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First Meals Revised: Fast, healthy, and fun foods to tempt infants and toddlers
Completely revised, this updated cookbook bursts with dozens of new color photographs and more than 200 recipes to entice even the fussiest baby or toddler. This classic cookbook covers the essentials, from flavorful first purees, winning lunchbox combos, and easy-to-make family meals to finger-licking picnic and party noshes, all while delighting the eye and providing hardworking information on nutrition, preparation and cooking times, freezing instructions, and tips on how to handle food allergies, additives, and tricky eaters.
The link between the food that children eat and their physical and general well-being is widely recognized today. Armed with this easy-to-use cookbook, you can be confident of preparing enticing food that will give your child the best nutritional start in life. From first foods for weaning babies and delicious snacks to tempt toddlers with tiny appetites, to imaginative and nutritious meals that the whole family can enjoy. No household with young children should be without this cookbook.
The link between the food that children eat and their physical and general well-being is widely recognized today. Armed with this easy-to-use cookbook, you can be confident of preparing enticing food that will give your child the best nutritional start in life. From first foods for weaning babies and delicious snacks to tempt toddlers with tiny appetites, to imaginative and nutritious meals that the whole family can enjoy. No household with young children should be without this cookbook.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 22, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 21, 2008
This cook book has been valuable to me by:
* providing nutritional information
* giving advice on common challenges in feeding (when to introduce solids, how to introduce solids, the picky eater, allergies, healthy snack ideas, etc)
* sharing ideas on how to be more creative with presentation to keep eating interesting
as well as the excellent, healthy recipes.
The book covers introduction of solids through age 7, but my husband and I enjoy so many of the recipes that it really is a family meals cookbook.
I checked out all the Annabel Karmel books from the libary and this was my favorite that I recommend whenever anyone asks me. Now, I'm recommending it to you! :)
* providing nutritional information
* giving advice on common challenges in feeding (when to introduce solids, how to introduce solids, the picky eater, allergies, healthy snack ideas, etc)
* sharing ideas on how to be more creative with presentation to keep eating interesting
as well as the excellent, healthy recipes.
The book covers introduction of solids through age 7, but my husband and I enjoy so many of the recipes that it really is a family meals cookbook.
I checked out all the Annabel Karmel books from the libary and this was my favorite that I recommend whenever anyone asks me. Now, I'm recommending it to you! :)
February 17, 2018
Lots of great recipe ideas for various age levels, definitely considering getting a copy of my own for the kitchen.
January 8, 2011
I've had this book since Anna was a baby. I got it out today to figure out something new to feed Levi (since Anna was with Sam at the Discovery Museum I wasn't as rushed with lunch as usual) and thought I should post it here because it has been such an invaluable resource for me.
Meals are laid out by age, usually in 3 or 6 month sections, but it has recipes (and ideas of things to do in the kitchen with older kids) up to 5 years old. I love that in the baby stage she does interesting flavor pairings. My favorites--as in, good enough that I made some less mushy variety for me!-- were carrots, white fish, and fresh orange juice; avocado, banana, and plain yogurt; cauliflower, tomato sauce, and grated cheddar, to name a few. It's easy for me to look in the index to find some ingredient I have an abundance of and see what would taste good with it so my babies have something interesting to eat. I certainly wasn't buying extra food just for the baby, I was finding out how to use the food I had to make something age appropriate. Although, there were recipes that looked good and used ingredients I'd never tried before (like parsnips! who knew they were so good?), so our whole family ended up eating with greater variety.
There are daily menus and lots of fun food for toddlers and preschoolers (sandwiches that look like wrapped presents, boats made out of jello filled orange peels, mashed potatoes and sausage that looks like a snail). Her yogurt pancake recipe was so easy and yummy, I haven't bought pancake mix since I first tried it. I can't wait to do some of the kitchen projects with my kids when they get a little older. For all my mom friends out there, at the very least, do yourself a favor and check this book out from the library. I have no doubt you'll soon buy a copy of your own.
