Blender Baby Food: Over 125 Recipes for Healthy Homemade Meals Reviews

• Great little recipes, easy to prepare, skip the jarred baby food!

  
  By AJX1LXU7F5MYQ on 2005-12-07
  I didn't get this book till my baby was over 10 months old, so I'm not sure what I'm about to say will apply to younger babies just starting on solids.
  
  I love this book! My baby had been eating table food for a while, but she was stuck in a bit of a rut with pretty much the same foods over and over, in about a 5-day cycle: chicken stew, mac-n-cheese, rice and gravy, spaghetti with meat sauce, etc., with whatever boring steamed veggies on the side.
  
  I live in South Louisiana, where we have delicious, flavorful, spicy cuisine. However, 1) it often contains ingredients she shouldn't have yet, such as shrimp, and 2) I'm afraid it might be too spicy for her! I didn't know how to provide the blandness of what baby can tolerate, while not deadening her taste buds to new flavors as she grows up (or making her into a picky eater).
  
  This book really kicked up both the main and side dishes for her. The dishes are bland enough for young-uns to tolerate, but flavorful enough to excite their taste buds and explore new flavors. Also, they are probably more nutritious than what we'd been feeding her.
  
  The book has several sections: a 6-month-and-up, a 7-month-and-up, an 8-month-and-up, a 9-and-up, and a 12-and-up chapter. There are brief blurbs about what to introduce at each stage, and each section has a grid showing a sample meal plan. It's not extremely thorough, but it is helpful and provides a simple guideline.
  
  Here are some sample recipes:
  6 months and up:
  --mostly plain fruits and veggies, with good tips on how to prepare them
  
  7 months and up:
  --green rice (rice with fresh greens--very nice!)
  --squash and pepper risotto
  --vegetable paella
  
  8 months and up:
  --avocado chicken
  --chicken with pumpkin
  --chicken divine
  
  9 months and up:
  --fruity breakfast rice (yum!)
  --broccoli and cauliflower gratin
  
  12 months and up:
  --fruity frosty shake
  --nutty choco monkey
  --nutty waffles
  
  All the recipes are quite easy to make, believe me. And so delicious! The recipes recommend good ingredients, too, such as brown rice, lots of fruit and veggies, and low-sodium stock. Most of the ingredients are relatively easy to find at the grocery store, and easily substituted if you're on a budget.
  
  The baby really likes the broccoli/cauliflower gratin, the spinach and tomatoes with ricotta, and the chicken tropical (chicken with mangoes). This book really gets baby interested in fruits and veggies, with its interesting, flavorful preparations.
  
  Obviously, I cannot speak for parents of babies with severe food allergies. I also cannot speak for the younger babies, since I waited so long to get this book. All I can tell you is, a) delicious, b) easy to prepare, c) my baby loves the recipes.
  
  

• Commonsense advice for those making thier own baby food.

  
  By A2KA7V5SDGV9DO on 2007-01-11
  This is a great book for those who want to control the content and quality of the food their baby eats and save money in the process. Although some of the "recipes" seem awfully self-evident (Cook peas. Put in blender with water. Blend.), what this book does well is give you an idea what foods to offer when. I also liked that this book gave sample menus, so I'd know how much food to offer. The absolute best thing about this book, however, is the confidence it gave me to move beyond the standard peas, squash, and sweet potatoes. My 7 month old loves avocado, cauliflower, lima beans, and other foods that he'd never get from Gerber. Cost wise, we did the math. Two Gerber cups of food cost 80 cents at our local Kroger. That works out to $1.83/pound. So, any food that costs less than that whole is cheaper when you make your own food, especially since you add water most of the time. I also love that I control the texture. My son is an adventurous eater, and likes things much thicker and chunkier than you'd get in a container of Gerber. Lastly, I especially liked this book because we don't eat organic, we aren't into soy products, we just want to feed our son the best possible diet on our limited budget. This book doesn't give you the guilt trip about how if you feed your kid a non-organic broccoli floret they're going to grow up stupid, if they grow up at all. I read some of the other baby food books out there, and many of the others assume that you are making your own baby food because you are one of those organic, whole foods evangelists. This book just gives you the recipes without the rhetoric.
  
