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Now I will say, as motivated as I felt after reading the book, there's one huge component we’re lacking here in America. Apparently, in France, their schools, governments, and communities all work “together to create food and education systems that support parents in feeding their children well.” I don’t know about you, but I oftentimes feel like others are working against me (not with me) when it comes to feeding our next generation well. My daughters eat more junk food at school than I would ever dream of giving them at home. I can’t imagine how much easier things would be if everyone in our society was on the same page like they appear to be in France.
But rather than waiting around for that to happen we must just take matters into our own hands. And what I have learned from my own children is that converting a picky eater requires a gentle, yet persistent approach and LOTS of patience! Winning over a picky eater is not something that will happen overnight, but if you really make it a priority in weeks, months, or even a year I guarantee you will start to see some of the dramatic changes you are hoping for. And in the end it will of course be worth the effort.
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10 great takeaways (the “French Food Rules”) from the book French Kids Eat Everything:
- Parents: You are in charge of your children’s food education.
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Apparently the French think us Americans cram our schedules so full with activities (like sports, art, music, dance, etc.) that it leaves little time to teach our children "some of the most basic, important things they need to know, like the proper way to prepare, cook, and eat healthy food." You have to admit it's hard to argue with that criticism. And I just love the analogy the author uses when she says, "French parents think about healthy eating habits the way we think about toilet training, or reading." If your child had trouble learning to read or using the potty would you just give up? Same should go for eating a variety of healthy foods...I know, they are right and it stings.
- - Avoid emotional eating. Food is not a pacifier, a distraction, a toy, a bribe, a reward, or a substitute for discipline.
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I feel like we are so far down this rabbit hole it might be hard to get out, but let’s face it they have a good point here! Food is for nourishment, hunger, and nutrition...not for being a good listener.
- - Parents schedule meals and menus. Kids eat what adults eat: no substitutes and no short-order cooking.
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If this were a reality for everyone it would certainly make life a lot easier!
- - Food is social. Eat family meals together at the table, with no distractions.
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How you eat can be as important as what you eat.
- - Eat vegetables of all colors of the rainbow. Don’t eat the same main dish more than once per week.
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I agree that variety is extremely important, but I am personally a little stumped when it comes to the second half of this rule. We love leftovers at our house and feel they are such a time saver...but that certainly means eating the same main dish more than once, or in some cases, more than twice per week!
- - For picky eaters: You don’t have to like it, but you do have to taste it.
For fussy eaters: You don’t have to like it, but you do have to eat it.
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When considering these statements it's also VERY important to remember that "you're not going to convince the kids to love food by being too strict with them. It has to be enjoyable. Not necessarily loads of fun, but simply pleasurable." This takes us back to that "gentle persistence" I mentioned above.
- - Limit snacks, ideally one per day (two maximum), and not within one hour of meals.
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Now, I know out of all the rules on this list that "no more constant snacking" will likely cause the most uproar. But according to the author it's okay to feel hungry in-between meals and guess what...your kids might eat a better dinner if they are actually hungry!
- - Take your time, for both cooking and eating. Slow food is happy food.
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"North Americans associate food most with health and least with pleasure. The French are at the opposite extreme: they are the most pleasure-oriented and the least health-oriented about food." And ironically enough "20 percent of kids in the United States are obese, but only 3 percent in France." Now if that doesn't send a message, I don't know what does.
- - Eat mostly real, homemade food, and save treats for special occasions. (Hint: Anything processed is not “real” food.)
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See...I am not the only one preaching this statement! :) But "so much of what French people eat is, by default, 'real food'" so I'd have to say they don't exactly face the same challenges we do when it comes to encountering junk food on almost every corner. The French do have an admirable approach though when it comes to the processed, junk food their kids may want to eat on occasion. They do not police their children's food intake (or ban all junk food), but instead attempt to "train their children to eat a balanced diet and to realize how much healthier they feel if they eat mostly 'real food.'" I've always said that if my daughters only avoid processed food "because mommy said so" then it's not going to get us very far.