Meals are laid out by age, usually in 3 or 6 month sections, but it has recipes (and ideas of things to do in the kitchen with older kids) up to 5 years old. I love that in the baby stage she does interesting flavor pairings. My favorites--as in, good enough that I made some less mushy variety for me!-- were carrots, white fish, and fresh orange juice; avocado, banana, and plain yogurt; cauliflower, tomato sauce, and grated cheddar, to name a few. It's easy for me to look in the index to find some ingredient I have an abundance of and see what would taste good with it so my babies have something interesting to eat. I certainly wasn't buying extra food just for the baby, I was finding out how to use the food I had to make something age appropriate. Although, there were recipes that looked good and used ingredients I'd never tried before (like parsnips! who knew they were so good?), so our whole family ended up eating with greater variety.
There are daily menus and lots of fun food for toddlers and preschoolers (sandwiches that look like wrapped presents, boats made out of jello filled orange peels, mashed potatoes and sausage that looks like a snail). Her yogurt pancake recipe was so easy and yummy, I haven't bought pancake mix since I first tried it. I can't wait to do some of the kitchen projects with my kids when they get a little older. For all my mom friends out there, at the very least, do yourself a favor and check this book out from the library. I have no doubt you'll soon buy a copy of your own.
July 15, 2012
his isn’t simply a cookbook; it’s a nutritional guide as well. Recipes and feeding guides from 6 months to 7 years.
We’re making our own baby food, so Beth (my aunt) let me borrow this book to give me some ideas as Jonas gets bigger. I read it cover to cover! Who reads cookbooks? It’s that good. I’m buying my own stat.
The book goes over the difference in nutritional needs for kids and adults, information on common allergies, equipment you’ll need, advice for freezing and reheating, ideas for encouraging healthy eating in kids, recipes and meal plans for different stages, and the social aspects of eating.
Bonus: I read the book to learn how to better feed my baby, but ended up learning a few things for my older daughter too! There are great lunchbox ideas, which I am in dire need of right now.
We’re making our own baby food, so Beth (my aunt) let me borrow this book to give me some ideas as Jonas gets bigger. I read it cover to cover! Who reads cookbooks? It’s that good. I’m buying my own stat.
The book goes over the difference in nutritional needs for kids and adults, information on common allergies, equipment you’ll need, advice for freezing and reheating, ideas for encouraging healthy eating in kids, recipes and meal plans for different stages, and the social aspects of eating.
Bonus: I read the book to learn how to better feed my baby, but ended up learning a few things for my older daughter too! There are great lunchbox ideas, which I am in dire need of right now.
May 19, 2007
This seems like a fun, basic book on cooking for older babies & toddlers. Packed with recipes and pictures, it is appealing and easy. I didn't find much useful information on feeding infants, but there was quite a bit for babies as soon as they start eating multiple ingrediants and non-pureed foods. My main complaint would be that she emphasizes turning most meals into "fun" shapes. While I adore my kid, it's unlikely I'm going to do fancy knifework on her sliced Cheddar except on special occasions. I'm thinking she needs to learn that cheese tastes good even when it's not shaped like a sailboat.
July 10, 2008
I picked up this book as I was searching for "in-between" food ideas for my 10-month old that weren't purees but not just straight table food. I found several suggestions that I could make using ingredients I normally have on hand. There were other recipes that used things I never get, but I just skipped those. I also really liked some of the ideas for older kids, though I probably wouldn't go into as much work on the presentation as the author suggested.
I would rate this book higher, but so far my little boy has only eaten one of the 4 things I've made. Most of that comes from his texture issues, which I think he'll soon outgrow.
I would rate this book higher, but so far my little boy has only eaten one of the 4 things I've made. Most of that comes from his texture issues, which I think he'll soon outgrow.
February 28, 2017
Mostly recipes. It doesn't have a lot of new information (i.e. preschoolers like food that has animal faces), but it does make me feel less intimidated about feeding The Lad his first foods (he likes oatmeal, sweet potatoes, carrots, prunes, and apple sauce/juice & is "giving peas a chance" this week - haha). I suspect the next new food after peas will be potatoes followed by potatoes & broccoli. A useful book for the harried parent who can't think of what might entice their child to eat during a food fad stage or when they (the toddlers) think they're too busy to eat meals. Nothing to fancy or weird - a large variety of healthful foods with lots of kid-appeal.
