Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention: A Baby-Led Feeding Guide to Starting Solids and Introducing Top Allergens

by Malina Malkani MS RDN CDN

Overview

Starting with your baby’s first bite, reduce the risk of food allergies and make mealtimes easy and fun with dietitian-approved tips and 80+ family-friendly recipes.

How you feed your baby during infancy can lower the risk that they will develop food allergies as they grow. Starting solids with simple, wholesome finger foods and offering baby-friendly versions of common allergens like peanuts and eggs early and often helps encourage self-feeding, early motor skills, and lifelong adventurous eating.

From the author of Simple & Safe Baby-Led Weaning, this accessible, practical guide to starting solids will empower you to safely introduce top allergens, navigate existing food allergies and intolerances, engage your baby in family meals, and build a balanced baby meal from recipes the whole family will enjoy. 

With easy-to-follow tips from pediatric dietitian and infant feeding expert Malina Linkas Malkani, this comprehensive handbook includes:

• A flexible 9-day road map for safely introducing top allergens
• Practical advice for navigating food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities
• 4 weeks of meal plans to ensure your baby is exposed to top allergens frequently
• 80+ nutritious cornerstone recipes that will make meal prep simple and satisfy the whole family
• Guidance on balancing finger foods, purees, and breast milk or formula 
• Tips to encourage your baby’s oral motor development, palate expansion, caregiver bonding, fine motor skill advancement, and more

Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention will help you sail through the process of starting solids and introducing allergens, streamline your approach to mealtimes, and feed your family with confidence and ease.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637745366
Publisher:	BenBella Books, Inc.
Publication date:	11/12/2024
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	296

About the Author

Malina Malkani, MS, RDN, CDN, is the pediatric registered dietitian, bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and single mom of three behind the Instagram and TikTok handle @healthy.mom.healthy.kids. A top nutrition influencer dedicated to educating her audience of over 140,000 followers about infant and childhood nutrition, Malina is a trusted expert in local and national media outlets and owns a nutrition consulting company, blog, and private practice at MalinaMalkani.com that helps caregivers feed their babies, families, and selves with confidence. Her overarching mission is to reshape the nutritional habits and behaviors of our next generation, optimize their long-term health, and reduce the likelihood of the development of food allergies, obesity, cancer, and chronic disease. Malina is the author of Simple and Safe Baby-Led Weaning and the creator of two online courses for parents: Safe & Simple Baby-Led Feeding and Solve Picky Eating. When she’s not working, Malina can usually be found running around with her kids, cooking, hanging out on Instagram, or making music.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“A complete, up-to-date, evidence-based resource for starting solids, baby-led weaning, and reducing the risk of food allergies, all in one place. Malkani blends the art of cooking with the science of food allergy prevention in this easy-to-follow infant feeding guide and cookbook that will infuse family mealtimes with everything parents need to grow adventurous, healthy eaters.”
—Kelly Fradin, MD, pediatrician, speaker, consultant, and author of Advanced Parenting
 
“Introduction of solid foods and food allergens are important milestones in infancy and early childhood. This book includes useful tips for introducing solid foods and food allergens, while following principles of baby-led weaning.” 
—Carina Venter, PhD, RD, professor of pediatric allergy and immunology, internationally recognized allergy dietitian, coauthor of the Health Professional’s Guide to Nutrition Management of Food Allergies, and cocreator of FARE’s Pediatric Food Allergy Course
 
“Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention is a practical and family-centered resource that can help take the guesswork out of introducing complementary foods including common allergens. Malina builds food allergy prevention into recipes that the whole family can enjoy together.”
—Michael Pistiner, MD, MMSc, director of Food Allergy Advocacy, Education, and Prevention for Mass General for Children
 
“Featuring tummy-warming, comforting, nutrient-rich recipes, Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention transports mealtime from a chore to a chance to get the jump on food allergens, create moments for learning and bonding, and introduce your child to the joys of eating.”
—Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN, registered dietitian nutritionist, founder and lead dietitian at Maya Feller Nutrition, author of Eating from Our Roots, and cohost of the Well, Now podcast
 
“This book is a must-have for all new parents. As a pediatric gastroenterologist, I know that parents can be overwhelmed when it comes to the what, when, and how much to feed their infant. This practical guide arms parents with practical and up-to-date advice on the introduction of solids and provides a daily plan with recipes for parents to easily follow.”
—Anthony F. Porto, MD, MPH, associate professor of pediatrics at Yale University, board-certified pediatric gastroenterologist, and coauthor of The Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers
 
