Description
The Big Book of Organic Baby Food Review
The Big Book of Organic Baby Food as a mom and RD, I’ve always taken the role of family chef very seriously. I wish this book was around when my kids were first sitting down to the table, ready to eat their first bites of real food. The photos are stunning, the advice is practical, and Stephanie’s recipes are delicious!
—Joy Bauer, MS, RD, health and nutrition expert for NBC’s TODAY show and best-selling author of From Junk Food to Joy Food
New parents always need the best, most thorough science-based info about what to do for their babies. The Big Book of Organic Baby Food is a piece of gentle advice and encouragement from someone who’s been there. Stephanie Middleberg’s beautiful, comprehensive book does both. You bet I’m buying a copy for all of my new-mom friends!
—Beth Lipton, Health Magazine Food Director
You want to know what to feed your baby, what not to, when to, and how to do it all―and therein lies the magic of The Big Book of Organic Baby Food―you get all this fed to you in one book full of beautiful, delicious recipes and better nutrition content to support you. What a gift!
—Ashley Koff RD, The Better Nutrition Simplified Program
Don’t be fooled by all the talk about babies, if your kids are grown or just a gleam in your eye, grab this book, stock your kitchen and quickly get comfortable with prepping and eating healthy food. There’s no excuse now, Stephanie shows us that it’s fast, economical, and fun to create organic family meals. Delight in dining, and joyful times around the table are nutritionally important and a psychological safeguard against future eating disorders.
—Melanie A. Katzman, PhD
About the Author
STEPHANIE MIDDLEBURG, MS, RD, CDN is the founder and owner of Middleberg Nutrition. Stephanie and her team of registered dietitians offer nutritional counseling, consulting, and cooking classes to individuals and families. Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys playing with her toddler Julian, jogging with her husband Andrew, and concocting recipes in the Middleberg Nutrition Test Kitchen.
Richard Feynman –
As a first time mom I was nervous to start solids as I was not quite sure how to go about introducing new foods to my baby. This book solved that problem very quickly. The introduction itself makes this book worth purchasing as it is comprehensive yet entertaining and easy/quick to read. In the back of the book there is a 6 week sample schedule of different foods to feed baby – it was exactly what I needed. The recipes are easy to follow (steam, add milk, blend), and there are even suggestions as to what types of spices to add to make the food more interesting and complex (ex: cumin, nutmeg, mint). The first chapter are simple purees, followed by combination purees, then more substantial foods, all arranged by how old baby is. For someone who was very nervous prior to starting solids, with not enough time in the day to think creatively about how to start developing my child’s palate, this book took the stress away and made the whole thing easy and fun. Highly recommend!
Orangebubbles –
The intro is great and the table of what foods go great with other foods is awesome. My baby seems to like the recipes so far. I really like the baby food making and mixing method which is talking some freezer space and time to get stocked but it will save me so much time later when I need to grab something quick. I just wish there were some suggestions on how to mix allergens with other foods or recipes since we are taking the allergen inclusive approach to baby food.
MayaStein –
I definitely loved this book. I thought it was going to be a book with some receipts and menu for baby and parents but it’s not. They really explain everything about what you children should been eating in each stage and why. This is a huge book. I really recommend that.
E. D. –
I bought 3 books about baby food. Yes it’s a lot, but I didn’t know anything about baby food and how to cook it. This book is the best !! Absolute must have!!!! Not just a recipe book but everything is detailed and explained to help you understand why you should use organic food and the equipment you need, etc.The author is a dietitian so she knows what she’s talking about.Oh, and I’m French so the measurement conversions at the end were VERY HELPFUL!!!!Thank you 😊
m.ju –
I love this book! It’s been perfect for my baby since we started solids at every stage. She is now 9 months.Some people will have negative reviews saying that some baby recipes have honey in them but that is NOT true. The author even has a whole page talking about allergenic foods and food to avoid the 1st year (see photo), and honey is one them. So don’t believe the haters!This book is incredible, it has opened my mind towards cool combinations and I can honestly say my baby eats everything I prepare for her.The combinations are incredible, and I also love how the author recommends certain spices with each combination (see photo).
Melissa –
I’m a first time mama and I knew early on that I wanted to make all of my daughter’s baby food. Homemade organic food is the only way to ensure that your baby is eating the healthiest, cleanest food possible (which we all want). Problem is my cooking ability does not span far past making a sandwich. So I researched for months, looking for the best organic baby food cookbook. I finally decided on this one, and I am so glad that I did. This book is perfect for beginners such as myself and progresses slowly to more advanced foods as you get more comfortable in the kitchen. About 1/8 of the book is helpful info, such as; how to properly buy organic, buying food in season, how to store and freeze foods, allergies, how to start baby on solids, etc.PROS:.Each recipe is labeled Vegan, Vegetarian or Gluten Free..Each recipe has suggestions of what spices will pair well with the dish..The recipe tells you the best way to prepare (peel, cut, slice) each food..Tells you how long each food can be stored for..List of the Dirty Dozen (the dirtiest foods that should ALWAYS be purchased organically)..List of the Clean Fifteen (the cleanest foods that are okay to purchase non-organically)..Cover has a satin/matte coating that protects the book and allows you to wipe up spills..Interior pages are uncoated (100# text) paper..Starts out with simple single ingredient purees..Progresses to more complex family dinners..Each recipe includes a tip that helps to make the process easier..Book includes a sample Meal Guide Calendar to help you plan what to feed your baby for the first few months..Gives you tips on how to get your baby to be a “good eater”..Colorful pages and photos that give motivation to try out new and exciting foods..Includes a good variety of fish, poultry and meat dishes as well as many vegetarian and vegan and gluten-free dishes.CONS:.Book is very thick and does not stay open on it’s own. It would be amazing if it came in a spiral bound version as well.This book is perfect for beginners as well as for people who already know their way around the kitchen. Highly recommend.
Christina –
This book has baby purees, finger foods and toddler meals for every stage. It’s pretty cool because it talks about the fall of rice cereal and how it’s useless lol plus which foods you should buy organic and which don’t really matter. It suggests eating with the seasons to get better tasting produce, and which fruits and veggies are best for each season. I guess it does sort of feel like “homework” for eating lol but I think it is worth it 🤷🏼♀️especially over time I’m sure I’ll learn which to eat when. This book also has suggestions for what herbs go well with what produce which I think is helpful for everyday regular cooking, foods to avoid in the first year, and superfood combinations.I found in the book a chapter called “skipping purees” and talks about “baby-led-weaning” ahhh and it basically suggests to go at your own comfort level and could mix purees with doing whole foods, also gives suggestions of what to start with. Anyway this book is definitely an interesting read and has a lot of cool ideas.
hmarienap –
Great book! To the person that reviewed saying it makes life threatening food choices, no it clearly stated in the first chapter not to give honey to babies. Read the whole book before making a terrible review.
Emi –
I know someone mentioned it’s dangerous and that they can’t trust this book due to a recipe with honey. Well there is a page with items not to be used before the age of 1 and honey is one of them and the recipe is in a chapter for toddlers. There is absolutely nothing with honey for babies before the age of 1. This is really a wonderful book that is everything you need to know about making baby food.
Amy C. Linde –
This is a must have for every mother who wants to raise a healthy child. It is written thoughtfully, with a section devoted to organic produce, stocking a kitchen, nutritional advice and substitutions. The book is divided into sections appropriate for all different age groups — from 6 months through toddlers — and carefully addresses which foods a baby can handle at each stage of development. Recipes are filled with different flavor combinations and textures and they are both creative and flavorful. I am so impressed with this book that I bought a copy for my daughter and another one for myself!