Born to Eat: Whole, Healthy Foods from Baby's First Bite

Description

For thousands of years, humans have thrived without "baby food" (which was invented in the late nineteenth century). Think about it: the human race has made it this far largely on whole food. Only in recent decades have we begun overthinking and over-processing our foods, which has led to chronic dieting, chronic disease, disordered eating, body distrust, and epidemic confusion about the best way to feed ourselves and families. Eating is an innate skill that has been overcomplicated by marketing schemes and a dieting culture. It's time to leave the dieting culture behind for the whole family. It starts with the baby's first bite! We are all Born to Eat and it seems only natural for us to start at the beginning-with our babies. When babies show signs of readiness for solid foods, they can eat almost everything the family eats and become healthy, happy eaters in the process. By honoring self-regulation (also an innate skill) and focusing on a whole food foundation, we can foster healthier children, parents, and families. You don't have to cook another entire meal to feed just baby, nor blend everything you eat into a puree to support healthy growth in an infant. With a little patience, presence, and skill, you can transform nearly any family meal into a baby-friendly food. Who knew a little planning could have the whole family eating together, and better? Aside from the United States, most countries are accepting of babies starting of solids with the foods of the family. With a focus on self-feeding and a baby-led weaning approach, nutritionists and wellness experts Wendy Jo Peterson and Leslie Schilling provide age-based advice, step-by-step instructions, help for parents, and easy recipes so you can ensure that your infant is introduced to healthy and tasty food as early as possible.

Wendy Jo Peterson, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian and culinary nutritionist. She is the coauthor of The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook For Dummies and Adrenal Fatigue For Dummies. As with all military spouses, she wears many hats, but her favorite is her role as a mama. She splits her time between Austin, Texas; San Diego, California; and Europe. Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN is a nationally recognized registered dietitian & nutrition expert. She's been featured in Women's Health, BuzzFeed, Yahoo News, the Huffington Post, USNews, and on HGTV. Leslie is a self-proclaimed anti-diet dietitian who teaches health through self-care and pleasurable eating. When she's not cooking with her family, she's likely shopping for ingredients near her home in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Born to Eat answered all my questions about baby-led weaning. Leslie and Wendy Jo will help parents raise children who feel good about food and their bodies, which is preventative medicine at its best. I wish this book had been around when my daughter was a baby! Highly recommended for new parents." Katja Rowell, MD, author of Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating "What comes over in this easy-to-read book is that moving on to solid foods should be a positive experience, and that we can trust our babies to know their own bodies. By choosing healthy foods and being present and purposeful at shared family mealtimes, we can feel confident to sit back and let our children make their own discoveries and decisions because we are all Born to Eat." Gill Rapley, PhD, coauthor of Baby Led Weaning "Born to Eat is the 'what to expect' for infant feeding. From evidence-backed recommendations to real-life anecdotes, the authors deliver simple, key steps for nurturing healthy families with simple, wholesome foods. This is the go-to guide for fostering infants and families who love food and recognize the powerful relationship it has in family life." Katie Ferraro, RDN and founder of InGrain Health "Problem solved! Born to Eat is like a trustworthy friend showing you the ropes of feeding your infant with love and compassion. As new parents, we care deeply about doing what's best for baby, but food can be especially overwhelming. Read this book and experience the joys of watching your child explore eating with curiosity and engagement. Leslie and Wendy Jo give you the information you need and the permission to make it work for your family through the years." Rebecca Scritchfield, author of Body Kindness "Born To Eat is a must-read for anyone thinking about trying baby-led weaning. It's a practical guide that provides simple, actionable steps for each stage of the process and addresses all of the common questions and fears that many parents have." Lindsay Livingston, RD, founder of The Lean Green Bean blog "Born to Eat emphasizes two of the most important aspects of child feeding that also happen to be lacking in our society today: connection and trust. Leslie and Wendy Jo combine their professional experience with their parenting wisdom to remind us that feeding our children is supposed to be a simple, fun, and nurturing experience, rather than one of stress, guilt, and worry. Born to Eat protects a child's ability to self-regulate their intake and nurtures their innate curiosity of food. For any parents considering the baby-led weaning approach or an approach that fosters a healthy relationship with food for the entire family, Born to Eat is a must!" Lindsay Stenovec, MS, RD, CEDRD, owner of Nutrition Instincts & founder of The Nurtured Mama Club "The bottom line is that parents are working too hard to feed their babies. It should be fun! Not intimidating. Let your baby explore and learn from experience on their own time. And if you think about it . . . the healthiest foods-foods in their whole, unprocessed form-are actually the easiest to self-feed! Born to Eat is a resource that every parent needs on their shelves." -Sidney Fry, MS, RD, James Beard award-winning food writer and nutrition expert "Born to Eat answered all my questions about baby-led weaning. Leslie and Wendy Jo will help parents raise children who feel good about food and their bodies, which is preventative medicine at its best. I wish this book had been around when my daughter was a baby! Highly recommended for new parents." Katja Rowell, MD, author of Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating "What comes over in this easy-to-read book is that moving on to solid foods should be a positive experience, and that we can trust our babies to know their own bodies. By choosing healthy foods and being present and purposeful at shared family mealtimes, we can feel confident to sit back and let our children make their own discoveries and decisions because we are all Born to Eat." Gill Rapley, PhD, coauthor of Baby Led Weaning "Born to Eat is the 'what to expect' for infant feeding. From evidence-backed recommendations to real-life anecdotes, the authors deliver simple, key steps for nurturing healthy families with simple, wholesome foods. This is the go-to guide for fostering infants and families who love food and recognize the powerful relationship it has in family life." Katie Ferraro, RDN and founder of InGrain Health "Problem solved! Born to Eat is like a trustworthy friend showing you the ropes of feeding your infant with love and compassion. As new parents, we care deeply about doing what's best for baby, but food can be especially overwhelming. Read this book and experience the joys of watching your child explore eating with curiosity and engagement. Leslie and Wendy Jo give you the information you need and the permission to make it work for your family through the years." Rebecca Scritchfield, author of Body Kindness "Born To Eat is a must-read for anyone thinking about trying baby-led weaning. It's a practical guide that provides simple, actionable steps for each stage of the process and addresses all of the common questions and fears that many parents have." Lindsay Livingston, RD, founder of The Lean Green Bean blog "Born to Eat emphasizes two of the most important aspects of child feeding that also happen to be lacking in our society today: connection and trust. Leslie and Wendy Jo combine their professional experience with their parenting wisdom to remind us that feeding our children is supposed to be a simple, fun, and nurturing experience, rather than one of stress, guilt, and worry. Born to Eat protects a child's ability to self-regulate their intake and nurtures their innate curiosity of food. For any parents considering the baby-led weaning approach or an approach that fosters a healthy relationship with food for the entire family, Born to Eat is a must!" Lindsay Stenovec, MS, RD, CEDRD, owner of Nutrition Instincts & founder of The Nurtured Mama Club "The bottom line is that parents are working too hard to feed their babies. It should be fun! Not intimidating. Let your baby explore and learn from experience on their own time. And if you think about it . . . the healthiest foods-foods in their whole, unprocessed form-are actually the easiest to self-feed! Born to Eat is a resource that every parent needs on their shelves." -Sidney Fry, MS, RD, James Beard award-winning food writer and nutrition expert