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: Great book, great recipes!
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this book prior to our son being born with the hope that I would be making all his food. I've now been doing so using this book and her Top 100 Purees for the last 5 months. I primarily use this book since we got past the most basic purees. I have made more than half of the recipes up through the 9-12 month section and every one of them has turned out great. There has only been one beef recipe that our son doesn't seem to care much for. I have to say too that I have tasted every recipe I've made and they are all delicious. I don't see how you could go wrong with it. I usually make a double or triple batch of each and freeze portions because the servings are typically small but when you buy the ingredients you usually have much more than they call for.
I have one other book that was given to me and is written by a gourmet couple. I tried two of their recipes and they were both a disaster. One I could salvage and the other I had to just throw away. You really can't go wrong with this book. The recipes are easy and the food is great and nutritious. I use a hand mixer to puree and it works well. Enjoy and have fun! Your babies will love it and will grow up with an appetite for all kinds of good food instead of just junk!
Book Review: bvaughan@libero.it
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this book for my daughter when she was pregnant. She had been thinking of getting a different book, but decided this one was probably even better. She used it extensively when my granddaughter was first beginning to try solid foods, and continued to use it through about 9 months. At that point, the baby was eating nearly everything her parents ate, and there was no need to tempt her into eating vegetables.
I also used the book to make baby food when I was visiting my daughter. I made things in large quantities and froze small portions in ice cube trays. The next day, I would put the "cubes" in a plastic freezer bag and start over with a different food. That way my daughter had plenty of meals ready to use when I went home.
I didn't find the recipes too complicated or lengthy. Sometimes I modified ingredients or simplified a procedure. You don't really need a book to cook carrots in the microwave; this book combines ingredients to make tasty and healthy meals. The results were good enough to eat up myself if the baby turned up her nose at them.
There were a few things that had ingredients that my daughter's pediatrician thought were not age-appropriate. When in doubt, the pediatrician wins.
Book Review: Great Great Great
Summary: 5 Stars
Everything I have ever made from this book has been enthusiastically enjoyed by both of my children from first bites onward. It is wonderful to have some basic recipies that include a wide variety of vegetables and combinations of ingredients.
Some other reviewers seem overwhelmed by the artistry of presentation of some of the items for older children - however, these are clearly for parties and special occasions. I made the gelatin boats for my daughter's second birthday - they were actually quite easy and were a HUGE hit. However, manicotti does not need doll's heads and perfectly centered cheese blankets on a weekday night! I just make the recipie and avoid the decoration. It still tastes great and looks fine.
I love that the book is short, sweet and fairly comprehensive. Vegetables, fish and meat are all covered, and it is easy to follow the menu plans.
This book gives clear ideas for delicious meals that can be pre-made, frozen and re-heated for any age child. Should you wish, there are some delightful presentation ideas that an older toddler would love on special occasions. I love this book and have had great success with everything in it. Leeks are not exotic ingredients!!
Book Review: for the budding family nutritionist
Summary: 4 Stars
With my newborn, I was determined and felt responsible to become the informed nutritionist for our family. This book helped me understand the benefits of ingredient combinations in recipes and meal planning. I now have a greater understanding of how to maximize vitamin and mineral absorption. With that said, this book can be very intimidating if you are a busy mom with only minutes to get hungry mouths fed. Treat the "art" of the recipes as something to do if you have time to spare. Focus instead on the recipe content and being creative with combinations. Also, being a "Dr. Sears" disciple, I necessarily needed to defer certain recipes to a later time due to the recipe containing ingredients not recommended for that age range by Dr Sears. This meant certain recipes recommended by Karmel for 6-9 mos, for example, needed to be deferred to 12 mos. I found myself spending 10-15 min per recipe cross-referencing ingredients for a particular recipe I wanted to make with what was recommended by Dr. Sears to ensure it would be appropriate for our little one. All in all, I recommend this book for the wealth of nutritional information and recipes provided.Book Review: Fantastic source of recipes for your kids!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the best kids recipe book I've used! There are so many things I like about this book. For one, the limited use of salt. The author provides recipes that are very mild and perfect for picky eaters. Plus, I get to eat some of the food and not worry about lots of salt. I also like the way she breaks down the age groups and provides recipes according to your child's age. I did find it easy to reference past recipes for my older toddler, and she still loved the food.
There are some people that complain about the difficulty level of the recipes. They fail to mention that once you spend a couple of hours preparing food for your child, you can freeze most of it and heat it up during the week. The author does a great job of telling the reader which recipes can be frozen and which cannot. That makes meal planning so much easier for me.
The author also gives you the nutrients in each recipe. Perfect for moms like me who want to watch what their kids are eating.
All in all, this book is wonderful for mothers who want to make delicious, healthy good food for their children and families.