Parents Need to Eat Too: Nap-Friendly Recipes, One-Handed Meals, and Time-Saving Kitchen Tricks for New Parents by Debbie Koenig
Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
Genre: Non-Fiction, Cookbook
Suggested Age: Adults
What is the book about?: Debbie Koenig presents a cookbook for new parents who still want to cook nutritious meals while caring for a baby. Its organizational method is unique in that each section is grouped according to how much time a person has to spend on a meal. For example, Koenig presents quick, easy meals that parents can start after work as well as ones that require a bit more prep time. The more time-consuming dinners are divided up by tasks that can be accomplished during the day while baby is napping. She also includes a section on slow cooker recipes and one-handed meals that are easy to eat while you have a baby in your lap. Big batch recipes are grouped together as well and are very helpful for weeks when you want leftovers for lunches or a night off from cooking. This book also has quite a bit of advice on feeding baby solids and how to adapt each recipe to make baby food.
My Review: As a new parent myself, I found Parents Need to Eat Too practical as well as inspiring. I love to cook and it is a challenge to juggle getting home, the baby, and starting dinner. I tried some of the recipes included but also adapted them according to what food I had in the house or what seemed more realistic for me as a cook. One thing that I appreciated about this cookbook was the fact that it offers a variety of recipes from different ethnicities. I tried out several recipes including Middle Eastern Meat Pies, Hummus with Mediterranean Salad, and Quinoa Salad. While I don’t think that all the recipes (such as falafel) are realistic for a weeknight, many are practical and healthy. The techniques that Koenig presents to manage cooking are what I really took away from the book as a whole.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Practical, Helpful, Tasty
Give This a Try if You Like… International cooking, quick/easy meals
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.