Feed Yourself, Feed Your Family

February 6, 2012
This food and wellness guide for women from pregnancy through the early phases of motherhood offers much beyond recipes—there are details about specific nutrients, foods to avoid during pregnancy, tips for simplifying meal preparation, and more. The recipes themselves aren’t anything new or special, but entries like roasted shrimp with grape tomatoes and summer squash; Greek meatballs with yogurt dipping sauce; and quinoa pilaf with white beans, feta cheese, and summer vegetables are appealing and generally quite healthy. Those in search of ideas for traditional baby foods won’t find a wide array of options—La Leche promotes child-led feeding rather than spoon-feeding—but celery root and potato puree, and minted pea puree are among the baby-friendly dishes. There are also versions of toddler classics such as oven-baked chicken tenders; homemade mac and cheese; and sweet potato fries. And of course La Leche unabashedly encourages longtime breastfeeding, but the tone isn’t preachy, which makes the book a pleasant and helpful read for any mom.

December 1, 2011
La Leche League International presents a balanced diet for pregnant mothers, new mothers and, by extension, the whole family. Once you are eating for two or serving two or more, the simple process of eating can become loaded with guilt, anxiety and stress. La Leche wants you to replace these feelings "with pleasure: the pleasure of preparing and eating good food for yourself and others, of feeding the ones you love, of joining together to nourish and nurture one another." Though La Leche is best known for breastfeeding advocacy, it takes little imagination to make the connection between a healthy diet and a healthy breastfeeding experience, and the important shift from breast milk to other foodstuffs. Though the voice here is that of a committee and somewhat drained of personality, there is nonetheless a great deal of warmth and encouragement in these pages. La Leche tackles questions regarding caloric intake, major nutritional needs and their ebb and flow during various stages of mothering and the correct doses of supplements, should they be necessary. Thankfully, the authors place the emphasis on good science, rather than the latest trend, when it comes to salt, fat and sugar intake. The recipes convey an artful twining of balance and flavor--celery root and potato puree, crab tostadas, Greek meatballs and yogurt, salmon and horseradish sauce--while cooking tips help take the stress out of preparation. There are also important pointers on such topics as not spurning help ("If you refuse these offers, they have a way of stopping"), letting the baby lead the way from breast to solid food ("promotes independence in eating") and the bonding conviviality of dinner at the table. An excellent blend of common-sense nutritional advice and inviting recipes for mothers and their charges.

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