French Kids Eat Everything

 "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen LeBillon

My sister brought this book to my attention a week or so ago when we were there visiting.  I haven't read it yet (but plan to when I can manage to get my hands on a free copy....aka library....IF our library even carries it.)  But Carole has read it...or is reading it.  I love the subject.  From what I've been told it's a Canadian woman who went to France with her husband and two little kids for a year.  Her children were typical western style kids, picky eaters, needed snacks right now when they were hungry, wouldn't eat anything new or weird, fast foods & macaroni and cheese were staples.  Not only did the children learn and grow from their french experience, but this mother as well.  It tells a story of her participating in a farmers market type event.  She went prepared with some fresh strawberries and a few other things...finger type foods that people could snack on while enjoying the festivities.  Only 2 people bought anything, and whenever a child tried to take something his mother would get after him and put it back.  She was horribly hurt and later that night when speaking to her husband about it (who is french himself) he explained to her that french people don't snack and eat walking around.  They sit and eat at meals.  Those mothers did not want their children to learn that ugly American habit.  One of the phrases that really stuck with me from the book was that  Americans eat like children.  If you think about it, we really do.  We eat and snack at all and any hours we can get away with it, and eat things our taste buds crave rather than what would nourish and keep us healthy and strong.  Another thing the French do is only have a sugar dessert once a week, and then it's just one piece.  They eat fruit for sweet treats the rest of the week, wouldn't we all be better off adopting this habit?  This is a book that shows how to get your children to eat better and healthier and behave more reasonably in regards to foods.  We adults, who eat as children, would do well to take a few lessons ourselves.