Pete Evans, chef and host of My Kitchen Rules, has decided to self-publish a baby paleo book after the publisher dropped it.
The book entitled Bubba Yum Yum: The Paleo Way was initially scheduled for release by Pan Macmillan, but the publisher has to pull the plug the last minute after pressure from health experts started to increase. The book, which was meant for small children, is co-authored with Helen Padarin and Charlotte Carr.
According to his Facebook post published on Monday, March 16, they can't wait for another publisher to come along and has therefore decided along with the other 2 authors to go ahead with self-publishing digitally (which means it's going to be an e-book) and perhaps a printed version is going to be available in the next few months.
He also thanked the press for sharing the story and thus raising more awareness of paleo, which he says was the diet of choice during the Paleolithic era. Usually, these are foods that were grown and eaten prior to the popularity of modern agriculture.
According to the website of Dr. Lorin Cordain, who owns the trademark (but is not part of the book's development), paleo eaters should not eat grains, legumes, potatoes, refined sugar, salt, processed food, and refined vegetable oils. On the other hand, the diet is rich in meats from grass-fed animals, eggs, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and healthy oils such as olive and walnut.
A group composed of health experts has raised their concerns over some recipes of the book, especially a paleo baby milk formula that is based on a broth from an animal bone and liver. Speaking on The Australian Women's Weekly, the country's public health association president Heather Yeatman believes that the recipe places the baby in a great risk, even to the point of death.
The health department also questions the actual nutritional value the babies are going to receive from the recipes, especially since certain foods such as milk or dairy are not allowed. For this reason, it's currently investigating the book.
