FEED YOURSELF, FEED YOUR FAMILY

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.