Super Baby Food--Comments from Readers

Dear Fellow Parents,

I wish to thank the readers who have sent me Email. And I'd also like to thank all of you who have written me letters. Being the busy new parents that you are, I want you to know that I really appreciate your time! Please feel free to email me with questions, comments, and criticisms. I'm always looking for ways to improve my book.

Thanks,
:-)
Ruth

Comments from Readers of the
Super Baby Food Book

Terri wrote:
>
> Ruth Your book is awesome! I used your suggestions and now my baby is one of
> the original Super Babies! Thanks for giving us moms a Super Guide line to
> follow! Terri (from Manheim,PA)

Ruth,
I have an almost 6 month old and we couldn't make it without your book.
My husband is in chiropractic school, so we love saving money by making our own food, but best of all, we love the totally natural diet that our little one is consuming! We have shared this book with all of our
friends, family, and our pediatric Chiropractor, who has in turn shared
it with all of her patients! I was so excited when the Doctor said that
your book confirmed everything that she had already recommended to her patients! Thank you again.
Hunter's mom
Staci

Ruth--
I received your book a couple of weeks ago and I have
sent one to a friend in St. Louis. I can't believe the time it
takes to prepare a months worth of food for my 6-month old.
Virtually none!! I can't believe how much money I've
saved as well by not buying commercial baby food, plus
I know this has to be better for my daughter. I encourage all
mothers to try this. I feel confident that Kelsey is getting
the best I can give her, too, as she has been breastfed since
her birth and I plan to continue until she weans herself.
Carrie
Central Nebraska

Thanks for the nice message Ruth, I was amazed at how fast I did receive
the book. I think I placed my order on a Sunday, and it was here the next
Thursday! My son William is 5 months old, so I've been busily studying the beginner sections, but I've also peeked at the super porridge recipes for a few months down the road. I actually started preparing my food cubes a week or so before I got your book from your book's preview on the Internet. So far William has had avocado (his favorite) and sweet potato. I am going on a hunt for some organically grown bananas tomorrow.

What I really appreciate about your book is how thorough it is - it's great
to see an eating schedule for William's age, and when you recommend certain foods, you always mention where you can see how to prepare them. And such a lovingly written book too - I think your kids are pretty lucky to have you for a mom.

As I am working full time outside the home, it makes me feel great to think that even when I can't be with him, William will be enjoying his super food cubes at the day care. Thanks for all the inspiration.

Lisa
The Netherlands

Dear Ruth,

I purchased your baby food book about a year ago when I found out I was expecting twins. It is a wonderful book with lots of nutritional advice for adults as well as babies. I have recommended your book to several of my friends. Thought I would let you know how much I have enjoyed it.

Diana from Woodbury, TN

Ruth,
I think your Super Baby Food book is wonderful!! I have not used it yet but plan to when my baby is old enough. I knew I wanted to make my own baby food but did not know how, thanks to you I do now.
Thanks again,
Maria

xxx@aol.com wrote:
>
> Dear Ruth,
>
> Just a note to thank you for your cookbook. My daughter is Schuyler is just
> turning one next week, and has never had a single jar of baby food. She
> loves everything I make for her. The super porridge is her favorite. Now
> she eats much of the same food as my husband and I do right from our table.
>
> As a full time working mom, I found your book very easy and informative.
> While I was pregnant I began to question all that commercial baby food
> lining the shelves of the food store. It made my head spin! I couldn't
> understand if I was buying fresh fruits and veggies for myself, why not for
> my baby too?? When Schuyler first started her fruits and veggies, I made so
> much food for her I had a 2 month supply in my freezer stocked up! I
> actually was having fun making all those cubes!!
>
> Both my husband and our baby sitter find it easy to use the cube method also.
> I just bring over enough cubes for the week along with her super porridge
> for a 2 day supply for the sitter and thats it! Our baby sitter is always
> commenting on how much healthier Schuyler is and what a better eater she is
> compared to the other children in her care.
>
> About the super porridge, I was able to find grits in my health food store.
> These come in very handy for the porridge. I use soy grits, along with
> whatever whole grain grits I can find. Their cooking time is only 10
> minutes, and it beats grinding them in the blender once your baby can handle
> the bigger texture.
>
> Once again, thanks for making my baby a healthy and happy eater.
>
> (PS... with all that good food in the house, I have begun to eat healthier
> too!)
>
> Denise

Dear Denise,
Glad you liked the book! Thanks!!
You're the first Mom who has told me that they take Super Baby Food to the baby sitter's. You deserve a lot of credit--some Moms wouldn't go through the trouble. I had twins and my baby sitter came to my
house. At first I knew she thought I was crazy for what I fed them, but then she told me that it was unbelievable that they never got sick.

