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Real Food for Mother and Baby: review & a giveaway!

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***Comments have been closed and the winners have been notified. Thank you all so much for participating!***

When Nina Planck and her publisher offered to send me an advanced copy of her new book Real Food for Mother & Baby I was thrilled. Her book Real Food: what to eat and why was one of the first books that I read on my journey towards nourishing food. She helped to revolutionize the way I think about food and nutrition.

I watched my mail box daily waiting for this book to arrive. I have a seven month old baby, you see. He has now been eating big people foods for a few weeks so this book couldn’t have come at a better time. When it finally arrived I dug in as fast as I could and at every available moment picked it up again.

I love the way Nina writes. She is persuasive, yet laid back. She shares the latest scientific research and is still down to earth. She gives you general dietary guidelines for a fertility diet, a pregnancy diet and baby’s first foods.

She is a mom. She knows what it’s like to be given a list of foods to eat and laugh because morning sickness just will not allow it. She understands a pregnant woman’s needs as well as a baby’s. She knows what it’s like to tip-toe into the scary waters of baby’s first foods.

I found it so refreshing to hear that rice cereal is not the ideal first food. With our first son I knew that he wasn’t digesting his it well and wondered why everyone would tell us to feed him this expensive, boxed food. I questioned why I would not serve my husband and myself something out of a box and yet the first “solid” food to cross my baby’s lips came from one. Why?

With our oldest son I was so paranoid from all of the warnings and rules given out. I wanted to try to make my own soaked rice cereal, but the Dr. said no – he needed the iron fortification. Funny how a little liver and grass-fed bison would have solved that problem.

What is so refreshing about this book is that over and over again she tells us to relax. You don’t need to understand rocket science to feed your baby – just listen to them and use some common sense.

I love that she is a huge advocate for breastfeeding and homebirthing. Breastfeeding is one area that I believe the Weston A. Price foundation has failed to put due emphasis. Breast milk is the perfect food and the majority of breast milk is comprised of saturated fat and cholesterol. It only makes sense to feed your baby these things.

I am so relieved to see our baby eating real food and loving it.

So far our baby has eaten:

  • egg yolk mashed with healthy fats
  • plain whole yogurt
  • avocado
  • sweet potato with butter
  • carrots with butter
  • ground pastured chicken with the fat

I have been putting some foods on a tray in front of him so that he can discover them. His main method for getting the food into his mouth is via my index finger. Spoons just seem to be causing frustration for both of us, and I don’t mind. He tells me what he likes and does not like. Last night he took a few nibbles of the carrots and then pushed away my hand. When I offered him the yogurt he couldn’t get my yogurt-covered finger into his mouth fast enough. He probably ate 2 tablespoons and then pushed my finger away again. He was done.

I believe anyone planning to have a baby should read this book. But don’t go out and buy it just yet. Nina generously sent me several copies to give away to my readers.

Enter the Real Food for Mother and Baby Giveaway!

I am giving away 3 copies of Real Food for Mother and Baby. Here are the guidelines:

  • U.S. or Canadian residents only, please.
  • First entry: simply leave a comment on this post.
  • Second entry: blog about this giveaway. I will receive a link back so there is no need to let me know.
  • Third entry: subscribe to nourishing days and leave a second, separate comment. If you are already a subscriber leave a second, separate comment letting me know.

The giveaway will run through the morning of Monday, April 6th. I will close comments and randomly choose three winners who will be notified by email.

I can’t wait to give you one of these books!

If you can’t wait for the giveaway or do not win you can purchase Real Food for Mother and Baby through Amazon.

This is a contribution to Real Food Wednesdays.

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152 Comments

  1. I would love to have a copy of this book!

    We are in the middle stages of transitioning to NT. We have purchased pastured, grass fed beef, chicken and pork in bulk from a farmer. I have found a source of raw milk and dairy, and organic veggies. Our CSA begins in June. My first order of coconut oil was just shipped out.

    Still to do is transition to whole wheat, soaking and sprouting. Also I want to begin lacto fermenting.

    My 14 month old son was fed the SAD: boxed baby cereal, and many jarred foods. I definitely want to do things differently with our next baby. Thanks for this opportunity, and I’m really enjoying your blog!

    Jen

  2. I would LOVE a copy of this book! My now-two year old’s first foods were avocado and banana. I’d love for more insight now that I have another baby (3 months). I’m currently reading “Nourishing Traditions” (when I get the chance to read!) which I’ll hopefully have done before the baby is on solid food.

