Growing Up Gourmet by Jennifer Carlson @babygourmet @SimonSchusterCA | Review

Growing Up Gourmet: 125 Healthy Meals For Everybody and Every Baby by Jennifer Carlson

Publisher: Atria Books

Published: June 21, 2016

Pages: 241

Received: as a baby gift from Simon & Schuster Canada

Find Online: S&S Canada | Amazon | Chapters | Goodreads

Garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, sage, basil—you’ll be amazed by what your baby will eat! Here are 125 healthy, delicious, kitchen-tested, and pediatric dietician-approved baby food recipes that will nurture your child’s adventurous palate and guarantee smiles from everyone at the dinner table.

Growing Up Gourmet is a total guide to your baby and toddler’s diet. Jennifer Carlson built her business, Baby Gourmet, into one of the top-selling organic baby food brands in North America—and she’ll show you how to make nutritious, delicious, home-cooked meals that will complement your child’s development schedule and make everyone else in the family happy too. Her mouth-watering recipes reduce picky eating and introduce your baby to the wide world of textures and tastes, from veggies such as kale and fennel, to grains such as amaranth and spelt, to herbs and spices such as turmeric and ginger that will help you avoid added sugar, salt, colorings, and preservatives.

As a busy mother of two, Jen understands that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by feeding struggles and the sheer mass of parenting information, not to mention the challenges of finding time to make wholesome, flavorful meals from scratch. In this essential guide, she clearly lays out everything you need to know about feeding your baby: when to wean; how to get the right nutrients at every stage; how to deal with finicky eating habits; which foods will treat gassiness, colic, constipation, low iron, or poor sleep; and how to adapt your special dietary considerations for your child. As daunting as it may seem, there are shortcuts and techniques to make it all manageable, whether you’re cooking for a single little one or a family of five and counting.

Baby Gourmet - Star Pasta

I wasn't sure that I'd try making my own food, but after having tried the Baby Gourmet premade baby foods and then reading this wonderful book gifted to me by Simon & Schuster Canada, I decided to give it a try. Not only does Growing Up Gourmet guide you on making your own baby food, it teaches you what your baby needs to grow and how to make meals that the whole family can enjoy. I learned a lot about ingredients that I do not normally eat and why they are important for baby to have. And I also found that it was a helpful book that explained why certain foods could help different baby issues like constipation or sleep issues.

Getting ready!

After feeding our little girl premade for a few months, I finally sat down and made a few batches of puree baby food. We tried pears, carrots and apricots for now. So far so good - she really likes the pears and carrots, not such a fan of apricots. Next up we might try the avacado scrambled eggs and lemon parmesan broccoli and chicken. Spencer is a little more adventurous and is enjoying textures more and more so these seem like good recipes to try soon.

Pears, carrots and apricots!

Spencer was actually in the kitchen with me while I prepared the purees. It was a fun adventure for us to enjoy together and I hope that as she grows she'll actually be able to help me more and more. It was all very easy to make - only a few ingredients and tools needed. If I had realized how easy it was, I'd probably have made my own more often at the beginning. I say give it a try and mix in some of the great Baby Gourmet premades as well - they have so many great combinations to try.

Helping Mommy make baby food!

Please note: this is not a sponsored post. I just really like the Baby Gourmet products and so does Spencer!