This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Super Baby Food. All opinions are authentic and my own. Please see my disclosure policy.
Let’s Talk Baby Food & Toddler Feeding!
I think one of the things that moms of young ones stress the most about has got to be feeding. From breastfeeding difficulties to when to start solid foods to how to juggle homemade baby food making to how to get a picky toddler to eat. It gets to be just a little bit overwhelming. So when I was contacted to review the baby and toddler feeding book, Super Baby Food, I knew that it could be a great resource for you mamas. And I guess I was right since it got a raving review from my mama contributor, Laura. And when I asked my B-Inspired Blogger Mamas about it, many of them recommended it, too. You can learn more about the book below, but first let’s hear what else our B-Inspired Blogger Mamas had to say about baby food and toddler feeding…
(The following statements are just opinions from regular moms and are not endorsed by Super Baby Foods. They are not to be used in place of medical advice.)
Consider Baby Led Weaning
“We did Baby Led Weaning with my second and loved it. We introduced whole foods instead of purees. It’s easier on us and he’s a great eater. I did a post about it. Feel free to use it if it works in your post.” Amanda of Dirt & Boogers
Take Your Time
“We did partial BLW & purees with my first. With our second daughter, except for naturally mushy foods like sweet potato, we pretty much went straight to BLW from around 5 and a half months. I wrote about the first food attempts [on the blog]. It took her a month or two to work out the gag reflex (which freaked the grandparents out!), but since then she’s been really good at eating anything and everything. It’s also kept her demand for breastfeeding up, (gradually reducing month by month rather than a sudden reduction) so that we’ve been able to keep at it (13 months and still going strong).” Danya of Danya Banya
Save Money by Making It!
“Making your own baby food is a great way to save money and boost your child’s nutrition intake at the same time. Homemade organic baby food costs just a portion of store bought conventional (read: GMO and pesticided) food.” Carissa of Creative Green Living
Multitask & Use the Right Tools to Make Baby Food
“Get an immersion blender and silicone ice cube trays. They will make making your own baby food easy. [Then] multitask with food prep. Making broccoli for family dinner? Make some extra and set it aside to turn into baby food. Freeze baby food in silicone ice cube trays. Pop frozen cubes into clearly lableled freezer bags. When it is feeding time, serve them one food or mix and match by combining food cubes in a bowl (example: 1 apple, 1 squash and 1 carrot cube).” Carissa of Creative Green Living
Make it Easy for Little Hands
“My little tip for finger foods is for cheese or other foods that my babies smooshed onto their plates when trying to pick them up. If you lean bits of cheese slices up against other food, like peas, bits of bread, etc, it is easier for baby to get the hang of picking it up and keeps them from smooshing it down.” Laura of Lalymom
Always Have Bananas & Avocados
“We always had bananas and avocados on hand and ready to go. Easiest to prepare fresh baby foods ever! They even come in their own natural containers.” Erika of Prey Species
Break Out the Sprinkles!
“Just by adding a few sprinkles to fruit can get my toddler to try it. Then once he knows he likes it we only do the sprinkles as an occasional treat with that fruit.” Jaime of Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails
Make Cleanup Easier
“I bought a beach mat and placed it under the highchair or eating area. Made cleanup a simple, pain-free experience. More than once I just took it outside and hosed it down, letting it dry in the sun.” Sheila of Pennies of Time
Don’t Get Overwhelmed
“I remember feeling a little bewildered when I started my first baby on solid foods. There is a lot of conflicting advice out there for moms – what to feed babies, when to feed them, how often to feed them – basically, you won’t find a solution that will make everyone happy! [I wrote a post featuring] baby-friendly foods that were a big hit in our house – and pretty healthy as well!” MaryAnne of Mama Smiles
Remember that Each Kid & Family is Different
“My experience with baby’s first food is that all kids are different. My oldest started around 5 mo and my middle child breastfeed til he was one and moved straight to table food. Always do what works with your family as long as the kids are healthy.” Jaime of Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails
Moms Love Super Baby Food
Many of the moms above raved about the book, Super Baby Food. They said it was their go-to resource for baby food tips and recipes. I’ve never read it, and with “BABY” in the title and my youngest being nearly 2, I didn’t think I could get much use out of it. So I passed it on to my contributing mama writer, Laura of In Which I Record Memories, to read and review. I think I regret that choice now! Check out what she thought of Super Baby Food…
Sophia is a wonderful eater, with a wide pallet: what other 17 month olds do you know that like salsa on their chips and prefer salmon to cupcakes? It’s really important to me that she eats healthy foods, and foods that are as natural and pesticide-free as possible. These days I’m not making baby food, since she eats pretty much what the adults eat, but I wish I had the book Super Baby Food when I was making baby food (and I love that I have it now for my toddler)!
The author, Ruth, breaks down what baby can eat by how many months old they are, suggesting new foods to try at each stage. She also has some sample feeding charts, and describes the nutritional needs of your changing baby and toddler. One of my favorite parts about Super Baby Food is the chapters on the individual food groups: veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, dairy, and eggs. There’s information about when to buy, how to save money (my favorite!), and even instructions on how to make your own yogurt. That’s one science experiment that Sophia and I have planned for this summer. Later in her book, Ruth discusses proteins, and how to make sure that your baby gets all the amino acids needed for development. This is one of the best explanations I have seen for this concept outside of a biology text book, and quite possibly the first time I have seen it addressed in a baby food book. Another chart that I love is her ‘Names that Mean Sugar in Lists of Ingredients.’ I am very cognizant about the amount of sugar Sophia gets, and I prefer that if she gets any, it’s because she’s eating fruits.My favorite chapter in Super Baby Food is the Toddler Recipes chapter, and the fact that all of Ruth’s recipes are based on maximizing your time with your baby (or toddler) rather than maximizing your time in the kitchen. There is a wide variety of items to make, including easy sandwich ideas and how to churn your own butter! Sophia’s first food was bread (not much into the purees I knew how to make at the time), and to this day she loves it. The bread recipes are definitely something I intend to work through, and I can already vouch for the success of her ‘Zippity Zucchini Bread,’ both by the toddler and the husband.After all her awesome baby/toddler food tips and recipes, Ruth addresses how to go green and save money in other ways, including how to home-make many common items for baby and cleaning. I love that I can use these (non-food) recipes to eliminate other harmful chemicals from my house. Ruth’s mantra is ‘If you can’t eat it, you shouldn’t put it on baby’s skin or your skin.’ That is something I can stand behind, and would love to incorporate in my house. Overall, Super Baby Food is way more than it seems: it not only covers food but so much more! I plan on getting this book for the new moms in my life, and Sophia and I will enjoy trying out more of the wonderful recipes in the coming months.
Win a Copy of Super Baby Food!
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