Angela Buck - The Everything Organic Cooking for Baby & Toddler Book: 300 naturally delicious recipes to get your child off to a healthy start

Dear Reader,
Like you, we are parents trying to take the best possible care of our children. In our quest to help guide our children to good health, we have found organic cooking to be an important part of our family life. Our children come into this world all-natural, and we are trying our best to keep them that way.

We also believe that, as parents, we have a responsibility to protect our planet for our children and their children. Organic farming and food production contribute to that goal. Rather than putting toxic chemicals into the air, soil, and water, organic farming uses natural solutions to food-production challenges. Organics are not just better for our families and our planet, but they are also better for the people who work hard to bring food to our tables, because they are not exposed to dangerous chemicals.

The organic lifestyle helps us to be better parents, better members of the world community, and better advocates for the future of the planet. Thank you for joining us in this endeavor.

Good eating,

Megan and Kim

These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.

You can choose to read an Everything book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-questions, e-facts, e-alerts, and e-ssentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.

We now have more than 400 Everything books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When youre done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything!

PUBLISHER Karen Cooper

DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier

MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing

COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert

ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Katie McDonough

DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Brett Palana-Shanahan

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Hillary Thompson

Visit the entire Everything series at www.everything.com

300 naturally delicious recipes to
get your child off to a healthy start

Kim Lutz and Megan Hart, MS, RD

This book is dedicated to our loving and supportive familiesAndy and Mason, Steve, Casey, and Evan.

Thanks to everyone who helped us with this project. Humongous thanks go to Andy and Steve. Andy packed up the house, acted as Super Dad, washed dishes, walked the dog, and was an all-around good guy. Steve tasted about a million dishes, entertained and distracted the children, and tried to maintain some order in the house. Our children kept us as level-headed as possible, laughing in the midst of all the chaos. Immense gratitude goes to our parents and siblings who supported us and believed in us. Thanks to our many friends who provided us with invaluable support, taste testing, child care, and input during the creation of this book. Thank you also to Gina, who brought us this great opportunity.

New parents are faced with what seems like a million decisions to make. The choices surrounding how and what to feed your baby or toddler are some of the most important decisions that you will make. The foods that you choose to provide will help your childs body and mind grow and develop to their fullest potential. How those foods came from the farm to the table will greatly impact not only the health of your baby, but also the health of our planet. Choosing to feed your baby and toddler organic food is one choice that is good for your child, your family, and your world.

Luckily, this serious decision is also delicious! The Everything Organic Cooking for Baby & Toddler Book contains more than 300 recipes that will delight your baby from first foods to organic family dining. How can preparing Pear Apple Crisp, Blueberry Pancakes, and Pineapple Coconut Rice Pudding help save the world? As this book explains, organic farming is better for the environment. Organic farmers do not use toxic pesticides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizers. Instead, organic farmers use natural methodsincluding crop rotation, natural fertilizers, and letting fields lie fallowto allow natures bounty to shine through. Organic livestock are given access to fresh air, fresh water, and a healthy diet; they are not given routine doses of antibiotics or warehoused in cramped quarters. Organic farming contributes to cleaner air, water, and soil. The simple act of choosing organic means that you are also helping to ensure that the natural environment is protected.

Since the vast majority of a babys nutrition in the first year of life comes from breast milk or formula, babies have the opportunity to learn about different tastes and textures during their early experiences with food. This cookbook provides recipes for those basic pures and sets the groundwork for introducing a variety of tastes, flavors, and combinations to help babies develop into healthy eaters as they grow.

These recipes emphasize natural sweeteners and seasonings rather than relying on refined sugars and salt. Developing good eating habits begins right from your babys first experience with food. Your baby will come to know food with its true flavors shining through rather than being masked by unhealthy additives.

The recipes in The Everything Organic Cooking for Baby &Toddler Book emphasize a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. You will discover a few surprises tucked in among the healthy, organic versions of long-time favorites. Comfort foods like pot pies, lasagnas, and soups are scrumptious when given an organic makeover. By introducing your toddler and your other family members to tastes from around the world, for exampleTabouli Salad, Caribbean Baked Risotto, and Baked Honey Pescadoyou might discover some new favorites and lay the groundwork for a lifetime of delicious and healthy culinary possibilities.

Many children go through phases where their palates become more limited. For pickier little ones, there are a variety of options that provide sound nutrition in the guise of a treat. There are cool sorbets, fruity smoothies, and fun dips to enchant even the most reluctant eater. Even birthday cakes are given the organic once-over in this family-friendly cookbook.

This cookbook can help you set the table for healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. Organic eating can also help you contribute to a healthier planet. Enjoy watching your baby grow into a healthy, happy, organic child!

In closing here is one important note: When reading the recipes in this book please remember that while each individual ingredient does not have the word organic before it, it is assumed that you will be using only organic foods for these recipes.