The Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers: Practical Answers To Your Questions on Nutrition, Starting Solids, Allergies, Picky Eating, and More

by Anthony Porto, Dina DiMaggio M.D.

A comprehensive manual for feeding babies and toddlers during the crucial first years of life, written by a team of medical experts who are also parents.

All Your Questions about Feeding, Answered.

The choices of when, how, and what to feed your baby can be overwhelming. With The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers , you have the expertise of a team of pediatric medical and nutritional experts—who also happen to be parents—in a comprehensive manual that takes the guesswork out of feeding. This first-of-its-kind guide provides practical, easy-to-follow advice to help you navigate the nutrition issues, medical conditions, and parenting concerns that accompany feeding. With recipes, parenting stories, and recommendations based on the latest pediatric guidelines, this book will allow you to approach mealtime with confidence so you can spend more time enjoying your new family.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Childrens, Cookbooks

257 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2016

Reviews

[Meghan McDonald Carlson of Texas, Maryland · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish this book. Once I saw them recommending more calories for male vs female infants, I couldn’t even read it, I was so pissed.

Like, really, some external genitalia that may or may connote slightly more muscle mass in the torso in fifteen years means he should get more food as a SIX MONTH OLD?! Nope.

Sociological research shows it’s really about age one when male and female babies start being treated differently (coddle those precious, tender-footed girls and dust off the rambunctious boys for more wrestling, right? 🙄🤮). And I appreciate this book is written by doctors & I’m generally speaking pro-doctors, but I also know that there’s a preponderance of books in medical school that show human anatomy with circumcised penises (as if they were born that way!), so I also bear in mind the flaws in these institutions.

I also noticed some decent-looking recipes before the book went back to the library.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

With 9 contributors to this book, 'The Pedatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies & Toddlers' is the most comprehensive book on this subject I have read. I expected mostly recipes and information about what to feed in each stage, however there is much more to this book. There is quite an in depth look at the allergies that can affect babies and onward into childhood or even as adults. Plenty of information on growth and what you can expect. Understanding major nutrients and how they can affect diet and your child's body. This would be informative even for parents who are struggling with the health of their child, if you suspect diet to be a major player. Yes, there are plenty of healthy recipes included, and lots of information regarding up to date medical opinions on breast feeding/bottle feeding. My only downside to this book is the sheer amount of information and the way its presented. Probably a challenge - trying to lay it out without loosing the volume of info they are trying to provide. So its only a small con for the book. If you want information for every single aspect of your baby & child's health - this book will be the only book you need.

Thank you to Blogging for Books, Ten Speed Press & Crown Publishing for the ARC print copy of this book in return for my honest review.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really well put together guide for parents/guardians who need advice on feeding babies/toddlers. The authors are physicians with extensive knowledge and input from other qualified professionals.

I bought this from a library sale and decided to read it just because even though my babe is a year old. Unfortunately, this book wouldn’t have helped me even at the beginning because we chose to do baby-led weaning. The book does not recommend BLW and it would have been good to know sooner but I never DNF so I finished the book. (BLW has work wonderfully for us for anyone considering!)

To summarize, this is a great resource for new parents that do not plan to do baby-led weaning!

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As all parents know, figuring out what to feed our children and getting them to actually eat can be a problem no matter how many children you have, what their ages are, or how much experience you have with previous children, as they all are different. I found this book to be really helpful, including good ideas for recipes that my children have already enjoyed. There's a ton of information in here; it's a useful companion as your children grow up, and it has answers to many common questions. I also think it would be a great book for new parents as it gives helpful answers and resources to many of the questions that will inevitably arise with babies. Recommended!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was written by pediatricians and the tone really felt like a comforting, sensible conversation with a doctor; there was no fear-mongering or questionable new age ideas, but there was a lot of traditional wisdom without fully exploring some of the more modern takes on “what’s healthy.” At the very least, these ideas felt attainable and probably safe, or as safe as eating in America without your own homestead can reasonably be.

There was a lot of recipes and I’ll probably try one or two tops.

Notes for myself:
• some allergic reactions are delayed and do not occur until several hours later, but usually within 6 hours
• egg allergy or eczema = more likely peanut allergy
• only seasonings to stay away from: salt and sugar
• stay away from teething tablets with plant poison belladonna and gels with benzocaine. Belladonna and benzocaine are marketed to numb your child's pain, but the FDA has issued warnings against both.
• Offer two healthy choices, and if rejected, just try again tomorrow.
• parents should decide the what, when, and where of feeding. This includes maintaining meal and snack structure, limiting inappropriate snacking, choosing healthy food, modeling healthy eating, making mealtimes pleasant, and teaching the child appropriate mealtime behavior. Kids decide how much.

