The Smart Baby Cookbook: Boost Your Baby's Immunity and Brain Development, Paperback

When chef mum Lauren Cheney's son Oscar was born prematurely at 32 weeks with a rare and life-long immune disorder, she was told he had the autoimmune disease Pulmonary Lymphangiectasia and just 5% chance of survival. If he did survive, it was likely that he would suffer cognitively and mentally and would spend most of his time in hospital. Lauren felt helpless, but when Oscar reached six months, she threw herself into researching the thing she knew best - food. Gathering advice from her son's many doctors, immune specialists around the country, and reading the latest research into nutrition for the immune health and brain health of infants, Lauren developed a food plan and recipes that she hoped would build Oscar's immune system to make him stronger.

Smart Baby Cookbook is the result of Lauren's research on how the brain and immune system can be boosted through food. The book contains meal planners organised by the baby's growth, age and stages of development, the science behind smart foods and their effects on immunity and cognitive function, and recipes designed for maximum nutrient value. The recipes include many redesigned family favourites (such as fish fingers and lemon chicken) and feature both adult and child versions of the same dish. In combination with the low prep time, the adult and child friendly recipes mean less time spent in the kitchen, making nutritious meals easy and accessible for the busy budget-conscious family.

Split into chapters, Lauren will take you through recipes suitable for First tastes and purees to recipes for 6-9 months, 9-12 months and Toddlers. The book also includes meal plans to get you started. So get your baby weaning on Roasted ratatouille and Lauren's much-need recipe for 'A Good Night's Sleep'; Whip up delicious Pear porridge and Five-A-Day No-Crust Pie at 6-9 months; Make Lemon herb fishcakes with avocado citrus sauce and Yoghurt and blueberry pikelets at 9-12 months; and get cooking Baked carbonara with a twist and Better-for-you bangers and mash once your little one hits the toddler stage.

Smart Baby Cookbook is the empowering guide all parents need as they try to feed their young children well.

Lauren Cheney is a Perth-based chef and caterer. She is mum to a young child who was born with a rare immune disorder which left him fighting for his life in intensive care for weeks and leaves him forever vulnerable to infections. Lauren threw herself into the thing she knew best - food - and in particular, research into the best nutrition for boosting infant immunity and building neural pathways. Gathering advice from the many medical practitioners that were part of her son's daily life for months, she turned her findings into a manual and cookbook for new parents. Lauren is now launching a Smart Baby food range with a national supermarket chain and is always looking for new ways to get the word out about best nutrition for babies.