet. That is, aside from my picky toddlers. Aside from the purees, I have "tried and tested" over 20 recipes in this book, with basically 4 hits and the rest misses. The good ole macaroni and cheese, the reliable spaghetti bolognese, and 'can't miss' pb & j worked. But did I really need this book for those hand-me-downs? What was a surprise hit was the chicken chow mein. It worked for one toddler but not the other. But did I really need to fork out the money for the book for this one recipe. The photos are beautiful and they inspire so much hope in the parent of a picky eater, but that's pretty much it. Another gripe I have with this book is a critique other reviewers have expressed: the recipes, with the exception of the pb & j, are time consuming and some of the ingredients can be so exotic that I need time to go to 2 or 3 supermarkets just to piece together one meal. I must admit, however, that my husband and I alone have enjoyed most of the recipes our kids have rejected.Book Review: Great ideas, but tons of work
Summary: 3 Stars
I was excited to get this book, fearing that because of hectic schedules, we were relying on too many pre-processed foods for my 1 1/2 year old son. This book was a great idea source, it helped me to realize all the possibilities I had in feeding him and that there were things he was old enough to try that I hadn't thought of. I have so far tried three of the recipes though, and I have to say, they aren't for people who don't want to spend the better part of their days in the kitchen. The prep times and cooking times, I found way off. I spent about 2 hours and 45 minutes on a dish that claimed to take 35 minutes total, and I'm no novice cook, I swear. They are absurdly time consuming. My son liked 2 out of 3 that I've tried, and my husband loved them too, they are great recipes. Besides the amount of time and effort these recipes call for, I'm also not thrilled with the fact that the majority of these call for frying. I thought we were all pretty clear that frying wasn't healthy? But it does taste good and I guess that the overload of veggies is making up for it? Anyway I recommend it with the warning that most of these are not fast and easy. But they are loaded with all kinds of healthy foods that I wouldn't have otherwise introduced to him. So overall it's a great guide, even if I'll be modifying the recipes from now on to cut out time and maybe the frying part.Book Review: An attractive book, but be wary of the advice
Summary: 3 Stars
This is an attractive book that offers inspired fare for young eaters. A variety of foods are introduced. The photographs are clear and helpful. The recipes that I have tried are tasty.
However, the author is ignorant of what types of foods may be safely served to young babies. She ignores medical advice and suggests feeding berries, eggs, tomatoes, fish, leeks, mangoes, cinnamon, cheese, yogurt, onions, spinach, and garlic to babies eight months of age and younger. She adds wheat, miniature meatballs, and raw vegetables for babies nine to twelve months of age, ignoring the respective allergy and choking hazards. While her recipes are appealing, I think the age categories should be treated with skepticism by any parent concerned with following current guidelines. The author even advocates peanut butter for babies as young as a year.
I am serving some of the 6-month recipes to my nine-month old. This book is helpful but must be read very critically, as the author's timeline for introducing foods is unsafe, unscientific, and flouts medical guidelines. The section on allergies is cursory and slapdash. This author is too uninformed to trust.
This is a good book for a parent who is positive that their child does not have, or is not at risk for, food allergies.
Book Review: Informative and helpful
Summary: 4 Stars
I have owned the previous edition of this book since my first son was born in 2000. The food ideas and recipes have all been well-received by my kids and, as many other reviewers have mentioned, the recipes are interesting, tasty and fun.
I wanted to point out that Ms. Karmel also offers a wealth of advice for first-time parents. Many new parents wonder when they should be starting their child on this or that, and she does a nice job of guiding the parents through culinary development. I have had friends ask when they should start their little ones on a sippy cup, and this book suggests a cup at about 6 months. I used this book as a helpful guide to when I could/should consider starting my sons on particular foods or utensils, etc. She also offers sample menus for each age group, so you can get a general idea of whether your child is eating within recommended ranges or not. She offers comprehensive information about food allergies and intolerances, choking and other hazards, and it's up to you to use your common sense and doctor's advice on how to proceed.
Overall, I highly recommend this book for parents looking for new recipes and ideas and also for new parents looking for a little advice on feeding their little ones.
Book Review: Pretty, well organized, but the recipes disappoint
Summary: 2 Stars
This book is good for general nutrition information and for cooking ideas, but the recipe specifics are disappointing. I bought this to get ideas on transitioning my child from jarred baby food to table food. I chose this book because it had an accessible layout, good photos, and helpful nutrition information for each developmental stage. I have tried several recipes, though, with little success. They are not specific and hard to follow. Each time I've made one, I've used many dishes; extensive clean-up is not mom-friendly! The times are ludicrous--the pancake recipe that said it took 12 minutes took me nearly 45, and I am not an inexperienced cook! I tried the Pasta Cartwheels with cheese and Broccoli, Pasta and Sauce with Hidden Vegetables, Pasta Salad with Tuna and Sweet Corn, the unfortunately named "Finger-licking chicken & potato balls", and the Yogurt Pancakes. My son refused to eat all but the pancakes, and so my husband and I had to scramble to find something else for him to eat, then consume the recipes ourselves, all of which were bland and unremarkable. Kids like different things, so perhaps your child will like the recipes better than mine did, but you will still have to cope with lots of dishes, vague recipes and inaccurate cooking times.