My Top 10 Weaning Recipe Books!

I love a nice glossy recipe book, and baby and toddler cookbooks are a field of their own! I find when you are doing any kind of cooking, recipe books are always good for some inspiration, some professional guidance, and a few nice personal stories from the author! And much easier to manage than scrolling through a recipe book on your phone! Check back soon for my list of my favourite toddler cookbooks and other toddler kitchen essentials!

Here I have chosen my top 10 weaning recipe books, which has been a really fun process - digging out my own sticky favourites from when I began my own weaning adventures as a nanny nearly 15 years ago, and finding out which fresh new voices are out there, and how attitudes to weaning have changed.

Weaning can be a very stressful time if things do not appear to be going smoothly, and I have worked with many first (and second!) time mums who have put themselves through the wringer because they think they are failing their baby, if their baby just keeps clamping their mouth shut tight! Sometimes all you need to do is take a break, take some time to yourself, and relax a little bit, and things will feel a lot better afterwards. So don't forget - your baby will only eat when they are ready, and when they feel like it!

Sometimes a little inspiration, a guiding voice, and a few glossy pics can really boost your weaning spirits, so why not take a browse through the selection below, get yourself a handful of recipe books (I recommend having more than one, and trying a few different methods and mantras!), and see what works best for you and your baby!

Here is my top ten, starting with number 10! These are my own personal current favourites, and may not suit everybody, but I hope I have included something to appeal to most parents!

10. Fast & Fresh Baby Food Cookbook: 120 Ridiculously Simple and Naturally Wholesome Baby Foods Recipes

by Jaqueline Burt Cote, 2015, Rockridge Press

Written by a mother of 3, these recipes are cheap, quick and simple. What more could you want? A great book for your bookshelf.

Click here to buy the Fast & Fresh Baby Food Cookbook on Amazon!

9. River Cottage Baby and Toddler Cookbook

by Nikki Duffy, 2018, Bloomsbury Publishing

The message is simple - babies can eat proper grown up food, and I love it! I had a copy I used to flip through myself as a nanny, and it is a great contrast to many of the other baby food cookbooks. It includes a foreword by Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall, who gives us his own words of wisdom gained from his own experiences with his children (got to love a bit of Hugh!).

Click here to buy the River Cottage Baby and Toddler Cookbook on Amazon!

8. Babyled Weaning for Vegans: 60 Plant-Based Recipes for Babies and Kids that Adults Will Love

by Rachel Boyett, 2017, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Rachel Boyett created her own book after finding there were no vegan weaning cookbooks when weaning her own daughter, and the results are perfect for other vegan parents! Some seriously tasty recipes here (and I confirm, adults will love them too!).

Click here to buy Babyled Weaning for Vegans on Amazon!

7. The Allergy Free Baby & Toddler Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes Free From Dairy, Eggs, Peanuts, Tree nuts, Soya, Gluten, Sesame and Shellfish

by Fiona Heggie and Ellie Lux, 2016, Orion

Put together by two mums who both have kids with multiple food allergies, this book is ideal for any other allergy mammas and pappas, or for those wanting to learn more or entertain guests with allergies.

Click here to buy The Allergy Free Baby & Toddler Cookbook on Amazon!

6. Little Veggie Eats: Easy Weaning Recipes for All the Family to Enjoy

by Rachel Boyett, 2020, Vermillion

Life-time vegetarian and mum of three created a recipe book for like-minded weaning parents! Love it!

Click here to buy Little Veggie Eats on Amazon!

5. Whole Food Baby: 200 Nutritionally Balanced Recipes for a Healthy Start

by Michele Olivier, 2016, Apple Press

Baby food blogger Michele Olivier puts an end to bland, dull baby food with ancient grains, herbs spices. I love the fresh and colourful pages and the focus on food quality and origin.

Click here to buy Whole Food Baby on Amazon!

4. Wean in 15: Up-to-date Advice and 100 Quick Recipes

by The Body Coach Joe Wicks, 2020, Bluebird

If Annabel Karmel is the "Queen of Wean", then The Body Coach Joe Wicks is definitely the Prince of Lockdown! Here he is sharing his own experience of weaning his daughter, plus professional advice from nutritionist and weaning specialist Charlotte Stirling-Reed (who I follow on Twitter and also love!). Love the pics and the personal input from Joe.

Click here to buy Wean in 15 on Amazon!

3. Ella's Kitchen: The First Foods Book: The Purple One

by Ella's Kitchen, 2015, Hamlyn

I discovered this book recently and love how vibrant and simple it is! This is probably the book your child would choose! It is fun and cheerful, colourful, and easy to follow (and if you didn't already know, Ella's Kitchen produce a range of best selling products that can also help you on your weaning journey, when you haven't got time to cook!). I also love Ella's Kitchen Cookbook: The Red One (2019), for more fun and easy recipes.

Click here to buy The First Foods Book on Amazon!

2. Annabel Karmel: Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner

by Annabel Karmel (25th Anniversary Edition), 2016, Ebury Press

I began my own weaning adventures as a nanny with Annabel Karmel, who is not called "The Queen of Wean" for nothing! Every parent needs a bit of Annabel Karmel in their lives, she is clear, organised, sensible, and has all the bases covered! Originally published in 1991 and now bang up to date, this is a must for first timers! I also love Annabel Karmel's Baby-Led Weaning Recipe Book (2017), and her equally wonderful Weaning: New Edition, What to Feed, When to Feed, and How to Feed your Baby (2018).

Click here to Annabel Karmel's Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner on Amazon!

1. Young Gums: Baby Food with Attitude: A Modern Mama's Guide to Happy, Healthy Weaning

by Beth Bentley, 2018, Ebury Press

My number one choice! This book blew me away, and is now a huge favourite of mine and I am recommending it left right and centre! Millennial blogger Beth Bentley takes a totally modern and fresh approach to what she terms "mindful weaning", with a fantastically modern attitude to food cultivated by her surroundings in London Fields, East London. She takes us on a journey through her local food market, surrounded by a melting pot of cuisines from all around the world, and is inspired to change our ideas about baby food after becoming dismayed by the processed baby foods she comes up against on the supermarket shelves. Love this book!

Click here to buy Beth Bentley's fabulous Young Gums: Baby Food With Attitude on Amazon!

I hope you have enjoyed reading my selection, and these books have given you a little inspiration and encouragement for your own weaning adventures. And remember to look after yourself, to make sure that you are getting three nutritious meals a day yourself (and plenty of snacks and cups of tea!), and if you are struggling, do not be afraid to reach out and ask for help from a friend, family member, neighbour, or somebody like me! If you need some help and support right now, check out my weaning tips with pre and post-natal personal trainer and nutritionist Emma West, and its always worth visiting the NHS weaning advice pages (I regularly do!) and their guidelines for your baby's first solid foods.

If you are a first time parent and struggling with any stages of weaning, why not get in touch and share the mental and emotional load, and find the one-to-one support you are looking for. You can get 10% off my Leaps, Bounds & Transitions coaching sessions (suitable for parents with toddlers aged 1+) with the code WEAN26 or 15% off my single Parenting Coaching sessions (suitable for parents at all stages of parenting) with the code NEW26.

For more of my thoughts on eating, food refusal and mealtimes, check out my food related posts Is Your Child a Fussy Eater? and Dinner Time Drama! Get in touch for more information on any of the topics mentioned here or elsewhere on my site, I would love to hear from you!

Isobel x