    Amy @ Muddy Boots’s last blog post..questions for my Ottawa area peeps

  4. I would truely love to have a copy of this book. My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for quite some time now. I am trying to make sure that my body has everything that it needs. I have read Nourishing Traditions. I really enjoy that book. It all makes perfect since, and the recipes are really good. I am alway looking to for more to read, but there are very few resources with traditional foods. Thank you for the opportunity. Also, I don’t have a blog so I won’t be able to complete the second entry.

  5. I would love to have Nina Planck’s new book. My sister has a brand new baby and this would be a wonderful resource for her and the little one. Though I don’t have a baby yet, I hope to be in her lucky shoes someday soon.

  8. I would love to read this book. We are trying so hard to be truly healthy around here….but we have a long way to go. I would really appreciate having this book!
    Thank you!

  9. I have happily subscribed to Nourishing Days and look forward to following your posts. Thanks!

  10. I am very, very interested in this book. We’re not expecting yet, but we’re planning to start trying soon, and the “real food for baby” movement is SO important to me.

  12. I would love to have this for myself, and then to share with my sister! I forget how I found your site, but the posts I’ve read so far have been encouraging (especially your journey to real food). Thanks for your work!

  13. Please put me in the running for this book. I’ve been a fan of Nina Planck’s since I read _Real Food_. I’ve been watching and waiting for this new book to come out, but really had no reason to buy it… until now, we just found out I am pregnant and due in Nov!
    Thanks for a great site that supports us in our journey toward a more healthy way of life.

  16. I would love a copy of her book! I am just starting to feed my six month old solids. Some egg yolk, avocado, and banana. I can’t wait to read what Nina has to say about the subject.

  17. I would love to have a copy of this book. I’m due in one month with our second child. Thanks for the give-away!

  20. I would love this book. I had similar problems feeding my daughter her first foods. She is two now and I wish I would have done things a little differently. I would love to be pregnant again and would love to see what she suggests for a fertility diet. If I don’t win I will definitely be buying this book.
    Elizabeth

  23. I would love to win this book, my friend is currently in labor now with bay #1 and would be very interested in reading this book.

  24. Excellent. I just got my copy in the mail from Bloomsbury. I can’t wait to dive in. (You can count me out for the giveaway, but I wanted to comment anyway because IM THRILLED about this book!)

    Jenny’s last blog post..And the Winner is …

  26. It was so good to read your review. I so loved Real Food. It was clear, concise, easy to understand and apply. I am the mom to 12 homebirthed and real food children. But I would love to have Nina’s book to loan out to mothers who aren’t quite sure if they should trust me about avocado, kefir, mushed carrots with butter, soft egg yolks and liver, etc for their new eaters. Your website has been on my favorites list for a long time, but I was so happy to subscribe. Thank you, Shannon for your sage advice and wonderful recipes.

  27. I’m glad to hear that you liked the book. I read Nina’s other book and really liked it. I’ve considered buying it, but have been hesitant – it’d be really nice if this book gave better advice than the bit Sally Fallon gave in “Nourishing Traditions” – especially about breastfeeding. I’m wondering did you find that so?

    Pampered Mom’s last blog post..Beet Green Gratin

  29. I would love to read this book, too! I am working – with steady progress – at defeating acid reflux in my one year old. Wish I had had this when she was smaller! But we are not done – I hope! 🙂

    Thanks for your blog!

  30. I LOVE seeing people talking about real food, especially for babies! Too much low fat given to kids. Finally, real food, and fats, but the right ones!

  32. I would love a copy of this book! I’m currently 31 weeks pregnant and expecting our first baby at the end of May. I’m really interested in the whole food/baby aspect and plan to make my own baby food.

    Amy M’s last blog post..dancing baby?

  35. Hi Shannon,

    I love reading your blog – it inspires me!! I’m sorry that it has taken a give-away for me to come ‘out of the woodwork,’ so to speak, and introduce myself! 🙂

    I would love to win. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!

    Shannon (Ottawa, Canada)

  38. I had my eye on this book for weeks and would love a copy! My husband and I are planning for pregnancy and I know I would just benefit from this right now… thanks for this!

    Lindsay’s last blog post..Back to the Garden

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  42. This book would be very helpful as I am researching what are the best foods for my 5 months old baby and when to introduce them.

  46. Oh how I would love to win this great book. Please put my name in the hat, and thank you for your kindness.
    Blessings, Barbara

  47. Ooh, I’d love to win this! Both because I’d love to read it and, as Julia mentioned above, I’d love to have something like this to loan to other moms who have had the “rice cereal first” mantra drilled into them and think I’m a little out there. Thanks for the opportunity!

  49. Thank you for the great giveaway! I’d love to win this for my sister who is having her first child in a couple months!

  50. What a great give away and such good timing, too! I work in prenatal care and many moms-to-be are craving information on eating well for themselves as well as for baby. This book will be on my reference list.

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