Local dietitian pens second cookbook

Ellen Gipson is juggling a lot these days as a toddler’s mom, wife, registered dietitian, fitness instructor, pediatric nutrition expert, baby-led weaning educator, author and soon-to-be mom of two.

“There are a lot of things that happened this year that we were not planning on — writing a cookbook, we moved, we’re having a baby. So it was a bit of busy year,” Gipson said.

Her first book, “BLW Baby Food Cookbook: A Stage-by-Stage Approach to Baby-Led Weaning with Confidence,” came out in October 2019. Then in early March, the publisher contacted her asking whether she would write another cookbook.

Partnering with the same co-author as before, Laura Morton, also a toddler mom and fellow registered dietitian, they went to work on their second book, “Whole Food Baby Food: Healthy Recipes to Help Infants and Toddlers Thrive.” After discussing whether they should tackle the project, they said, “What else are we going to do this summer.” Then, quarantine happened, “So, we’re like, ‘Well, perfect,’ Gipson said.

The inspiration for the books came after Gipson’s daughter was born.

“I started researching how can I feed her? Can I feed her the regular healthy food that I’m eating? And the answer is, absolutely you can,” she said.

At the same time, while Gipson was working for the Jackson School District as the nutrition coordinator, she witnessed a lot of picky eating.

“I’ve seen that in families, too, but the kids were very unfamiliar with common ingredients. I would take blueberries to a classroom and many kids had never even had a fresh blueberry. It’s not an exotic food; it’s pretty much on most markets’ shelves,” she explained.

Gipson decided to put together material and curriculum to help educate parents “because if I’m feeling like this as a dietitian, we all have our concerns.”

Soon, she was teaching classes in the community and in 2017, decided to stay home from her full-time job at the Jackson School District to explore opportunities in the field of pediatric nutrition. Soon after, the book publisher reached out to her with the idea of writing the first book on baby-led weaning.

Baby-led weaning is described as self-feeding, no spoon-feeding, when a baby is developmentally ready, at around 6 months old, starting with soft table foods so they can join in with the rest of the family; no separate meals. Gipson said it is a “how-to manual at the beginning of life,” explaining baby-led weaning, how to do it, how to get started and how to be successful.

In the second book, Gipson and Morton help new parents navigate the journey of healthy foods for their children in order to lay the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating through education of what whole foods are, and how to navigate the food world. They take a flexible approach to solid food, focusing on nutrient-dense whole foods introduced in a way that feels best for families, with nutritional information, helpful guidance and 75 easy, time-friendly recipes for making minimally processed meals at every stage.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, whole foods, along with fortified, enriched or enhanced foods, have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis.

The book helps parents learn about following a baby’s cues, addressing food allergies and making sure the child is getting all the nutrients they need. The recipes offer ideas for every stage, from baby food and snacks to family lunches and dinners for older children and the entire family.

“Whether practicing baby-led weaning or starting with purees, whole foods are a smart starting point,” Gipson said.

“For all parents, flexibility is key, so in ‘Whole Food Baby Food,’ we focus on laying a foundational framework of what a whole-foods lifestyle can look like to help you decide what whole foods means to your family.”

As a child, eating healthy was a way of life for Gipson.

“My dad always really emphasized health in our lives — we had chickens, we had a garden and we always ate very differently than our peers,” she said. “Food was our foundation for health, and we knew that as kids.”

Landing in the field of dietetics started as a career investigation high school project. She job-shadowed a dietitian and “thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Gipson said. She came out of that experience wondering, “How can I be a dietitian?”

Within the field of dietetics, Gipson’s passion for pediatric nutrition came into focus during a dietetic internship at Fort Zumwalt School District in O’Fallon, Missouri, and more so during her time with the Jackson School District. In fact, some of the recipes she created at Jackson made it in the new cookbook.

Gipson has a passion for wellness and educating families. She leads monthly and private baby-led weaning workshops and classes, introducing parents to the BLW feeding philosophy and teaching them how to start their child on solid food. Visit her website at www.squareonewellness.net for more information.