Organically Raised: Conscious Cooking for Babies and Toddlers: A Cookbook - Softcover

Daulter, Anni; Lanay, Shante

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1605296430 ISBN 13: 9781605296432

Publisher: Rodale Books, 2010

Synopsis

A cookbook with a conscience, Organically Raised shows parents how to replace bland processed shelf staples with flavorful, pesticide-free meals that babies will love, laying the groundwork for a lifetime of good nutrition and enthusiastic eating.

Organically Raised shows families how easy it is to make safe, wholesome food at home and create lasting family mealtime rituals. The simple, seasonal purées for new babies and inventive recipes from around the world for toddlers and young children provide parents with all of the tools they need to raise adventurous eaters.

The cookbook also includes important information about nutrition for children, common food allergies, a handy feeding journal, and inspiring "Mama Mantras" to help parents prepare meals that nurture their children's bodies, minds, and spirits. With photographs featuring delicious, healthy baby food and recipes that focus on a few basic fresh ingredients, Organically Raised makes cooking for babies and young toddlers easy and appealing to even the most inexperienced cook.

About this title

About the Author:

ANNI DAULTER is the founder of Bohemian Baby, an online organic baby food service. She has an MSW from the University of Southern California. She lives in Los Angeles.

SHANTÉ LANAY has written for Mothering Magazine, Teen People, and Yoga Journal.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

CHAPTER 1

Getting Started

WELCOME TO THE WORLD, BRAND-NEW BABY

New parents are overloaded with so much information and so many opinions that it is easy to get overwhelmed. But here is my simple advice to new moms and dads: Always listen to your instincts first. Pay close attention to your baby's needs and the different ways he communicates with you. This will help you in all aspects of parenting!

As your baby begins to eat, he experiences a culinary awakening that is truly magnificent. A newborn is the ultimate tabula rasa, or blank slate, and he is depending on you to guide him to his culinary destiny.

I encourage you, as a new parent, to awaken your own senses and curiosities around food. I hope that the ideas in this book will intrigue you, encourage you to try new ways of cooking, and expand the food vocabulary of your entire family.

SACRED MAMA'S MILK

Women's bodies are designed to feed babies. Mama's milk is nature's best all-around organic superfood: It has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein to help her baby grow and develop. Breast milk is rich in natural antibodies that help newborns fight off bacteria and viruses. Studies show that breastfed babies have improved brain growth and development, better vision, and strengthened immune systems, which leads to fewer chronic illnesses.1

Not only is nursing the most nutritious beginning for your baby, but it is also convenient and cost effective. Breast milk is always the right temperature. There are no financial costs involved, no need to measure out formula or scrub bottles. When you choose to breastfeed your baby, you are committing the time to get to know her intimately. The sacred practice of breastfeeding helps you bond with your new baby.

And here's a nursing bonus: Mamas can burn up to 800 calories per day while breastfeeding, which can help shed those extra £ds gained during pregnancy!

Breastfeeding and Weaning

The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends breastfeeding for a minimum of 1 year--longer, if desired.

The average age worldwide for weaning a baby from breast milk is between years 5 and 7. Mothers around the world choose to wean at different times; breastfeed your baby as long as both of you feel comfortable. If you allow the rhythm of nursing to unfold naturally, the weaning process will occur seamlessly. Trust me, your baby will not want breast milk forever, even though you may think so at times!

Feeding Schedules

Generally, if your baby is thriving and has no specific medical concerns, you do not need to wake him up to eat. Most newborns will want to be fed every 2-3 hours, but some may require feeding every hour. If you have concerns about how much breastmilk your baby is getting, it is a good idea to consult your local lactation expert and/or pediatrician. Babies will always let you know when they are hungry, and it is best to follow their body rhythms rather than impose your own schedule. Trust your baby, and learn the unique language between the two of you.

As your baby grows, he will usually adjust his feeding schedule on his own. Remember that even though babies can start eating solids around 6 months, which is also the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation, first foods should be a supplement to mama's milk or formula. The primary source of nutrition for your baby up to age 1 should be breast milk.

Nursing Tip

The La Leche League is a nonprofit organization that offers support and advice for nursing mothers. Should you have questions or need support during your time nursing, please seek their guidance. The mamas in La Leche League possess both wisdom and strength. I highly recommend their skills and services.

Formula and Feeding When You're Away

While I advocate breastfeeding on cue, that practice is not possible in every situation. When you can't breastfeed your baby directly, you may want to try expressing your milk with a pump so that your baby still has the opportunity to get the best nutrition possible even while you are away. If that is not possible, then turn to one of a number of organic baby formulas on the market today. Make sure the brand you choose is DHA-enriched, and full of decosahexaenoic acid which helps with brain development and makes formula closer to breast milk.

Be mindful of your choice of bottles. Some plastic bottles, when heated give off a chemical called bisphenol A, BPA, which can be toxic to babies and young children. There are some BPA free companies like Born Free, that make safe plastic bottles for babies, or you may consider glass bottles. Environmental health reports have recommended using glass bottles as a result.2 Dr. Brown's and Evenflo both make cost-effective glass bottles, and new companies are creating glass bottles with safety sleeves that guard against breakage.

Milk and Milk Alternatives

You may start introducing soy milk or cow's milk to your baby's diet starting at age 1, although your infant will not need it if you continue to breastfeed often.

Currently, there is a debate about the health benefits of cow's milk. The proteins in cow's milk differ from those found in human milk and may cause problems of digestion and intolerance, impair the absorption of nutrients, and cause autoimmune reactions. Bovine milk fat does not have the necessary saturated fats and cholesterol found in human mother's milk.

Many cows are injected with genetically engineered hormones, such as Bovine Growth Hormone, to increase their milk production.3 Due to their high dietary food and water requirements, cows often ingest significant levels of pesticides and pollutants, which are then concentrated in their milk fat. The amount of drugs now given to cows adds to this chemical soup.4 The concern over the purity of cow's milk has led more folks to buy organic milk with no hormones present or to purchase milk alternatives, such as goat's milk. Be sure to read labels, as even alternative milk may contain additives, or may not contain adequate vitamin D or calcium.

Notes - Chapter 1

1 . Lauren Feder, MD, Natural Baby and Childcare: Practical Medical Advice and Holistic Wisdom for Raising Healthy Children (New York: Healthy Living Books, 2006), 196-197.

2 . Environment California, Toxic Baby Bottles, http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/reports/environmental- health/environmental-health-reports/toxic-baby-bottles.

3 . Tina [no last name given], "Why Cow's Milk Isn't Really Good for You, and Why Soy Milk Isn't Either," Healthy Dialogues, February 27, 2009, http://healthydialogues.blogspot.com/2009/02/hycows-milk-isnt-really-good- for-you.html.

4 . Linda Folden Palmer, DC, "The Dangers of Cow's Milk," http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/ linda_folden_palmer.html.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rodale Books
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1605296430
• ISBN 13: 9781605296432
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224