Baby Let's Eat! (Welcome Books (Workman Publishing))

Baby Let's Eat! offers home-cooked alternatives to commercially prepared baby foods that are as delicious as they are easy to prepare. Written by a professional chef with the help of a nutritionist, each chapter offers vital nutritional guidelines for the various stages of growth from six to 36 months. The author also assures parents that it isn't necessary to get bogged down in details meeting a baby's nutritional needs on a weekly rather than a daily basis is fine, and there are weekly menus for inspiration.

Few parents have the time to cook separate meals for their youngsters, so Baby Let's Eat! offers more than 100 hearty family recipes that, with the slightest of variations, are also perfect for babies.

Baked Rosemary Chicken with Tomatoes is a meal in itself, bakery goods such as Orange Muffins and The Great Oatmeal Wheel indulge the sweet tooth without refined sugar, and dishes like low-calorie, high-protein cottage cheese Sticky Dip with Vegetables store will in the refrigerator for healthy snacking. Many serve several purposes (sugar-free Fruit Supreme tastes great on pancakes, and soothes a baby's sore gums when frozen), and there are quick, easy souffles, puddings, and even French toast everyone will enjoy that are specifically formulated for children with common allergies.

Generously illustrated with fanciful drawings, Baby Let's Eat! is an upbeat choice for families who are short on time and money and long on giving their growing children a sound, delicious, headstart. Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club.

Rena Coyle, mother and former professional pastry chef, teaches children's cooking classes and is the author of My First Cookbookand My First Baking Book.