British bestseller Karmel (The Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner
) has made a name for herself cooking meals for kids that any devoted parent could admire, packing each breakfast, lunch and dinner with healthy, nicely presented, delicious foods. Now she and nutritionist Sacher make baby and child fare even healthier by adding more of the brightly colored, antioxidant-rich, disease-fighting fruits and vegetables they call superfoods to every recipe. Broccoli, tomatoes, blueberries and carrots (among many others) find their way into tempting purees for little ones and into dishes like Tiny Pasta with Gruyère, Spinach and Sweetcorn for older children (the book is divided into sections by age group). Karmel grates vegetables into spaghetti sauce for Baby's Bolognese and apples into Finger-Picking Chicken Balls; she whirls several fruits at a time into smoothies and ice pops; and provides good ideas for age-appropriate snacks. She clearly explains nutritional information in the introduction and in sidebars on every page, and includes menu planners for each stage. Karmel's tone throughout is positive and, in urging kids to try new tastes, adventurous. And though some of the recipes require more than a dozen ingredients, most are worth it. (June 6)