I used soy grits all the time, but I just put them in the blender along with
the whole grains to get pulverized. You know, I've never heard of
whole grain grits. Which grains come in grits? Do you mean cracked wheat? That's interesting. What part of the country are you from? Do they have really good health food stores?

Look forward to hearing from you again soon. Thanks for writing!!
Ruth

Ruth,
Just a note to say I love your Super Baby Food book! I just received it this week and read some from it every chance I get. I've already tried a few veggies with the Tray Freeze method. (Carrots, sweet potatoes and Avocados.) My son Caleb is 7 months old and started with cereal at 4 months. Rice cereal constipates him if he eats too much so we have oatmeal. I recently tried brown rice cereal. There isn't anything that he doesn't like so far! Thank you for providing an alternative to buying endless jars of babyfood. I do have some in the cabinet just incase because I haven't reached the point of making everything myself.
I look forward to reading the rest of the book and trying the recipies. Please keep me informed of changes.
Amy
PS. My rice cooker doubles as a steamer. I can steam carrots while I bake sweet potatoes in my microwave and use my stove for something else.

>Dear Ruth,
> I just wanted to tell you that I used your book for the first time last
> week. I made bananas for my daughter. This is her first food and I
> couldn't believe how easy it was! I even enjoyed it. I amexcited about
> making other foods for her in the future. And it was so much cheaper
> than the jar baby food. Thanks again for making such a wonderful
> book!!! Marla

Marla-
So glad you like my book! Thank you! And, yes, bananas are really
easy. But I hope you're not disappointed with most of the other
foods--they're more work, but not by too much :-) Thanks for writing!
Ruth
> Ruth-
> I love your book!  Thank you!  My four and half month old son,
Connor, is eating sweet
> potatoes, bananas, and avocados.  I am amazed at how simple it is
to prepare safe and
> healthy foods for him.  I especially enjoyed the section on
nutrition, and I have my
> husband eating healthier also.  During my pregnancy, I ate salmon,
for the Omega 3, that
> my husband brought back from Alaska.  I have continued to eat it
due to nursing, but
> have a limited amount left.  Therefore, I am very interested in the
information you
> provided on flaxseed.  At what age can I begin adding that to
Connor's diet?  Also, how
> do I test for allergies when adding the lemon juice to frozen
foods?  Your book is
> invaluable.
> Sarah

Sarah,

I had a hard time finding information on flax seed while I was
writing it.  I have eaten it for years, but even the Dept. of
Agriculture didn't include it in their reports.  I get PETA's (People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) newsletter and they had a
little blip on flaxseed and Omega 3 content, so that's where I got most of
my information.  You can find flax seed at any natural foods store. 
People don't yet know about flaxseed, just as they didn't know about tofu
several years ago.  I bet flaxseed will begin being available in the
regular supermarket, but until then you can buy it at any health food
store or through mail order (page 134).  It's less than $2 a pound at
the store and it will last you a long time.  I didn't want to say it
this strongly in my book, but they really soak you through mail
order.

I'm sure you haven't had time to read the whole book, so I'll
answer your questions by referring you to pages in my book.  Page 95
answers your "when to start Connor on flaxseed" question.  Pages
236-237 discuss more.  Dr. Galland doesn't say how old the baby must be
before putting flaxseed oil in his bottle or rubbing it on his skin.
You're nursing, so I certainly wouldn't worry about Connor getting
enough of anything (except maybe iron and vitamin D).

Page 188 bottom says not to add the lemon juice to frozen fruits
until your baby has been introduced to citrus.  But I'm glad you
asked about this.  In the next printing, I'll put that info under
Avocado Freezing: on the bottom of page 359.  See page 369 for when
to introduce citrus:  It depends on your pediatrician and whether or
not a citrus allergy runs in your family.  I never add lemon juice
to anything I freeze.  Who cares if they darken!  My two-year old
certainly doesn't.  (It's ok to eat the dark part.)

If you need to know anything else, please don't hesitate to Email me
again.  And I really appreciate the nice things you say about my book. 
Congrats to you and your husband on the birth of Connor!  Thanks for writing!!
:-)
Ruth
> Dear Ruth:  I just got my hands on your "Super Baby" feeding book.
> And although I haven't finished it yet (I have a three month old),
I'm
> so glad I have it and I have learned alot already! THANKS!!  I
recently
> heard of a wonderful hint regarding feeding baby.  Try not to laugh
> when feeding baby.  They tend to laugh back and this could cause
> choking.  I'm so anxious to start making homemade food for my
little
> boy, Samuel.  I'm probably going to start him off on avocados in
> about another 3 months.  I didn't see anything regarding meats.  I
take it
> the protein is being picked up in other foods?  I don't know very
much
> about nutrition.  So I have alot of reading to do in the next
couple
> of months.  Thanks again for a WONDERFUL book.  Sincerely, Debora
:-)


Dear Debora--

Thanks for such a complimentary message!