  On the negative side, and the reason that I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5, is that there is no discussion of nitrates. For example, there are recipes for carrots, spinach, kohlrabi, and other very high nitrate foods in the book. Buying organic will NOT result in fewer nitrates because it depends on the region of the US and the soil in the specific plot where the food is grown. You are safer feeding Gerber carrots and spinach, because at the very least Gerber screens for nitrate levels and you cannot. We are simply holding off feeding these foods until our son is old enough to handle the nitrates, around 12 months old. (My husband does public health research for the State, and did research on nitrates in foods for work).
  
  Lastly, if you are even thinking about making your own baby food, give it a try. My mother raised three daughters and bought very little baby food, and I thought I'd give it a try, but didn't expect to keep it up since I work 50 hours a week. It's been surprisingly easy. We just keep the cubes in the freezer, and thaw as needed. I make extra veggies at supper to blend, so it's not extra work. I think that almost anyone could do this. Also, get a little food mill. Then, when the baby is old enough, you can just grind up a little of whatever the family is eating for supper. My mom even used to take her little food mill out to eat.
  
  

• The ONLY one you need

  
  By AGSRYAASOLFHT on 2006-07-09
  Four words: "I love this book!" If you are looking for something simple and easily laid out, this is the book for you.
  
  My sister-in-law told me she was making baby food for her son (11 months older than ours). I thought she was nuts since I was sure it would take too long. She showed me the baby food cookbook she was using and it looked like the overwhelming cookbook or cooking shows you see on t.v. that have ingredients you've never heard of but a pretty display. I told my husband we'd stick with the jars since I would be a "working mom".
  
  Then my daughter became 6 months and I KNEW I wanted to make her baby food to help her become more open to eating healthier and giving her more options/tastes. I researched a bit online and found that recipes aren't as complicated as what my sister-in-law was doing. Then my mom and I found this book and now I am hooked and actually enjoy making my daughter her baby food and trying it out. She actually enjoys trying the new foods while I am pouring them into the ice cube trays for storage.
  
  I usually make more than the quantities listed in the book and freeze them in ice cube trays so that that particular food lasts longer. I also cook multiple meals at one time in order to cook less often (i.e., once or twice a month).
  
  Storage: I've read other reviews that says it doesn't go much into storage, but I found it quite helpful. You simply pour the pureed food into ice cube trays, cover them and freeze them for 24 hours, and then transfer the cubes to freezer bags labeled with the food name and date made. They are good for up to 3 months unless she noted it in the recipe otherwise. This was all found on page 14 in the "To Store" section. It also recommends rotating stock like grocery stores do, putting the newest in the back, etc. It also talks about refrigeration, etc.
  
  This is THE easiest book by far I have found. Oh, and it gives the nutritional facts of all of the recipes which is helpful for meal planning. If you're not sure whether to do baby food homemade or store-bought. Make sweet potatoes fresh and buy one container of sweet potatoes store-bought. You'll see/smell/taste the difference.
  
  

• Not very pleased

  
  By AEVIVAC8TCTSM on 2006-03-30
  I bought this book because of the many great 4 star reviews. However, I was disappointed by a few things:
  1. The age at which the author has babies starting certain foods in inconsistent with what most pediatricians recommend.
  For example, citrus fruits are considered allergenic but the author has you adding an the juice of an entire lemon to certain recipes for a 6 month old.
  
  2. I agree with another reviewer who said there is very little information on freezing and storing the food.
  
  I think the author has some great ideas for recipes for 1 year olds but I think it's a bit irresponsible to write recipes that aren't appropriate for smaller babies. This book should have been reviewed by and M.D. Thanks.
  
  

• Great book!

  
  By A1XKWVRN7ZO9EF on 2006-06-23
  This book is very concise, telling you what you need to know without rambling on. I haven't read Super Baby Food, but from what I've seen in the reviews that book is all over the place.
  