- - (The Golden Rule) Eating is joyful, not stressful. Treat the food rules as habits or routines rather than strict regulations; it’s fine to relax them once in a while.
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I couldn't agree more with the importance of this rule, but striking the perfect balance between "good nutrition" and "relaxing the rules" is no easy task. And maybe that's because most American children are faced with processed, junk food on a regular basis (at birthday parties, friend's houses, church events, soccer practice, school celebrations, etc.). As I mentioned above, our society is (unfortunately) not exactly working together on these issues like they are in France. Regardless though, I agree it is not "healthy" to constantly be stressed out about the food you eat.
In addition to this list of rules there were so many other startling facts and insightful statements that I took away from this book. I wish I could share them all here, but since that's not a very practical idea I will instead just highly recommend that everyone go out and read the book yourselves! I promise you won't regret it...not to mention there are a handful of kid-friendly recipes in the back.
*THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED*
The winners are:
- Ann - "I abide by the kids eat what adults eat rule and don’t offer other options. We also stick to real foods, minimal sugar. So I think that helps kids eat real food without complaint."
- Emily - "My husband can be a picky eater, so my trick is preparing the same food a number of times. He may not like everything, but perseverance pays off!"
- Nicky - "Rule #6 is the big one in our house….even if you’ve tasted it 50 times, taste it again!"
Kimberly says
And like...
Kelly says
My 18 mo old twins can be picky with their greens - they do, however, love a green smoothie filled with spinach and fresh fruit :)
Kristy says
My two year old eats what we have for dinner. We keep snacking to a minimum, and snacks are always fruits/veggies. We don't force her eat anything, but it's always offered, even if she didn't like it the last time. She's a good eater and always has been.
Kimberly says
My mother must have had it right with us because we eat everything! Now my husband and I eat dinner together every night and show our son what real eating looks like. I think teaching by example is the best thing we can do--I even started trying things I haven't eaten in years just to show you should at least try everything!
Sarah says
Cutting sanwiches into cute shapes, colorful fruit salads and cooking with my kids are all things that help me with picky eaters.
Dana says
Having them help grow, harvest, then prepare the food helps out a lot around here. We are all carrot eaters around here!
Babette says
Eat as a family; eat what is served (or don't)...but be nice about it. Make your food look pretty. Kids love happy faces with their meals.
Lauren says
We have been trying the "No Thank You" rule lately...the rule is they have to take one bite but if they don't like it, they can say "No Thank You" and not eat the rest. But I think it is back-firing because now they are saying it to everything! I need this book!!
Stacy S. says
Like!
Tanya says
Right now its my 1 year old who is picky, I make her eat what we eat, but when she refuses I puree or cover it in applesauce. When she is older she won't have a choice but right now I can't not feed her!
Stacy S. says
Just keep exposing new foods. Over and over and over...
Beth says
Like!!
Lauren says
Like!
Beth says
I serve the same fruits and veggies over and over and eventually my kids end up liking most of them.
Jodi says
Like!
Maranda says
Love:)
Lana Thomas says
"like"
Maranda says
Well I'm not sure I have a picky eater tip, but I have a picky eater so i NEED this book and not only is she picky but she is a sugar girl which makes it difficult at the bank and store where they hand out suckers without asking and grandmas house not the mention that she gets it from a bigger sugarholic, her daddy, who randomly forgets we are trying to change our eating habits .
Lana Thomas says
I sneak the veggies into a smoothie!
Laura says
My boys have been helping "cook" in the kitchen and it really seems to help! Looks interesting!
Amanda says
Liked on Facebook.
Brenda says
like
Amy says
Greens are the hardest for us so when we try something new we use silly names like "Hulk Pizza" for pesto pizza or "Green Slime" for smoothies with greens.
April says
Grow your own food and have your children work alongside you in the garden. They take more ownership of the food they planted an harvested!
