French Kids Eat Everything ( And Yours Can, Too )

Karen Le Billon's two young daughters are typical picky eaters: Sophie flees from the table when confronted with foods she doesn't like (almost everything except pasta, toast, and fishy crackers), and younger sister Claire follows suit. So when Karen moves her young family from Vancouver to her husband's hometown in northern France, she is prepared for some cultural adjustment. But her idyllic dreams of cobblestone streets and baguettes under arms are quickly disrupted as her daughter's eating habits come under scrutiny: Karen is lectured for slipping fussing Claire a snack – "a recipe for obesity!" – and forbidden from packing Sophie a lunch in lieu of the elaborate meal on the school menu. Intrigued to find that French children feed themselves neatly and happily – eating everything from beets to broccoli, salad to spinach, mussels to muesli – Karen sets out to learn the secrets of French food education. Soon, she begins to see the wisdom in the food rules the French use to foster healthy eating habits and good manners – from the rigid "no snacking" rule to strategies for avoiding emotional eating. Adopting 10 French Food Rules, her (at times reluctant) family cures picky eating and learns to love trying new foods. But the real challenge comes when they move back to North America, where their commitment to "eating French" is put to the test. The result is a fun and witty memoir of a family food revolution, with surprising but happy results. French Kids Eat Everything suggests we need to dramatically rethink both the way we parent, and the way we feed children, at home and at school – and all of the tips, resources, and recipes to make it happen.