The Big Book of Organic Baby Food: Baby Purées, Finger Foods, and Toddler Meals For Every Stage

by Stephanie Middleberg MS RD CDN

The only cookbook you'll need to go from preparing easy, organic first foods to healthy meals the whole family will enjoy.

Genres: Parenting, Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Nutrition

514 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2016

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a great resource for moms who are anxious about starting solids or feeling overwhelmed by the process. I liked having a reference in the kitchen that gave me ideas for variety (especially with seasonings) I wouldn’t have thought of myself and also how to use things I already had on hand. My daughter got a lot more varied of a diet than she would have otherwise.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. It has everything I needed. Recipes from purees up to healthy family dinners. Also guides you in how much to feed them and great suggestions for other things. Great charts for quick reference on things like cooking guides, introduction schedule, and more. Haven't gotten to try the family dinner recipes yet but they look good!

[Tin Ledesma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight to the point & simple. The ingredients for the recipes are mostly available in Asian countries. The food charts & suggested complementary food are very helpful.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it a valid critique of this cookbook that there aren't enough pictures? Probably not, since most of the book consists of purees, which I imagine all look exactly the same, other than a few variations in color.

So, I checked this out before a baby appeared, and I think it looks pretty good? We're a long way from needing to think about baby food other than formula, but I guess the beauty of this is that in theory I could always make a bunch now and just freeze it for later. If I had any room in my freezer, that is, which I don't. Although now that I think about it a friend once showed me her filing system of purees and they were all in flat plastic baggies and could be stored upright once frozen and it was pretty genius. So maybe that? I dunno.

I did like that MIddleberg mentions all the different options for feeding your baby and includes recipes and/or suggestions of not just purees, but also appropriate foods if you want to go the baby-led weening route instead, as well as recipes for meals that will appeal to toddlers.

It's a very thorough book and I definitely don't have the energy to devote to it right now, mid-newborn sleep deprivation and all, and also all my library books are overdue so it will have to go back so my account can be unblocked (thanks for saving me, Nina!!!). But possibly in a month or so, once I've maybe figured out this whole baby thing a little better than I have now and still have some time before I go back to work I will think about checking it out again and giving a few things a try.

[briz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt silly buying this long ago, and still feel silly owning it. It's basically a "cookbook" where every recipe for the first half is:
1. dice [vegetable/fruit]
2. steam for 10 minutes
3. puree
4. freeze
5. periodically thaw and feed to your baby

It graduates to a couple VERY simple, healthy toddler meals - smoothies, chia pancake stuff, things like that. Things that are very easy to cook indeed.

All that said - I needed/wanted (and still need/want!) someone to hold my hand sometimes when I'm like, "argh what do I cook again?!" So it's a bit indulgent. It's like paying whatever this book's price was for common sense. But, legitimately, I did learn about a lot of random vegetables I had never had (e.g. parsnips). I learned you can steam EVERYTHING. I learned a 6 month old can eat their weight in peach puree (wow).

And yes, the first solid is GUAC. HA.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the layout of this book. It’s broken down in sections that are color coded on the edges of the pages, and I love that it goes up to toddler ages, as well as having a family recipe section. There are helpful charts of different types of info throughout- such as complementary herb pairings for foods. The variety of recipes is also nice, and I loved how health based it is, too! The only thing I wish is that there were some more recipes that use alternative flours, but that’s pretty rare to find I suppose. Overall, definitely worth reading!

[Emily Bily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh so helpful. Takes all the anxiety out of "what am I going to feed this thing..." And the chapters are organized by baby's age. 6 months- pureed foods. 9 months- chunky purees. 10 months - finger foods like tater tots and avocado chunks. No organic ingredients necessary. I used it as a list of foods to puree and which foods go together.
I also love the reminder in the beginning of the book that people actually used to feed babies before food processors! Let them gnaw on bananas, avocados, eggs, applesauce, steamed carrots and sweet potato.

[Margot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great baby/toddler cookbook and really lays out the process for introducing your baby to solid foods through homemade purees, including a schedule for gradual introduction if allergies are a concern. Once your infant gets beyond purees, there are an abundance of simple and healthful recipes to try.

[Nhan P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book to start solid as new moms. The book covers a lot of concerns for new parents which are found the be really useful. From selecting food, reading labels (organic or not) to recipe, the book is a great reference. This is a great cookbook especially for someone who wants to start solids with puree.

[Erika Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it, gourmet recipes. The best way to describe how wonderful this book is, is an excerpt from a recipe called Prune, Parsnip, and Ground Beef Purée.

"Prunes add sweetness, well parsnips bring a mild earthy flavor. The finely ground beef gives your baby something to chew on and adds plenty of protein to support her growing body. Garlic and thyme will add more flavor to this dish."

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Highly repetitive recipes for the first couple of chapters; toddler and family meals could be from any recipe book. Overall nice if you would like ideas and suggestions; if you cook regularly, there’s nothing new.

[Racquel Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great guide for new parents or anyone introducing foods to infants with multiple options to fit your lifestyle
We followed a lot of this as a guide that set us up for future feeding. A great baby shower gift.

[Rachel Susney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of food combo ideas which I needed because otherwise I would just be serving bananas and avocados over and over forever… I love this book as I’m still learning how to feed my 9 month old. The step by step guidance is wonderful. The spice recommendations are super helpful as well!

[Gail Hoeft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book

I started making home made organic food for my granddaughter. Wanted a book to give me some tips and ideas. So far she has loved everything that I have made.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her first food was guac. Wait, did I do something wrong? Ha, this book is full of great ideas for Lil. Going to start using it this week.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic information presently in an approachable way and lots of great recipes for both baby and toddler.

[Jessika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so helpful in starting my baby on solids!

[Rachel Ramey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book is easy to use. Recipes are simple and delicious. Originally bought this book to use for my babycook. However I find myself using it for the whole family. Can't beat the price.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book of organic baby foods. Lots of helpful tips and seperated by age. A great resource for homemade baby food.

[Kristen Luppino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun recipes and some decent advice

[Andrew]

I can't access it

[Anna Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great resource! I got this book with my firstborn and let overwhelm get the best of me. But, her recipes are so simple and easy to follow! I definitely plan to use them for my second baby.

[Destiny Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recipes to make great home made baby food for your children!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recipes and info for starting purees with babies. I like that there are a ton of recipes!

[Kristin Wickham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must if you plan on making your own baby food. I have used this book for two babies and it has been one of my go to resources.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource, with lots of ideas/sample recipes through each stage of feeding.

[Braily McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son loves cooking with me, we’ve had fun with this!

[Kimberly Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these receipes were helpful to my daughter who is dairy free. Thanks!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helped me so much from 6-9 months with easy ideas for ourees and combinations

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good recipes for purées but doesn’t include allergen introduction, which goes against current medical advice.