  I'm a chef, so food is important to me. I want my baby to eat good, healthy food, and this book makes it easy. The recipes include foods that I wouldn't think to give babies (figs, kiwis, parsnips) and some that I can't say I've eaten myself (millet, anyone?).
  
  The write-up on the actual blending/storing is a little brief, so here are a few tips that I have learned:
  
  -Don't worry about getting the texture just right as you're blending. You'll burn out the motor on the typical household blender if you try to blend something too thick. Add as much water as you need while blending--in addition to sparing your blender's motor, it will make your mixture easier to pour into ice cube trays. When you go to serve, add rice cereal to thicken as needed.
  
  -Most foods can be steamed instead of boiled. This preserves the nutrients even more. Also I use the water from the steaming pot in the blender.
  
  -A food mill is great for avocados and kiwi. These foods don't store well once blended and it takes a lot to fill the blender jar. A small food mill will mash up one kiwi at a time. I bought mine at Babies R Us for $10. The mill is also good for travel.
  
  -If you have a neighbor with a baby about the same age, then make double batches and swap.
  
  Other reviewers have mentioned that some foods are introduced earlier than recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The publisher is Canadian, so perhaps the recommendations there are slightly different than in the US. If your baby is sensitive to foods or your family has a history of allergies then hold off on citrus, fish, etc.
  
  
• Very good book with very creative recipes!
  By A2ZZPA3PJHQMKM on 2006-07-04
  I ordered this book at the same time I ordered Super Baby Food and Simply Natural. This one is a great supplement to Super Baby Food, but if you're looking for something that really walks you step by step through storage ideas, freezing, etcetera, get Super Baby Food instead.
  
  However, this one has fantastic recipes in it for purees and food combinations that I never ever would have thought of and found lacking in Super Baby Food. Example: I gave my daughter celery for the first time a few weeks ago. I tried it alone. I tried it with sweet potatoes. I tried it with apples. Nothing would get her to eat this vegetable. Considering that this kid eats asparagus, I was perplexed. The other night I made the squash/apple/celery root puree with regular celery. Voila, now she's eating celery! And was opening her mouth for more! I never would have thought to combine those ingredients in those proportions but it came out perfect.
  
  I can't wait to make more of these recipes...absolutely fabulous book. Definitely a must-have for baby food makers.
  
  
• What a wonderful baby cookbook!
  By AGJ43QPD2LIUX on 2006-03-07
  I've never written a review before, but I love this book! A friend of mine suggested I make my own baby food and I was a little hesistant at first. I mean, we all know how limited our time is now with a little one monopolizing 99% of our time. But these recipes are so easy and super quick. I love making my little boy's baby food!
  
  The chapters are broken up into baby's age and development stage. Some of the recipes are a little odd, but they suggest the greatest combinations of fruits and veggies. Things I would have never thought of, such as adding a little orange juice in with the corn and sweet potato recipe.
  
  My baby is almost 7 months and we have tried all the 6 month recipes and are starting in on 7 months which has rice added to a lot of the recipes. So far his favorites seem to be "Squashy Apples" and "Corny Sweet Potatoes."
  
  I HIGHLY recommend this book to all mom's out there. I work almost full time (4 days a week) and still have time to make my baby's food. Also, a tip is that I ask my friends who don't make their baby's food to save their baby's jars from their food for storage. It is working out great.
  
  
• Good Book
  By A2AJV0MR0S6D9Z on 2006-02-23
  This book is very resourceful. I like the menus by age group. What I would have liked to see is whether or not certain foods/recipes could be frozen. It says on some of them but not all of them. Also, on some veggies I had to add a cup of water and these didn't say to add water. OTher than that it was very informative and Jake (my 7 mo old) loves what I've made so far. Alot cheaper than buying the jars that is for sure! Also the recipes make quite a bit which is good for freezing. I also have Super Baby Foods and I think this one is easier to follow/access.
  
  
• Blender Baby Food
  By A168ZGYI0SALPR on 2005-10-06
  What a great way to be sure my baby is getting the very best. The recipes are so easy to use and I haven't come across one that he hasn't just loved. The meal plans take out any guesswork.
  
