Modern recommendations for feeding children are, frankly, absurd.  A few minutes of thoughtful attention should make this clear.  Of what is breast milk primarily composed?  Fat and protein, and some simple sugars.  Not carbs.  So what are babies’ guts clearly ready to handle from birth?  Fat and protein (and some simple sugars).  Not carbs!  But what are modern parents recommended to introduce first?  Carbs!  And last?  Protein!  Go figure.

But even if you’ve figured this out, you’re probably at a loss regarding what to feed your little one.  Kristen Michaelis (of the Food Renegade blog) tackles this – and much more – in Beautiful Babies: Nutrition for Fertility, Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, & Baby’s First Foods. I cannot say enough about this book, and the important need it fills in the resources available to moms.

It covers exactly what it says it does: nutrition for fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and baby’s first foods, tackling each of these subjects one at a time.  It does so in a calm and reasoned manner, with an emphasis on practicality and with plenty of references to back up the nutritional claims.  This is a true mama-to-mama book, but this mama knows her stuff!

When writing a book of this nature, there are a number of traps that are easy to fall into.  One can pussyfoot around the real issues or water things down, in order to make the book more palatable (no pun intended) for the masses.  One can hold up a standard of perfection that simply isn’t practically attainable for the average American on an average income.  One can make the situation (with our food supply) seem so dire, and our own options so limited, that the reader is in despair by the end.  One can make real food seem so incredibly weird/gross that most readers just give up and discard it.  Kristen has not fallen into any of these traps.

She tells the truth, no-holds-barred.  Traditional foods are healthier for us (especially during our childbearing years and/or for developing little ones), and our food supply as a whole is a mess.  And, no, most of us probably can’t afford to change over 100% to what we really ought to be eating.  But that’s okay, because there are still steps we can take to improve our diets and those of our loved ones.  This is broken down in a very practical way, with very specific recommendations of what to buy (or avoid), and even a list of priorities for those (many!) of us who can’t afford the whole shebang.  She’s a real mom, she’s been there, she wants us all to be able to do the best we can do – and that comes across in her writing.

Now, some of the foods mentioned are a bit weird for most people on a standard American diet.  Even for those of us who have a healthier-than-average American diet.  We eat pretty healthfully in my household (most of the time), and the idea of traditional foods is not new to me, but fish roe and liver paté are still outside my comfort zone!  There are options, though.

If you’re not comfortable with liver, skip that part and try the cultured condiments.  There’s plenty of room for baby steps.  (And Kristen gives lots of grace.  You feel like she wants you to take baby steps, not like she’s beating you over the head for not taking bigger steps.)  There are even specific suggestions offered for baby-stepping into eating liver, and for what to eat to get certain nutrients if particular really weird foods are off-putting.

The last section of the book is full of recipes to help you incorporate the suggestions given throughout the book.  There’s a brief section of color photographs of some of the recipes.  This is followed by recipes for Snacks & Condiments, Organs & Bones, Seafood, Eggs, and Beverages.  (It isn’t aiming to be a thorough cookbook.  Just to provide recipes for those foods that are probably new to most readers, like fermented condiments and beverages, and organ meats.)

This is an excellent book, right on-target and extremely practical, and I highly, highly recommend it.  (It would make a great baby gift!)

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book at no cost from the publisher to facilitate my review.  The publisher has also provided a copy of the book for our Naturally Healthy Baby giveaway.  As always, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Also, I am not a medical provider or nutritionist; nothing on this site has been reviewed by the FDA (of course!), and nothing here is intended to diagnose or treat.  It is for information only.  Do your due diligence and take responsibility for your own family’s health!