Want to Save this Recipe? Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
"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.)
-
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.
-
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!"
Krista says
Growing your own food and letting the kids pick and eat from the garden. We have a very small garden this year, but my 5 yo daughter's preschool has a larger one on their property. They allow the kids pick & eat different veggies. My daughter recently came home telling me how much she loved snap peas. While I have tried to get her to eat them in the past, it wasn't until SHE picked them herself that she realized how good they were. Needless to say we are planting a much larger garden at home next year!
Elisabeth says
Am inspired by these "rules"! Thanks for sharing them!
Alicia Chafin says
I am a FB fan too.
Alicia Chafin says
I have him tell me which fruit or veggie he will eat one bite of that day.
Krista says
I think starting your kids eating good, homemade food from the beginning helps them not be so picky later on in life. I have an 18 month old son who I made all of his food (which was organic), and he pretty much likes anything except for chocolate, cake, cookies, etc.! A lot of people ask me what is wrong with him (which of course is nothing!) and I just tell them that he loves good food. :)
Shannon says
My best tips are to let kids help you cook, it's amazing how much more likely they will be to try something if they helped make it. And to try and try and try again. We have lots of foods that my kids didn't like at first but like now or like prepared different ways
Aimee says
We do a two bite rule every time because our tastes change. We also let the children pick from healthy choice to plan the dinner!
Penni says
like on fb
Ali says
I liked this page on Facebook too!
Penni says
My 4-year-old daughter loves to help. We make healthy meals and snacks together. I always make sure she has one food on her plate that she knows she likes. She can't have more of her favorite until she eats everything else.
Janet Swanson says
I like this page on Facebook.
Ali says
I like to give options that I don't have to prepare. If my son doesn't want to eat lasagna, he can choose to eat baby carrots or red pepper slices. That way, he is getting something healthy either way without me making a whole new meal. If he fills up on vegetables, I'm fine with that and figure he'll get his protein and grains at another snack or meal.
Laura says
Liked on facebook.
Katie S. says
Like...a lot!
Katie S. says
I think we fail on all of these points at our house...our poor kids! Need to read this book NOW!
Janet Swanson says
For my picky grandchildren I would cut their food in small, bite size pieces; give them a "fancy" fork and we would count the bites. Sometimes I would light a small candle and let them blow it out after they had taken a bite or a certain number of bites.
Maggi Coloa Loftus says
"LIKE" I'm a facebook follower :)
Jennifer Ramos says
A trick that has worked well for me over the years as a family child care provider is asking the children to eat one bite of something they don't want to eat for each year of their age. Often times they keep on going and after the item is served again over time they come to like it. I would love to win the book!
Maggi Coloa Loftus says
My kids aren't terribly picky but since we first started our backyard garden they are MUCH quicker to eat vegetables when they have helped plant, water and cultivate them. It is such an awesome feeling to have the kids ask if they can pick their snack from the garden or when I go outside and find them munching on things.
Maria says
Let the kids help you in preparing your meals so they're aware of what they're eating also get ideas from them on what kind of vegies they would want if itsto be in it especially if it's something they haven't tried before.Challenge them and give them a special something to motivate them.
Erin says
Set a good example as parents and eat a variety of foods. My 15 month old will eat anything off of our plates!
Brea Lee says
Like
Callie says
We use the "no thank you bite" at our house. A friend a church told me about it, basically, you are welcome to not eat the food on your plate but you must try it and say, no thank you. No ill words are to be spoken about the food on the table.
Angela Hiott says
also fb fan like :-)
Sarah says
We have 3 table rules that are posted with pictures of the kids following them. The rules are 1. Try one bite of everything. 2. Stay in your seat. 3. Ask to leave the table.
These rules focus more on table manners, but it also encourages them to taste new foods. If any of my 3 kids follow all 3 rules, they get a reward of either a coin for their piggy bank or (in the case of my older daughter) a bead in a jar (which she will later use to make a necklace). Our supper table is quite pleasant with little to no complaints! :)
Brea Lee says
Put kale or avocado in smoothies in a concealed cup and they never know!
Angela Hiott says
I stuff as much veggies as I can get into a fruit smoothie and cover the green color up with blueberries and the taste with bananas.