  
• 4 out of 5
  By ALQWL3QW5LOVW on 2007-01-30
  I recently purchased this book for ideas for my 6 month only baby girl. It was somewhat informative, but alot of the receipes are very simple. If you are looking for very basic ideas and have no idea how to begin to prepare baby food, this book is a good idea. If you have a good concept of cooking and blending food, this is a waste of time. Good information on nutritional values.
  
  
• My Grandson loves these recipes!
  By ATUL888LAQOP6 on 2005-09-27
  This is a very helpful book to let parents and grandparents know at what age the children can be introduced to certain foods. The recipes are different and very easy to follow and prepare. My daughter tried a few of these recipes and she and my grandson loved them!
  
  
• ALMOST perfect!!!
  By A3UWCP19LWD2AO on 2007-11-02
  I would LOVE to give this book 5 stars, as I love so much about it, however the lack of a few key things made me give it a 4. I bought this book along with Top 100 Best Baby Purees, and if I could combine the best things of each, then THAT would be the ultimate, perfect baby food book!
  
  First, the layout is very simple, easy to read and easy to follow. Very well laid out. Starts with individual fruits and veggies and how to prepare each one of them, then moves on to meals made of combined fruits/veggies, and works up to more "gourmet" type meals that mix in meats, pastas and lots of new flavors. All recipes are kept simple and super easy to make, even though they provide an endless array of new flavors and food experiences for your baby.
  
  The downfall is that the author always gives directionss for cooking using a saucepan, and rarely a steamer. It's well known that steaming is the healthiest way to prepare food--it allows the food to retain more of its vitamins and nutrients as opposed to any other form of food preparation. So I wish that it gave a steaming time for each food. Also, with each recipe, it does not state whether ot not it is suitable for freezing. I've read in others books that some fruits/veggies should be prepared and served right away rather than frozen, like avacado and banana puree. These are my only issues with this book...otherwise I absolutely LOVE it. I simply got a list of vegetable steaming times off the internet and made a list for the ones I use the most and keep it on the fridge...that takes care of that problem, and I do believe that most baby foods can be frozen, it would just be nice to have it noted when it shouldn't be.
  
  I make these points because because the other book I bought(Top 100 Best Baby Purees) does have these attributes--lets you know with each recipe if it's suitable for freezing, and gives cooking directions for both steaming and in a saucepan. However, it does not go through every individual fruit and veggie before moving onto the mixed recipes like Blender Baby Food does. For anyone who really enjoys those "gourmet" style baby food recipes for older infants, Top 100 Best Purees has really great, yummy recipes that introduces baby to lots of "advanced" flavors while also (like this book) still keeping the ingredients simple. These 2 books go great together.
  
  
• Great book!
  By A3641A8YFULXBH on 2006-11-06
  I went through several baby food books before finding (and loving) this one. Other books are huge with tons of info about how to feed, when to feed, nutritional analysis, etc.etc. I just wanted a book with a bunch of homemade baby food recipes categorized by age - and that's exactly what this is! It's easy to use and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to make their own baby food. Also - next to some of the recipes it gives you tips on how to make the recipe "older child" friendly.
  Only reason I didn't give it a "perfect" score is because I wish it had even more recipes in it - not that it doesn't have enough - I just really love it!
  
  
• Good book, but be careful with the age recommendations.
  By A1S3HSN6ULNQI2 on 2006-11-09
  Great way to add variety to a baby's first foods. Jar foods variety ends at about the mac and cheese level, so I really enjoyed the recipes in this book. However, some of the ingredients were not age appropriate - but I was just careful to follow our pediatrician's instructions and not the book's timelines.
  