That is a good idea--not to laugh when baby's eating to prevent
choking. Thank you so much for that tip. I hope you don't mind if I add that
to my book in its next printing. Kids are so cute that sometimes it's
impossible to keep a straight face.  Wait till your three month old
starts talking and tells you something "very, very serious" and you
just want to roll on the floor.  Here's a tip from me: Bite your tongue
really hard so that you don't laugh!

With regard to your question: "I didn't see anything regarding meats. 
I take it the protein is being picked up in other foods?"  Check out
the amount of protein in the foods listed on pages 257-259.  Each ounce
of breast milk or formula supplies 1 gram of protein per ounce.  Samuel
needs only 13 grams until he's 6 months, when he'll need 18 grams
(see top of page 257)--that's only 13 or 18 ounces of milk, which alone
gives him all the protein he needs.  On page 260 is a nutritional analysis
on protein content on the sample menu on page 130.  No meat and tons of
protein--56 grams, more than half from formula/breast milk!
Vegetarianism is discussed briefly on page 255.  Believe me, the more
you learn about eating meat, the less you want to eat it.  Now if I
can only give up chocolate!

I'm so glad you find my book informative.  Please write me again when
Samuel gets older.  And give me some criticism (be brutal--I can
take it!)on the book.  I want to improve it as much as I can.  Thanks
for your time and I look forward to hearing from you and Samuel
again.

Ruth 
Robin. .com wrote:
> I am so happy I ordered your book! I was first introduced to it through your
> excerpts pamphlet I ordered through American Baby. I then ordered the complete
> book. I also sent the pamphlet to a new mother from my birthing class that was
> interested in preparing baby food. I hope she orders the complete book also.
>
> Kayla, my baby girl, was nursed exclusively until she was six months. I have a
> full time job, so I pump at work and give the daycare the milk. She is now eight
> months and I plan to continue nursing until she is at least one year old
> (probably until she weans herself).
>
> I started her out with bananas, avocado and yogurt. I then added sweet potatoes,
> acorn squash and your super porridge (rice). I plan to add carrots, millet and
> barley next. All food is bought at the health food store and she loves it. In
> fact, on weekends when my husband is away, I eat the food with her it is so
> good! Recently I have been mixing the bananas with yogurt and even adding it to
> the porridge. I suppose other fresh fruit will be added when it starts looking
> good at the store againsoon I hope.
> Kayla is a very happy, active, content baby and has
> never had a real cold/flu. She gets a runny nose and cough right before a tooth
> comes in, but that's it. She's been so easy I can't wait for the next one. Even
> my doctor says she's been exceptionally healthy. I know good nutrition play a
> good part in this.
>
> I do have a couple questions. Will the yogurt loose its healthy bacteria if
> frozen? Also, does adding liquid vitamins to the cubes before freezing hurt the
> vitamins in any way?
>
> The day care is very supportive of my nursing, homemade baby food and even cloth
> diapers--they are out there! My husband is also supportive, especially after I
> showed him the food savings. He even prepares all the vegetables to be frozen
> for me! Many people I meet say she looks so healthy, and she does due to nursing
> and organic food. Thank you for making it so easy!

>I also wanted to add that Kayla is a very happy, active, content baby and has
>never had a real cold/flu. She gets a runny nose and cough right before a tooth
>comes in, but that's it. She's been so easy I can't wait for the next one. Even
>my doctor says she's been exceptionally healthy. I know good nutrition play a
>good part in this.

Hi Robin

Thanks for writing. And thank you for the compliments on my book!

You are the first person who admitted to me that they have eaten
Super Baby Food! I also polish off the leftovers when my little
guy doesn't finish his Super Porridge. How lucky you are to have a husband who is supportive and makes the veggies.

You know, I think it's the whole grains, beans, seeds, and nuts that
make babies so healthy, and I also think that it's these parts of the
Super Baby Food diet that are most often not fed to babies. I'm so glad
you're into the brown rice and will be starting millet soon.

According to everything I've read, the yogurt should retain its living culture and be good after it is frozen. However, I have never tried to make a batch of homemade yogurt with a starter that has been frozen.
I'll have to try it--it is supposed to work. The live culture is actually bacteria, which becomes inactive at freezing temperatures and comes alive again when warmed (see page 154).

