While some New Yorkers are spending big bucks turning their kids into mini-foodies, I’m hoping Baby Diva will have a healthy attitude towards wholesome foods.

Of course, I wouldn’t object to a smidgen of a sense of adventure…

If you are excited about introducing fresh, tempting and fun foods to your tot, I suggest Annabel Karmel’s First Meals.

She starts with the simplest purees (parsnip and carrot, for example) and takes you through easy recipes to introduce texture and variety (Quick Chicken Couscous). Throughout, the book is filled with great tips for enticing picky eaters and ensuring a healthy balanced diet. As a first time mom, I especially love her sample menus for each age group.

Thanks to her advice, Baby Diva is already enjoying spices.

First Meals is a great middle ground between developing overly-precious sensibilities and force-feeding icky jars of processed food with questionable additives.

First Meals, by Annabel Karmel
First Meals at Amazon.com: $13.60.
First Meals at Barnes and Noble: $16.00.

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