Brenda says
My 3 year old used to love everything, and the last year he only wants to eat peanut butter and jelly. he went 3 dinners straight with no food because he didn't want to eat what I was making. after losing 4lbs, I started to make dinners I know he would eat, even though I didn't want to. :(
Amanda says
I'm very blessed in that my 2 girls aren't very picky, although there was a brief period they both went through shortly after starting school where everything they had previously eaten and liked was now awful, particularly meats, beans and some veggies. The veggies were easy to get back in when I discovered how much they loved them roasted, even Brussels sprouts! But the meats and beans and other protein-rich food took patience and not caving to their desire to have everything processed. We also make homemade chicken nuggets, fish sticks and chicken sausages (instead of hot dogs) so they feel they are eating similarly to their peers.
Molly says
My 8 year old daughter was a picky eater for a long time, so when we decided to try to eat "real food" I was prepared for a battle with her. I have found that having her help me prepare the food makes her much more likely to enjoy eating the food. Also, I always praise her for eating her vegetables without complaint and being willing to try new things at dinner. Also, I refuse to make special meals for her, but I have no problem allowing her to eat her veggies seperately from the pizza, or eating just the whites of her boiled egg,choose which fruits she wants for the week, etc. I let her have as much control as possible and I agree that educating them on WHY it's important to eat healthy goes a long way to getting the kids on board.
Amy Janow says
Facebook fan "like"!
Jenifer says
LIKE!!
April says
Like
Maria says
Picky eater!
Amy Janow says
My son was a very picky eater when he was younger. He still is picky, but now that he is older I can give him a little more freedom. If he does not like a particular food on his dinner plate he can replace it with something else as long as it has the same nutritional value (for example, exchange a veggie for a different veggie). The catch is, if he wants to exchange a food he has to prepare the food himself. Lots of times he decides that preparing the alternate food is too much work and he will decide to just go with the food already on his plate. So my suggestion would be to offer alternative, but not easy alternatives.
Jenifer says
Love that you have him preparing his alternative!! What a great idea!!
Jenifer says
I try to serve a variety of foods...Rule #1-you have to try it. If you don't like it, then fine but you have to try it. Usually that is enough and then she becomes distracted and eats whatever it was that she didn't want to eat anyway! On the few occasions that she tried it and did not like it, she ate whatever else was being served. :)
This summer I have her helping me in the garden adn harvesting the veggies. And whenever possible, she helps me prepare dinner or set the table.
She is almost 3 and so far, so good!
Nadia says
I "like" you on facebook!
Jodi says
The advice I'd always received was to serve new foods with old favorites and my children would be more likely to eat the new food. That never worked for one of my daughters. She would just choose to eat the "safe", known food and never even try the new one. I finally became so frustrated that for one week I served EVERYTHING new. Having no choice but to eat SOMETHING, she chose at least one of the options to eat. She felt more in control and I felt good that she was trying new, healthier things. Now I mix it up a little and serve her some favorites with new things but I always serve new food first. I find that giving the new thing a head start makes it more likely that she will at least try it.
Gretchen says
No special kid meals! My kid eats almost everything. I would love a copy of this book, it looks so interesting.
Nadia says
I started a Toddler Cooking Club for my little guy, where his friends come over and we prepare food, read a story, and do a craft related to that food. I also get him to help me in the kitchen. I've seen a huge improvement in his willingness to TRY new foods. :)
Amanda Hooks says
Like! I'm a facebook fan too.
Amanda Hooks says
For picky eaters, I have found that it helps if they assist with the food preparation. This usually makes them just a little bit curious about what it is they're cooking, and they seem more likely to try it. This goes for kids and adults.
Jennifer says
My boys are the envy of my friends with picky eaters. I have made them try a variety of things from square one. These tips really truly work! I am getting better and focusing on eliminating (most of the time) the food that isn't "real" it's amazing how much we Americans rely on processed foods. Let's get back to basics, folks. The conveniences are proving to be not worth it!