I'm always "hiding" vegetables in where ever I can but no matter what I know at least she has a nice group of vegetables from the smoothie every morning.
Courtney Beltz says
LIKE!
Kim says
am also a facebook fan..."like"
Nadine says
I Have three children and one more on the way. Ages 4 and under. We interested all of the "gross" food first. Vegetables are easier to feed a 15 month old then it is to a four year old. When our oldest started to become extremely picky we did tried to feed him anything. Turns out he only wants things packed with sugar and sweet. Some parents believed that as long as he is eating then give him what he wants, but I wasn't raised that way and I'm not a fan of making different meals, I put my foot down at this point. I would make my son a plate with the same things we have. When he refused to eat I would continue to finish my own meal. If he had not eaten by the time we were done then he would be excused from the table with nothing. Often we would eat desert and if he didn't eat we wold eat desert in front of him. People thought we were cruel. But this did the trick. When he saw that we got an extra great he would scarf his food down quick. When we didn't have desert he would go to bed hungry. After some time he understood that it's is not ll about him on e dinner table and he now eats with no problem. Our daughter on the other hand is much more stubborn. We hope that eventually she will learn by example that it is easier to go ahead and eat what on her plate.
Laura says
I've found having lunch/dinner dates with friends who are not "picky" eaters can be inspiring to my kids.
Lacy says
My lo isn't particularly picky after he tastes something, but often resists trying new things. I always try to get ridiculously excited about what I'm serving, using phrases like, "look what I made for us! Aren't they cute (or funny, or crunchy, or whatever describes the food). I try to only use this approach when im pretty sure he will like the way it tastes (like steamed carrots or roasted broccoli that has been seasoned well). sometimes he doesn't like it, but usually if he is giggling when he tries it, it goes over well. I don't really push him to eat it and he usually reaches for more. The trick for me is to be nonchalant so he feels like he is making there decision on his own. If he doesn't eat much, I just serve it again within a week or so. My goal is to make his first experience positive and zero pressure so that the next time he sees it, it doesn't trigger a power struggle. I also always try to serve at least one thing I know he likes so he is still eating what we are eating (even if it is mostly meatloaf and only a little broccoli, or lots of sweet potato and only a little fish).
Clarissa says
I was a picky eater growing up. I hated fruits and vegetables! Since moving up and cooking for my own family I have found the reason I didn't like the fruits and vegetables was because my mom only prepared them one way. Steam and roast vegetables and present them as a main dish instead of a side dish. Smoothies and parfaits are another way to dress up fruit.
Sara says
My 1 year old picks out all food that is green first, so I cook things like chicken with spinach so all the good stuff is green!
Courtney Beltz says
I find that if you make food fun most kids will eat it. I use mini cookie cutters a lot. For instance I may send him to school with some organic round crackers with organic cheese and organic ham as a topping, but I will use the cutters to create fun shapes in the cheese and ham slices. Today my son had some organic PB&J in the shape of puzzle pieces along with grape tomatoes, raisins, cheese and an organic fruit smoothie. Variety is good too. I find that my kids like a little bit of lots of things rather than a lot of one or two things. Always keep reintroducing foods and lead by example. My son would never eat green beans, but just this summer asked to have some of mine and realized he liked them!
Kim says
My daughter is very picky when it comes to fruits and vegetables...she loved them all when eating them as baby food so what we do is puree the fruits and vegetables and add them to our meals. It gets her fruits and vegetables in as well as makes the meals healthier for the rest of the family as well. We also realize that it is important for her to learn to enjoy them as a whole food so we always offer them on her plate and she has to at least TRY them.
Another thing we have tried this summer that has worked really well has been taking her to the local farmer's market each week and she chooses something new every week and whatever she chooses she has to eat...she has discovered that she likes green beans, peas (cooked and raw), nectarines, and does not like tomatoes. So, that has been a fun learning experience too!
Danni H says
What an awesome read this would be!!
Kristy says
Like!
Mary Allen says
The parent chooses when and what the child is offered. The child chooses if and how much they will eat.
I also don't think snacks should be offered to picky eaters. If the meals wasn't eaten, it would be offered for snack in my house
Melodi says
I put a food my daughter will not eat on her plate over and over to expose her to it, but would love to see what the book suggests.