[Angela Skirko · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all. It's a great reference book for feeding your baby and toddler, and the troubles that might come along with that. The book is well written, arranged in an easy to follow format, and is in general a great reference. I wish I had had it on hand right from the beginning. It addresses topics from breastfeeding and formula feeding to stool patterns and what they might mean. There are great tables to reference for nutrition and what sorts of foods to eat, for breastfeeding mother and child, and in what portions. They answer general questions such as what foods will make your baby gassy, and what foods will counteract that. The authors address special diets, food allergies, and they extensively cover various other problems related to eating and digesting. And while this is by no means a cookbook, there are a few recipes at the end of each chapter to try if you are so minded.

[Ilana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very useful book for parents, with insights and advice shared not only by experts but also by parents themselves. Although I am always relying on the medical recommendation when it comes to any kind of baby-related issues, the experience of other parents makes you feel more 'normal', as you may discover that you are not the only (ignorant) person in the world coping with the same question. It also has recipes and details on how to identify and deal with various allergies.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a really useful book to me, written in an engaging magazine or Q/A style (short blips, which makes for easy reading with baby distractions). I have used it both as a reference book (pick it up and flip to what I need in the moment) but also as a reader (read the section I need for the season in my baby’s life). It makes a breadth of knowledge accessible when it could be overwhelming.
I’ve only used a couple of the recipes, because...do people really cook separate meals for their babies? 😂

[Julia Marco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the format and content of this book. As with all parenting books, you take some and leave some, but I will be taking most of the information from this book.
As the mother of a baby with allergic protocolitis, I have been very nervous to start solid foods. This guide was informative about where to start and what to try to work towards in each different baby age groups. I will be referring back to this information often!
My only complaint is that they did not talk much about baby led weaning, which did that approach a disservice.

[Kara Stroder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book 3 stars for if you want to try the traditional approach to feeding babies but a lot of this seems outdated in terms of how to feed your child at this point as it even discourages baby led weaning and not offering it as an alternative. I didn't give it lower marks because it has good information about weight progression milestones and how much liquid your baby should have and sound advice about allergies and medical conditions.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy to digest (heh heh) nonsense-free guide to how to feed a baby. It's full of practical advice based on age ranges and gives the most data in the fewest words possible. I also appreciate the recipes sorted into each appropriate age group with added bonus recipes for alternate uses for older kids or adults. Highly recommend.

[Brianna Tahti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple and informative ; updated info on introducing allergenic food & how foods can be the culprit to skin issues , GERD etc. deducted stars for the outdated information on the benefits of breastfeeding past 6 months. Fun little recipes , this book doesn’t support BLW which I think some people would like to know beforehand

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because it gave me the basics on how to start feeding my baby boy. I was confused with all the information out there, so having this book based on facts and science made me feel more confident. It was easy to read and understand, the FAQ sections were relatable with practical answers.

[Courtney Badru · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be very informative and easy to understand. I love that they included tips on picky eaters, potty training, and how to look for potential medical conditions. I also liked the example recipes. I’m removing a star mainly because I purchased this book this year but it includes no guidance on baby led weaning which tells me this has not been updated any time recently.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Efficient and informative!

I appreciate how this book is organized, letting you read front to back or skip to the developmental stage your baby is in. I also liked reading though the science from pediatricians first and then a learning a few suggested recipes.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowed this book from the library as my daughter will soon start to eat real food(!) and I wanted a comprehensive overview. This covers a lot and includes some good recipes. I admit I didn't read into the toddler stage as it feels too far off. Authors do not encourage baby-led weaning.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative throughout the whole book. Love the recipes and very excited to try them. Unfortunately, didn't add more knowledge for my son's own eating problem than I had known prior; but overall fantastic read and recommend for parents.

[Chris L.]

The way it's written it's not really great at offering practical help to a parent day-to-day; it's more of a reference book to give some guidelines and reassure parents about what nutrients their kids really do and don't need.

[Kimber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appreciated the balanced approach to introducing solids and allergens that is neither extreme for BLW or purees till they're 18. A quick skim felt adequate though. Not a full book's worth of material IMO.

[Taylor Lichty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for new parents! I wish I would’ve gotten it before I gave birth, it answers alot of questions about formula/breastfeeding, bottle types, nipples, formula types, etc.

Picked it up mainly to learn about introducing purees, it was super helpful and written by actual pediatricians.

[Amandasaved · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful

Helpful read though I'm not convinced the recipes are those my daughter would eat. I'll try though since they are healthy

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great peer reviewed information

I appreciated the time that was taken to delineate fact from fiction. Nothing was endorsed in this book without solid backed research.

[Carly Viland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book, especially as we enter the stage of a picky eater toddler! 😀

[Alex Lesia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good general information about feeding babies from newborn to 2 years old. Few recipes I would try.

[L.N. Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A decent, straightforward, simple guide. I found it very helpful.