April 8, 2010
This is fantastic. This book is exactly what I was looking for. It is simple and has several recipes for each age range, without randomly going into how breastfeeding is best and how you suck as a mother if you don't do it like the other baby food book I read. I'm a little scared to serve my baby meat, because I'm worried I'll muck it up, but this book's recipes seem quite sound and make it seem less scary.
January 2, 2013
Very good read for a first time mom who is about to start solid foods with her baby. It had lots of information told in both lists, pictures, and small paragraph descriptions. Well thought out and planned. Didn't exactly have the science behind it which lost it a star and I could not find that weird cranking mush thingy recommended at any business - so another star. But overall something that I have been referencing over and over again as my little one starts on solids.
March 21, 2008
I'm using this book right now for making Tyler's baby food. I use it coincidingly with "So Easy baby food" because I like how this book tells you how to cook the food the best way while the other just has microwave directions but the other has the different combinations for each food that you can do and what month that mix is appropriate. Anyways they are both helpful.
August 18, 2008
This book has lots of cute ideas for making toddler meals fun. When our son started to eat solids, this book helped me make sure he was progressing to try lots of different table foods. The book is divided into age groups by months. Now he can almost eat everything that we eat. What an accomplishment for our little guy!
September 11, 2011
Good encouragement for breastfeeding, good general, common-sense type answers to feeding babies. Good recipes and recipe ideas to blend and incorporate different foods together. There were a couple things with which I didn't agree, but on the whole it was good to get a different take on feeding babies other than "What to Expect the First Year."
April 7, 2007
I loved this book. Thanks to a friend's recommendation, I was able to make all my own baby food with not an incredible amount of effort. I liked knowing what was going into the first foods my daughter was eating.
January 30, 2008
My daughter is nearly 18 months and I have used these recipes ever since she started eating solids. I appreciate the variety and knowing which recipes can be frozen. It has been a lifesaver for me as a working mom.
February 5, 2008
Awesome ideas for feeding kids from first solids up until 5 and beyond. Ideas to get picky eaters to eat healthy food. A lot of it has to do with presentation, which I am too lazy to do. But it still has lots of other great meal ideas for baby and for the whole family!
December 29, 2008
Not quite as informative as "Super Babyfood", but it does have some of fun ideas for children's food. My baby really likes looking at the pictures in this one. Lots of happy babies eating colourful dishes!
July 31, 2009
The basic recipes in this book are very good. By that I mean that the basic spaghettis sauce, salad dressing, bran muffin recipes can be cooked for adults too and they taste good. Then take those recipes and add your twist.
September 2, 2008
This one I am loving enough to possibly buy. I like how she sections the book into age groups and it's all healthy options. Maleena isn't quite a year yet and she still loves the California chicken. Great stuff to freeze as well!
September 7, 2008
I loved this book when my kids were babies. It gave me ideas (since I'm not creative at all) for baby food and then healthy receipes for my toddlers. I still use the receipes since they are just yummy.
December 30, 2011
Since my baby is currently a fetus, I haven't tried any of the recipes in this book yet. However, I'm planning to make his food in my food processor most of the time, and this book makes that goal seem really manageable. Can't wait to put it to the test!
July 3, 2013
Food is creative, but some have too many ingredients that make recipes not so "convenient". You can't just whip up the food for a last minute idea when kids are hungry. You must plan ahead! BUT if you like to make your kids' food look "fun" then check it out from the library or thumb through it.
April 7, 2007
good book on the fundamentals of baby food making.
December 17, 2007
Great Puree recipes and baby and toddler recipes.
January 24, 2008
This is an excellent book for making baby food and toddler food from scratch.
January 29, 2008
I just bought it and it's great! Gives me great ideas for Kai and it even tells you what vitamins are in what you're feeding your kid. Great for moms.
February 19, 2008
Great Pictures. i bought this when I had my first child and still use it. Great recipes for hiding veggies in the meal!
February 24, 2008
For the parent who wants to prepare fresh babyfood at home. Recipes and how to do it yourself. Overview given of what foods and textures are appropriate for baby's diet.
September 26, 2008
too much fruit
November 7, 2008
I love reading cookbooks. Having to cook so often, I find them inspirational and a bit like on the job training! The meatball recipe was pronounced the "best kind of meatball you ever made".
November 17, 2008
Good ideas and interesting stuff. You would think that this is common sense, but I guess not.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews