Super Baby Food
by Ruth Yaron
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Book Reviews of Super Baby Food
Book Review: Scatterbrained writing and superfluous topics
Summary: 2 Stars
The title of the book is "Super Baby Food" but really it should be called, "I Was Martha Stewart in my Former Life."I asked for this book for Christmas because I had heard such good things about it. While Ruth Yaron's intentions are good, her writing technique is difficult to follow. She is constantly referencing other chapters and/or pages and I felt confused and disorganized when reading it.
Secondly, some of the issues she covers are just plain ridiculous. Maybe she's just trying to cover her [own], but I think anyone with half a brain cell knows not to let the baby play with freezer bags because they can suffocate. She might as well say, "Make sure not to stick baby's hand in food processor while blending."
Third, there are all these "extra" chapters that just don't seem to fit the title of the book and what I was expecting. Maybe Ms. Yaron was under pressure from the publisher to produce a larger book, or maybe she's got ambitions to become the next Martha Stewart. But I wanted to read about baby food, not how to make party hats and decorate cookies. I guess it's cute if you enjoy baked goods and trying to throw the best shin dig for your 1 year-old. But I thought the book could have done without it.
Fourth, she gives age guidelines for certain foods that I don't understand. For example, she says baby should be 7 months before eating pureed peas or carrots. Well then how come commercial baby food companies offer carrots and peas as a stage one food? Perhaps she sees commercial carrots as poisonous, but I know several babies who ate carrots before 7 months and lived to see their next birthday. Also, there were foods mentioned like tofu, kelp, and other bizarre items that I would never even think to give a baby. Maybe some people would find that information valuable but I think most babies would be content with "standard" foods.
Anyway, the information in the book is what I wanted--Ms. Yaron gives excellent suggestions, directions, and ideas for making and storing homemade baby food. But her efforts were overshadowed by laughable safety tips, misfitting chapters and disorganization. Other than that, it was about how to make your own baby food.
Book Review: Healthy Ideas and using your common sense...
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm on the fence regarding this book. There is a lot of nutritional information for today's vegetarian, not to mention the scores of warnings throughout the book. However in my family we are meat eaters who love our vegetables. So this book wasn't a complete waste for us. Nonetheless I would of liked to have seen more recipes on cooking baby food with meat. The half page graciously given to making a meatloaf and several pages on the cons of touching no less eating meat, don't cut it. I did like the book for some of the hints and tips but wouldn't advise it to those that get bothered by someone who thinks everyone should be and live like a vegetarian. Some of her ideas are a bit eccentric but I think Ruth was trying to help those that may not have money to burn. What I don't think she took into consideration is that it is very cosmopolitan to make baby food today. Someone on WIC may not have a food processor in their kitchen cabinet let alone be able to go right out and buy one. While those that do have a food processor in their kitchen cabinet could probably care less about tips like recycling sandwich bags and twist ties.
It took a while to get my mother-in-law into the whole idea of food cubes but now she understands and considering she watches my daughter while I'm at work that's a good thing. I know I wouldn't have thought of steaming, pureeing, and then freezing the food bathces of food in ice cube trays covered with plastic and aluminum...I would of just done it like my mom and her mom did; cooked it as I needed it. Ruth's concept was wonderful sometimes a bit extreme for my tastes, but still wonderful. My daughter loves the different veggies and hasn't complained yet.
I love the fact that women of our generation are starting to get back to basics. Breastfed babies are more common and now the whole concept of making baby food isn't so evil. I do recommend this book, but I strongly suggest using your common sense. Now I'm searching for the perfect follow up to these starter foods...my little girl does loves to eat chicken and I wouldn't dream of making her eat brewers yeast or tofu, ESPECIALLY when my husband and I don't!
Book Review: A Super(b) Baby Food book
Summary: 5 Stars
The title says it all: It is a 'Super(b) Baby Food' book! There is so much you can do so wrong and so much you can do so right - this book explains EVERYTHING to the point of paranoia that only a parent can assume about their baby. She doesn't just make it look easy - it IS easy, written without assuming that you know too much or too little; and written with love, from a mother to other mothers and fathers. It is a must for any new parents library, to pass down the generations, because you can't fall behind with the author's on-line, hands-on support through the internet, that gives you constant updates and newsbreaks as far as the contents of the book are concerned. And the best part? It's not 600 pages on food, food, and food. It is loaded with hundreds of economizing tips & notes. (No matter if it is mentioned on page #67, she repeats it briefly wherever and how ever many times it is necessary, so you can't go wrong.) There are chapters on how to throw a party that won't rob the bank and holiday arts and crafts - just to keep them busy on those there's-nothing-to-do days. Then there's another part which concisely tells you all you need to know including nutritional value, how-to-buy guide, preparation using various cooking methods, storage, freezing and expiry of specific fruits and veggies, aside from other homemade products for baby, mommy and daddy and your baby's domain - the home. Two chapters are devoted solely to nutrition and nutrient breakdowns of foods, and IT'S NOT BORING! But the best is last - that wonderful nutrition bursting diet she has put together. You end up giving your baby such a variety of foods that gives little taste buds a run for THEIR money and not yours. By the time baby is a year old, it is close to being a connoisseur and it's all healthy! And when you have a toddler in hand, her recipes for shop-bought snacks are sooo easy to do yourself, and you pay for the food - not the packaging! Feeding your baby the right food is as important as the loving cuddles that feed the parent-child relationship. This is the undertone of this book. Need I say more?Book Review: Reference - But Don't Take Too Seriously
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this book because I thought it would help me get a good grasp on how to feed my infant son when we started solid foods. My best friend had it, which is the best reccommendation I could get. However, I learned more just being around my best friend and her son. Sure, the book is great for the information about what is okay to feed at certain ages in the early months. But there are so many problems with the book, it makes you wonder how Ms. Yaron got published in the first place.
For starters, there's the incorrect information. She says not to breastfeed at night after the baby gets teeth. Um, okay. My son broke his first tooth at four months, which is way too early to be eating a lot of solid foods. So what am I going to do, let him starve? Several other sources say that breastfeeding at night is not a problem for tooth decay, and may actually help with proper alignment. Strike One.
Second, she puts a heading at every paragraph. From the perspecitve of someone who reads a lot and has an English Degree, this book is a total nightmare to wade through. The text doesn't flow in an understandable fashion, so you're contstantly trying to get oriented. Strike Two.
And then there's the preaching. With so many people already trying to tell us new parents what we should or shouldn't be doing, one more guilt trip isn't going to be a good thing. I'm pretty good at listening to my instincts and making my own decisions, so it was easy for me to completely disregard a large majority of what Ms. Yaron had to say. Strike Three.
And if all that weren't enough, it's as if Ms. Yaron doesn't know how to cook! Some of her directions are just pathetic. I cook homemade meals every single day, so I feel confident in questioning her methods. You're outta here, lady.
On some level, I feel guilty writing this scathing of a review. However, when it comes to parenting advice and information, there is a plethora of it, and so when writing yet another how-to baby book I would ask that authors keep it simple and succinct. No preaching. Just the facts.
Book Review: Super Baby Food
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent resource for new parents on how, what and when to feed their baby solid food. Especially wonderful because the author explains the healthiest way to prepare your own baby food using pesticide free produce and making home made porridge. my baby and i especially like the porridge as it has kept my baby soooo healthy .No diarhea, gas or constipation. you can mix anything into the porridge. i also enjoyed all the info on buying , storing , and preparing fruits and veggies. in the beginning she gives you step by step instructions on when to introduce new foods plus healthy extras to add in the food to make them more nutritious. All the recipes are SIMPLE and can be made in advance. There is no excuse your baby should not be eating this healthy way. i work full time and have no problem finding the time. i am a Women's health Nurse Practitioner and have seen first hand soooo many babies with illnesses that could have been prevented by using this diet as a guideline. Just using the porridge and healthy extras can do the trick. And the best part of all is my 16 mos old has never been sick. No ear infections, no bowel problems, no lung infections NOTHING. his growth has been amazing. he is so well adjusted, curious, sleeps well. Poops 3 times a day and it isn't sticky like many babies bowel movements can be. I just saw my Pediatrician 2 weeks ago and she could not get over how HEALTHY my baby is. She was amazed and was going to buy the book that day. Buy the book and use as much of the info as you feel comfortable using. ie. i still feed my baby meat and he still eats some store bought items, but the addition of the porridge and healthy extras really makes the difference for us. Healthy eating and good nutrition as it relates to a good immune system is not a new concept. i just feel many Americans are to lazy to investigate and change their habits. Please give this book a chance to give your baby an excellent start in life let alone the stress reduction you will feel from not having the average baby who gets sick 6-12 times a year.