Eat Delete Junior Review and Giveaway

Eat Delete Junior is the latest book by celebrity nutritionist Pooja Makhija and the kiddie version of her bestseller Eat Delete. The book addresses the most important question of parents – Kids’ Nutrition. From newborns to teens, Pooja arms parents with tips and ideas on giving their children proper nourishment through their meals. My Eat Delete Junior review comes straight from the point of a mother of a toddler, a kid and a pre-teen!

The Times Life supplement in the Sunday edition of Times of India is my favorite Sunday morning ritual. One of the things I love reading most in it is Pooja Makhija’s column. And if that wasn’t enough, I have seen her in many ‘fit mom’ features as well. So when Pooja Makhija decides to publish a book on child nutrition, I am definitely interested! And more than that, I would like to share her advice with other moms too. So when I was approached by HarperCollins India to review the book, I immediately asked for a giveaway for my readers too! When you are done reading my Eat Delete Junior review, do visit my social media profiles to participate in the giveaway to win a copy. More details at the end of the post.

Eat Delete Junior Review

Let me say it upfront – I don’t parenting advice from anyone and everyone who is out there to share it. Most ‘certified’ advice-givers are not even parents themselves and I find it difficult to believe that they can even imagine my challenges. But when a nutritionist, who is also a mom, tells you about child nutrition – you need to listen. Eat Delete Junior focuses on EVERY aspect of child nutrition. From inculcating good eating habits very early in life to ideas for making nutritious food appealing for kids, the book covers it all.

From breastfeeding newborns to dealing with picky eaters, the books answers a lot of questions that are forever confusing for moms. Keeping contradictory advice at bay, Pooja Makhija keeps it simple right from the beginning to the end – Food and Nutrition are different things. But what sets this book apart from all others is the author being a mother, understands that it is impossible to force a rule on kids. And this is where you realize that the book is a gem. It allows you to bend rules once in a while, take things as they come and not force. Only a mother could write with this perspective! The ‘certified’ advice givers can only give you rote rules to follow.

The book also mentions another advice that makes great sense – give your child a good ‘eating environment’. You cannot keep exposing the children to unhealthy foods and ask them to make a healthy choice. Like every other issue in parenting, you have to lead by example! And avoid spitting the ‘healthy food’ right in front of the kids if you did not like it. Lol, those were not my words! Be prepared to find a lot of wry parenting humor (every bit of which you will relate to) in the book 🙂

What I Loved About the Book

I knew I wasn’t going to skim the book on a topic uppermost in my mind. I constantly struggle to come up with healthy snacks and seasonal foods to boost immunity. But it seems like the author relates well to the habit of busy moms skimming over the text. From the page layouts and design to the content itself, you are glued to every bit of text. It is a handy reference that you will find yourself going back to, every now and then! Here is what I loved about the book – the style of writing as well as the content:

1. Easy, Friendly, Layout

Nobody has the time (and patience) to read long paragraphs of preaching, especially moms. The book is on-point and concise without skipping any important detail. Through elements like certain symbols, boxes and reverse printing (white text on black background), the book makes sure you read all the important parts of it. 10/10 for just this! If you are an exhausted mom, you will know how this makes our life easier.

2. Moms Can Relate

This is the first book on parenting where I was able to make a connection to the author as a parent. Pooja is a mom to 2 daughters, and her knowledge and mentions of ‘The Sleeping Beauty’, ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘The Princess and the Pea’ to name a few, struck a chord with me immediately. Just like I can give a lecture on all the Princesses and beat any guy on Superhero trivia, it felt nice to find that ‘mom touch’ in the text.

3. Focus on Pre-Teen and Teen Nutrition Also

Coming to the content itself, I couldn’t be happier to find that the book addresses nutritional needs for kids upto 15 years of age. Now, I know what a new mom feels like when it comes to her baby’s nutrition and totally empathise, moms of older kids need even more guidance – and help! There comes this age when you cannot control what your child eats and are simply unable to keep them from snacks. Unlike babies and toddlers, these little junior adults are no longer under your constant scrutiny and exposed to unhealthy foods everywhere. From birthday parties to peer pressure, your big kid is surrounded by junk food everywhere. And there is really a dearth of advice on parenting pre-teens and teens. I intend to rectify that on my own blog and was happy that Eat Delete Junior has already taken that step.

4. Clarifies Recommended Intake

In precise tables, the book gives you easy charts to refer to. Depending upon the age, how much water does your child need to drink. And how many calories do they need? And what most nutrition books skip – how many minutes/hours of exercise does your child need at every age.

5. What Not to Eat

You will be surprised at how many things we think are ‘healthy’ but they really aren’t. I mean, everyone knows that too much of sugar is bad for kids, but I thought popcorn was a safe snack for my kids. For every age, the author outlines which are the most probable culprits and should be avoided…no…banned! The book gives you plenty of choices to feed the kids at a birthday party or a wedding and a list of what to avoid/restrict.

Final Thoughts

I am honestly much wiser after reading this book! You are sure to see some posts very soon on  changes that I made to the foods that my kids eat. Also, the book makes you realize what exactly is encouraging malnutrition. You will be able to pinpoint the exact reasons why your child isn’t as active or bright as you think they should be. Her expertise as a nutritionist and her experience with numerous young clients allows the author this incredible knowledge of the elements in a child’s surroundings that contribute to malnutrition. Practical tips and direct mentions of foods leave the guesswork out and you can immediately start implementing them!

Giveaway

If I haven’t praised the book enough in my Eat Delete Junior Review, let me tell you every mom needs to read this! I am happy to be giving one mom the chance of reading this super-informative book with valuable advice on child nutrition from a celebrated nutritionist AND mother of two. To participate in the giveaway,

1. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
2. Follow Harper Collins India on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
3. Tag 2 moms in the comments on my giveaway posts on FB, Instagram or Twitter

Giveaway ends on Sunday, 16th July 2017