  
• My favorite baby food book!
  By ATAY0ZVUOUGNQ on 2007-06-05
  This book is the best of the three baby food books that I have. It is very well organized and informative. My son is eight months now, but I introduced solids kind of late and so he has just had cereal, avocado, banana, and apple; I have not yet made any of the more "complicated" (still seem easy!) dishes that this book has to offer, but for feeding a young infant, this is really good. I would definitely check with your pediatrician if you have any concern about introducing a particular food at a particular age. My doc said to just look at what the jarred stuff is for the different stages and follow that, but there are so many great first foods that they don't sell in jars (like avocado, which is excellent for brain development!). There are some things in here I know I wouldn't make until he is much older than what the book says. (Ex: orange juice for a 6 month old, whole milk in some of the 9 month recipies, nuts in some of the 12 month) but overall I think this book is excellent. There are so many recipies to choose from that you can easily skip any that have foods you aren't ready to introduce. The book also doesn't discuss nitrates (present in many veggies, such as carrots, spinach, beets and turnips), which I have read so much conflicting information on, but it is something that one needs to look into and make their own decisions about or discuss with their child's doctor. Other than these things, I think this book is really great. Lots of nice, simple recipies for young babies and interesting ones for older ones. I like how beside telling you how to cook different foods, it gives you some sort of information about each one, like what vitamins they are high in, if they are easily digested, etc. I also like that it has, with some of the recipies, tips for using the "baby food" in a "big kid" recipe. I didn't make baby food for my daughter, who is now 4 and still is a fantastic eater, but I wish I had instead of giving her the jarred stuff. It's easy and I feel great giving my little guy food that I know is fresh and good. There's so much more variety when you make your own baby food, too. And it's definitely cheaper. If you're going to buy one book on making baby food, I'd definitely recommend this as the one. GREAT BOOK
  
  
• The BEST book for homemade baby food!
  By A1LIBJFCN9X7XD on 2006-02-22
  I absolutely love this book. I love the layout, it breaks the ages down to 6,7,8,9, and 12 months. Each age has its own chapter and at the beginning of each chapter it has a mealplan. This book has very simple recipes and next to each recipe it will have a tip on if you should peel the skin or not; the best way to peel; what the foods have in them and how it affects the body; how to substitute dried fruit for fresh; how to freeze and store food. There are just so many recipes and all so easy to prepare. I haven't actually tried any of them yet, but I will soon and will update my review. I just feel like a whole new world of food has opened up to my baby! I can't wait to start him on some of these foods!
  
  Very highly recommended!!!! You should buy this book!!!
  
  
• love it!
  By A21I6OB57PSV3H on 2006-03-14
  This is a wonderful book for parents wanting to make their own babyfood!! The recipes are "kid tested" and are very easy to follow. There is also a wide variety in foods to make which is helpful. The author also includes quick tips with the recipes. Plus, the book is slim making it less overwhelming and cumbersome to use.
  
  
• Better Baby Food
  By APWLNPJN4QVMA on 2006-12-28
  This book is great for anyone looking for easy, reliable ways to prepare healthy, tasty food for their babies. The nutritional advisor, Nadine Day is a registered dietitian meaning that the foods and recipes are reliable and accurate which is what counts when preparing food. One word of caution: If your baby has any kind of food allergies (milk, soy, etc), you may want to be careful when introducing some of the foods on the books timetable, for instance, 6 months, 7 months, etc. But these can always be used later on, so it is still useful information. Definitely deserving of a place on your shelf if preparing baby food at home!
  
  
• Perfect Starter Book
  By AHWAY8L11NEOA on 2007-08-14
  This book is simple, and told me exactly what I wanted to know to get started. How long to boil/steam, about how much water to add, etc. I would recommend reading the intro chapters as that is where you get the tips on nitrates, what food you can store (she makes notes on the recipes that don't freeze well), etc. As a first time mom making baby food, it was worth it.
  
  
• I love the recipes, but
  By AO2NKLBGI8M1I on 2006-09-27
  I love the recipes but don't like the way the book is arranged. It is arranged by age but would be more useful and easy to use if arranged by food type. You have to use the index to find a particular food. The menus for the different age groups is pretty good. I think it is definitely worth buying. The Mommy Made cookbook is also pretty good.
  
  
• Easy and practical
  By A3HHNDNVPKBJY6 on 2007-01-17
  I tried a number of recipes in the book and found them easy to do. The information about the ingredients was very helpful. The appearance of the text was very clear and this is a higly accessible book.
  Strongly recommended.
  