Your question about vitamins is a good one. Vitamins, in general, are
easily lost if not treated properly. Freezing does not destroy vitamins as
much as heat, air, light, and water does, but it DOES destroy some vitamins. I would recommend feeding Kayla her vitamins directly from the bottle and not freezing them in the cubes.

I really appreciate you taking the time to write to me! Time sure
is precious to those of us who work both inside and outside of the home!
So glad to hear from you! :-)

Ruth

THERESA & SCOTT .. wrote:
>
> I recently purchased the Super Baby Food book and have found it GREAT! It has
> helped me a great deal in determining what foods my 5 mth old boy can have and
> how much he should be getting each day - (I had been feeding him home-made
> carrots for a couple of days, before getting the book - aah). I enjoy making
> his meals for him, knowing that they are nuturious, and the book has helped me
> a lot in putting together a good combination of foods.
>
> As a suggestion, you may want to add to the descriptions of each food a
> laundry symbol if the food is likely to stain clothes (I have noticed avocado
> stains, and when I made carrots it stained everything).
>
> Again, thanks for writing a great, informative book.
>
> Theresa
> Dear Ruth, thank you for your great book, it has given me some
confidence in
> preparing good food for my baby (now 5 months old).  I do have a
problem,
> though . . . I do not own a microwave (and I won't buy one,
either):
> reheating the food ice cubes takes time (while baby is screaming)
and then
> the food is too hot, I cannot serve it.  I have to wait five more
minutes
> (are bacteria growing in the meantime?) and by then baby is
frustrated, I end
> up breastfeding him to calm him down.  By the time I am finished
> breastfeeding him, the food is cold and probably bacteria-laden. 
Any
> suggestions about improving this process?  (Besides feeding him
when he is
> not too hungry: I tried that, he does not eat then because, I
guess, he is
> not hungry).
>
> Also, baby does not seem to like what I prepare for him (organic
foods cooked
> in the way you suggest) but seems to prefer organic food in a jar
or the
> organic cereal in the box.  I checked the labels, no sugar or
starch have
> been added, so why does he seem to prefer the "store-bought stuff?"
>
> Last request: can you please add me to your mailing list for book
updates?
>
> Thank you for your attention, Patricia

Dear Patricia,

Thanks for the compliments on my book.

Here's what to do about reheating food cubes without a microwave:
Take the frozen food cubes out of the freezer THE NIGHT BEFORE you
will feed them to your baby and place them in the refrigerator.  Cover
them air-tight to preserve freshness and nutrients.  This way, the cubes
will be thawed and ready, but cold.  If you wish, you can warm them ever
so slightly on the stove top.  The cubes wil be OK bacteria-wise because
bacteria doesn't multiply quickly at refrigerator temperatures (see
page 154).  Keep thawed cubes in the refrigerator for only one day,
though. Perhaps this can be an nightly routine--transfer the frozen food
cubes for baby's meals tomorrow from freezer to refrigerator tonight.  It
takes more than several minutes for bacteria to grow to dangerous
levels at room temperature--I've read from 2-4 HOURS, but I'd never take the
chance with that long a time!  I would say that probably an hour at
room temperature for a FROZEN food cube is more than I'd want to risk. 
And if it's a hot day or if your kitchen is a hot kitchen, an hour is
probably risky.

I'm sorry your baby doesn't like the homemade as much as the
store-bought.  To tell you the truth, I'm really surprised that my
baby eats Super Porridge with kale, broccoli, carrots, and brewer's yeast!
Yuch! And he eats it like it's candy!  I think it's what they are
used to.  My baby has had ONLY Super Porridge, and never any commercial
stuff.  I just never bought it for him (although I did for my first
two babies).  I suggest to offer him just the homemade and stay away from
commercial for as long as possible.  Hopefully, if he's hungry
enough, he'll eat it.  Another suggestion:  Try mixing something sweet, like
bananas or peaches, into the Super Porridge (homemade or even
commercial bananas or peaches).  At first, add quite a bit and then increase the
proportion on Super Porridge.  If I can think of anything else, I'll
Email you again.

Thanks so much for writing.  Please write again to let me know how
your little guy is doing.

Ruth

> Dear Ruth, thank you so much for replying to me so fast!  Your
suggestions
> make sense!  I am glad you knew the answers, I am not much of a
cook, myself!
>
> I will prepare food for Johnny the way you suggested it.  I will
keep you
> posted about my progress!  Thanks again, Patricia

The Super Baby Food Book is
THE most complete book and reference manual
on feeding your baby on the market today
--ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEED!!

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