The Cardiologist's Wife

Best Book For Parents – A Review Of “French Kids Eat Everything”

[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on July 12, 2012 ][ In Diet Tips and Better Eating Ideas, For new Mom's ]

If you are a parent of young children and are concerned about their health, rush out today and buy “French Kids Eat Everything” by Karen Le Billon.  This is one of the best parenting books I have ever read and is based upon the author’s own experiences.  Many parents in the U.S. seem to be afraid to be parents, to guide or discipline* their children.  They are more concerned with being a friend to their children or worse, more concerned with their own affairs, leaving the child to make decisions.  Karen Le Billon was worried that her daughters ate so poorly, only choosing a few foods and refusing to try new foods.  After moving to France to live near her husband’s family, she discovered a marked difference between her children and the French children they encountered.  French parents teach their children about food and good nutrition.  This lesson is reinforced at school.  It is a matter of national pride that everyone in France, rich or poor, learns to eat well in order to be healthy.   This lesson is sadly lacking here in the U.S.

 

At first, Le Billon could not understand how the French got their children to eat everything from fish soup to cauliflower to lentils, and like it.  She began a lengthy study of the French way and discovered it wasn’t so difficult to get kids to eat but did involve committed, consistent parenting.  Through her research, she learned that children who eat well (more vegetables and fiber) have higher IQs, perform better in school, are less likely to be overweight and suffer health problems.  She learned the French have less trouble with emotional eating and view meal time as a social time to be with family.  The French seek out locally grown, fresh produce and cook simple meals at home.

 

The book is easy to read and Le Billon spells out 10 “rules” the French follow such as eating slowly, no snacking between meals, and parents decide when and what to eat, not children.  She does point out that it was not easy to change her family’s habits at first but once they adapted, no one wanted to go back to their old way of eating.  She provides tips on how to achieve these rules and make them a habit for your family.  Her children were older when she started this process but she does cover how the French start out with their infants, training them to eat healthy foods, on schedules, right from the start.

 

As I read this book, I realized I have much in common with French parents.  I have always planned balanced meals and my rule is that you must try a bite of everything on your plate.  We also eat as many meals together as possible and I try to make meals fun and pleasant.  To me, food is an adventure and should be enjoyed as such.  My children both understand that good nutrition is the key to good health.  That doesn’t mean we don’t have treats and desserts; we just limit them.  If you want to make a difference in the health of your child, this book will start you on the right path.

 

*Discipline means “to teach” but has come to mean “to punish” in our collective vocabulary.

Upadated on July 12, 2012