“A practical and easy-to-follow resource for both parents and professionals! It’s as if the reader can feel Malina Malkani’s gentle hand on their shoulder, guiding them through the ‘responsive feeding’ process of starting solids with an emphasis on the specific steps for introducing the top nine food allergens to keep baby safe. Packed with evidence-based instructions and loads of recipes, this book is a gem!”
—Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, author of Responsive Feeding: The Baby-First Guide to Stress-Free Weaning, Healthy Eating, and Mealtime Bonding

“As an OB-GYN for 25 years who struggled with how and what and when to feed my own three children—this is the book I needed that did not exist! I am so grateful to have it as a resource for my community and patients!”
—Dr. Shieva Ghofrany, OB-GYN, cofounder of Tribe Called V
 
“A fearless and safe approach to introducing food allergens to your baby, no matter the feeding approach or risk for food allergies. Malina simplifies the process with realistic meal plans and nutritious recipes.”
—Jill Castle, pediatric dietitian and author of Kids Thrive at Every Size
 
“This book is an absolute must-have for any parent starting to introduce solid foods to their baby . . . The recipes are not only delicious for your whole family, but also packed with the essential nutrients your baby needs. I can’t wait to recommend this valuable resource to all my patients!”
—Dr. Dina DiMaggio, board-certified pediatrician and coauthor of The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers
 
“Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention is an up-to-date and comprehensive guide on starting solids and introducing allergens to infants. Malina provides research-backed guidelines in easy-to-understand bites, along with practical tips and fun recipes."
—Meghan McMillin, MS, RD, IBCLC, owner of The Lactation Dietitian
 
“Malina is the go-to expert in childhood feeding and showcases her expert knowledge of baby-led feeding and how to approach feeding babies to help prevent food allergies. Her approaches and tips are based on the latest science and enforced with her experience with her own three kids. This book is important for any parent who is starting the feeding process with their own baby.”
—Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CON, FAND, award-winning nutrition expert and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Easy 5-Ingredient Healthy Cookbook
 
“Excellent strategies for feeding young children, including how to introduce potential allergens as described in recent research. A delight to read, the book also emphasizes that mealtimes are an opportunity to encourage autonomy, strengthen family relationships, and create healthy habits that will last a lifetime.”
—Julian Seifter, MD, distinguished chair in medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and author of After the Diagnosis
 
“Approachable, specific, and evidence-based, this book is an absolute must-have for anyone with questions about starting solids and preventing food allergies.”
—Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, CSO, Seattle-based anti-inflammatory expert and author of Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep
 
“I am amazed at Malina’s ability to synthesize her knowledge and experience into a single resource that functions both as a primer on all things allergy and as a healthy, modern cookbook. This belongs on the shelf of anyone who cooks for young children.”
—Gabriel Frasca, owner and fish chef at Straight Wharf Restaurant
 
“Feeding babies potentially allergenic foods can be scary! Malina has done an amazing job simplifying the science—and the process—to make food allergy prevention through early infant feeding easy and doable. Practical and empowering!”
—Sherry Coleman Collins, MS, RDN, LD, food allergy dietitian
 
“Malina is the premier child feeding, allergy, and nutrition expert in the country, and there is no one I trust more for advice on the topic . . . I will be recommending this fabulous book to all parents and practitioners who work with children!”
—Mascha Davis, MPH, RDN, author of Eat Your Vitamins
 
“Malina provides the perfect balance of practical tips and evidenced-based information in a judgment-free way for parents to feel empowered in starting solids with their little ones.”
—Leah Hackney, RD, LD, CSP, chief operating officer of BLW Meals App
 
“No new parent should miss this book. Kudos to you, Malina. You continue to improve the lives of parents and children with your outstanding writing and educating.”
—Michael D. Wolf, PhD, former professor at New York University, author of six fitness books, and 10-year contributing fitness editor for SELF magazine
 
“Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention is a concise, essential, and modern handbook for anyone looking to introduce solids and allergens. Malina’s content is both empirical and backed by science. Her recipes are nutritious, delicious, and noncariogenic!”
—Charles Yau, DDS, board-certified pediatric dentist