  
• baby happy, mommy happy
  By A333YI2KKMSZQ4 on 2007-02-10
  great book for offering a wide variety of nutritious meals for your baby.
  i liked it alot... its easy to use, well-constructed & the recipes are good.
  
  
• Nothing Special
  By A30LCK6O7QYIGD on 2007-02-27
  This book has instructions for how to prepare every single food. The only thing is that the instructions for boiling all the different foods are the same so why not just say boil? The combinded ingredient recipies are pretty decent but there is not a lot of them.
  
  
• The best baby food book
  By A1I43K7G4QR0BA on 2007-06-04
  I love this book!!! I bought "First Meals" and got about 4 other books on baby food from a local library. This is the best book. The ingredient lists are very short and you can get everything easily at your local grocery stores. My freezer is now full of baby food just because I just cannot stop trying all the recipes. I tasted some and they are delicious. It also has a sample menu (BF, Lunch, Dinner, snakcs) for 6, 7, 8, 9, 12 months. It helps me figure out how much I should serve. Buy this book and this is all you need to make baby food.
  
  
• fantastic!
  By AJBOZ0MTXOUPU on 2007-06-14
  i borrowed this book from the library first to check it out and just decided to buy it. this is a great book. it provides many recipes and ideas on foods for baby to eat that i might not have ever thought to serve. it is very easy too to prepare all the food items and can also be used with a baby food mill (just use less of the ingredients). i also would have never thought to freeze food either so it makes it very easy to have good food in stock for baby all the time. i love it!
  
  
• "THE" Book...
  By APTCM4UJ1KEPX on 2007-06-27
  What a fantastic cookbook! Easy meals, great organization, meal plans... it has it all! My daughter ate things I would have NEVER thought to make (avocado, chickpeas, beets) and I felt so good knowing I was putting HEALTHY food in her tummy. I can't recommend this book enough!
  
  
• Not Necessary But Helpful
  By A1E7FCPQ1UCK6M on 2007-06-27
  When I first thought about making my own baby food, I panicked. I had never done it and didn't know where to begin. Once I had this book, it was like a big slap to the forehead - duh! When you are a new mom, you have a million things running through you head and sometimes can't grasp the easiest ideas. This book reminds me of simple things that I was once capable of coming up with on my own. Cut, cook and puree. Easy. Some of the recipes for older babies are a little more creative but by that time, they can basically eat what you eat and you don't need a book for that. This book gave me the confidence I needed to see that it was very simple, very easy but the book isn't really necessary once you look it over.
  
  
• Wonderful!!
  By A3LB62P6TDVD9I on 2007-08-23
  This book is absolutely wonderful. I have been using it often, making a variety of foods straight from our friends and families gardens! It's great to know exactly what is going in my childs food. The chapters are very clear to understand, simple recipes too, with food that we eat on a daily basis. I have already purchased 2 more of this book for gifts and so far they love it too!
  
  
• Tons of great recipes
  By AQ6PUVOLVVHOB on 2007-08-28
  I have two other baby food cookbooks, and this one has the best selection of healthy, simple food combinations. When your baby is too old for blender food, there are tons of suggestions on how to serve the recipes for older kids and even adults. They also have sample meal plans if you are starting from no knowledge of what to feed a baby. They use lots of different ingredients too, like celery root and beets but mixing them with other foods that make it taste good for kids. The recipes are easy and healthy which is what baby food should be.
  
  
• Yummy
  By AMLX6Z4VPVU3F on 2007-05-04
  I love this book. I dont really know how to cook, I work FT but this book made it so easy for me. I introduced different flavors to my baby that she'd have never had with jar foods. Everything tasted so good, mixing vegetables with fruits was great. My baby loves her beets with pears (purple pears).My husband even asked me to make over the top apple sauce for him because it's so yummy and healthy, just apples and ricotta cheese. The only thing you have to be careful with, it's when to introduce certain things like strawberries, dont go by the exact time the author recommends.Buy this book if you are a mom who likes easy and simple.
  
  

• Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

• The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler
• Top 100 Baby Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby
• Super Baby Food
• First Meals (New Expanded Edition)
• The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night