[Samantha]

DNF

[Yonasan Aryeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This review is by Lé Wifey on behalf of Yoni to give a motherly perspective.*

This guide takes an in-depth look on how and what to feed your baby and toddler as well as developmental growth and developmental impacts. This guide is filled with fun fact, encouragement, recipes, and insight on child growth and development. Although there are only two authors listed, there are several men and women who contributed to the information found within this guides pages, men and women who come from the expertise fields of pediatrics, dietitians, lactation consultants, and chefs. This book is simple to understand and straight forward in the information that it provides and it provides a lot of information! For people such as myself, who like colorful photos of the recipes and info graphs for the information, this guide is not for you. However, to all you parent who like things in an organized easy to navigate chapter book format that is black and white, this guide is totally for you! The recipes this guide uses are easy and nutrition packed. So for all you parents’ that want to have the best information on what to feed your children and how it impacts their growth, roll up your sleeves get to reading and whip up some tasty things for them to enjoy.

The authors use a collaborated voice that is easy to follow and easy to understand. The authors provide great information for you to implement right away and provide insight to make you think about what your feeding your children. Its informative and encouraging in nature. The authors also provide lots of helpful tips to prepare and provide the best things for you children. The also provide important information about milestones and developmental growth that all parents should and need to be aware of. Overall, this book is packed with great information to help parents of all kinds make the best choices and be aware of the most important information when it comes to food and growth.

Disclosure: I have received a reviewer copy and/or payment in exchange for an honest review of the product mentioned in this post.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful! As a new mom I can tell you that this is a great reference for any mom with a lot of questions. I know I am going to find the Toddler section extremely helpful in the years to come. I only wish the book had been out when my son was first born. I love how comprehensive the guide is. They aren't just talking about feeding. They also include tips on growth, development, milestones, troubleshooting, and basically how food effects everything that a baby does. There are charts to go with and break down all of the information on different topics, so you can see the information easier and use them as a quick reference when you need. They layout makes sense, and the visual guides are easy to understand. You can tell that it is written by someone who has experience with parents. They know that we can have questions about everything, so they wanted to include all the information they could and not leave any stone unturned. I love that this book has recipes too! I really appreciate how they are not just recipes for one age either. There are a variety of recipes to grow along with your child. They are fun and fresh meals that I haven't seen in baby books before. Really great ideas that I am excited to incorporate into my child's diet. I knew this was going to be a great reference to keep on hand when I got to the Toddler section and was reading about Picky Eaters. My son just started to be picky after months of eating everything I put in front of him. Now, just like the book says, I've become a short order cook trying to figure out what my little one wants at each meal. It was a great comfort to read that it is normal for a little one to love a food one day, dislike it the next, and come back around to loving it a few days later. I knew after I found so many helpful tips after only one time through that it was definitely a book to keep on hand for the future. I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very helpful. Anyone who has children, works in child care, or spends time with young family members will find this book useful. The book is divided up into age groups so you can easily find the section that applies to your situation. There are also charts that show the basic information from that chapter so you can take a quick glance to see what the basic feeding expectations are in that age group.

I also liked that there are a few recipes for each age group so you have a place to start if you need some ideas on what to feed the child in your care. There are also handy charts about where your child should be developmentally. This helps the caregiver know when their child is ready to be introduced to certain foods. The authors also spend some time on allergies and other food issues children might have so caregivers can understand the needs of their child. Common questions are answered about different feeding topics, which I thought was very helpful.

All the information is presented in a very clear way so the reader knows what is best for their child. There is even a glossary of terms at the end of the book so if the reader has any questions about terms used they can understand all the information. I also liked that the authors were clear that parents should always consult their own doctor about any issues or questions, this book is a helpful guide that does not replace a doctor that can examine your child.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has children, or takes care of young children. It has a lot of helpful advice that is presented in a very clear way.

I received a free copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Just Commonly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great resource and wonderful format! Sometimes reference books or books similar to reference books can get overwhelming. The Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies & Toddlers by Dr. Anthony F. Porto & Dr. Dina M. DiMaggio is simple, straightforward with their Q&A format. Ranging with questions like, "How much and how often will my child eat?" (4) to "Will my child outgrow EoE (eosinophilic esophagitis)?" (190) This book compiles a wide variety of questions relating to your baby/child's health and nutrition, all stemming from eating questions and answers that will broaden your perspective and increase your confidence to feeding your child. I love the charts with factual information, as well as "how-to" drawings. Charts including stages of development in compilation with feeding age level will give you a grasp on what to expect. This is indeed a guide and a must have for every new parent. And if you're still not sure, there are simple recipes in here too, for each stage, so don't sweat! I'm adding this to a must gift for every new parent I know for sure.


This review first appeared on Just Commonly blog.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy this book from the publisher, Ten Speed Press through Blogging for Books for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.