When I heard about Karen Le Billion's book, French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters
I got interested in this subject after observing kids in French restaurants. Six and seven year olds, studying the entire menu carefully. And ordering ris de veau (veal sweetbreads) or boudin noir (blood sausage) or whatever else looks interesting. No ‘kid’s plate’ in sight! (and, I might add, they have beautiful table manners). Proof that the French do it better: obesity in children is not a problem in this country. I wondered, how do French parents do it?
When I asked French friends for their secrets, they seemed surprised I would ask. “Why they eat what we eat, of course,” they told me. Even when their kids are very small, many French parents simply chop or purée what they themselves are eating, no matter how exotic. And of course French parents teach kids the same sensible food rules they follow (and Food Rules are fairly rigid in France: shared family meals at particular times; no snacking; small portions served in courses; and an adoration of good cuisine).
Not all the good ideas come from the French, of course. On NPR I heard an interview with an American woman who is "cooking her way around the world" with her children, with ethnic dishes from every country. She got out a globe and got her children involved in the journey (sorry, just caught the tail-end, and can't find the link). What a clever way to nurture life-long adventurous eating.
The back cover of Le Billion's book states that "We need to dramatically rethink the way we feed children, at home and at school". So, you parents and grandparents out there, I’m very curious to hear your take on feeding kids in this modern world!
The poster above, worthy of a prominent posting on the fridge, shows some of the food rules from Le Billion's book. Hmm, might this be a good thing for the grown-ups among us as well?
In the COMMENTS: Do take a moment to read all of the thoughtful comments that came in from the last post, "Contemplating Charlie". I found them touching and edifying. Natalia wistfully evokes the Beatles song, "Love is All We Need". Such a simple solution, and yet so complicated.
Favorite Reads: I went to a lovely women's party (merci, Dani!) where several folks absolutely raved about a book by French author Muriel Barbery, translated into English, called The Elegance of the Hedgehog
20 thoughts on “Bébé Loves Boudin”
Children in restaurants was one of my first amazing observations when I started traveling to France. First, they were quiet. Second, they were engaged in the meal. With the exception of American fast food restaurants, there are no restaurants that cater to children. Someone said that parents there don’t fill plates with things kids don’t know or like and say “take it or leave it.” Instead they give the kids small amounts of new tastes until it becomes familiar. I will say that my own kids had a varied eating experience. They learned to eat grits and greens when young. Until they were on high school sports teams we ate most meals together — glazed salmon, pork tenderloin with raspberry sauce, etc. However, their friends were not so familiar with the concept of real food. One (already overweight) friend of my son got up from our dinner table and went to the refrigerator to see if we had leftover pizza instead of the lamb my husband had made. He hadn’t even tried it; he wanted what was familiar.
Re: the Hedgehog book. I can’t remember all of it because I read it a while back, but what I found interesting was how “French” it was. It gave me such insight into the everyday world of this strange culture I was trying to learn.
I had learned in Pediatrics that a baby might have to try a new food over and over prior to eating it, but our boys had enormous appetites and ate everything at fast as we could feed them. If a food was temporarily out of favor (rarely), I couldn’t keep it straight and didn’t try. We had fun with Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes by Mollie Katzen. It is a cookbook “for Preschoolers and Up” with easy-to-follow illustrated instructions. Hope you enjoyed/enjoy Charleston.
My daughters always loved both types of boudin, noir and blanc — I think growing up in France did serve them well in the food department.
It seems to me that most French restaurants do have a kid’s menu, but it is usually pretty pathetic — when my girls were growing up it was always something like cold ham with plain pasta, and a lot of restaurants required one to order at least the kid’s menu, even for small children, if a child was taking up a table! I think restaurants here have become more flexible in perhaps allowing a young child to eat some of the parents’ meal, or proposing a small portion of something they already have on the menu.
Nice post.
Eating choices and manners are learned behaviors, bien sur! Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of dietary restrictions, due to allergies, etc. that I have witnessed in the U.S., that cause the need for special meals and food choices to address these problems.
As a life-long “picky eater”, I am tempted to get this book for my daughter who is dealing with 2 wee 3rd generation picky eaters. My major regrets in life are my limited palate and not learning French earlier! (I have your book, bien sur!) Thank you for this book review.
Elegance of the Hedgehog is very well worth reading. Aside from the insights into upper class Parisian life, it is a touching, lovely story regarding our humanity that will stay with you well after you have read it. After reading the book you may be interested in the movie starring Josiane Belasko called simply, “The Hedgehog”. Netflix has the movie.
I wouldnt have been so good on my own but my husband insisted our children “try” everything, and i didnt fix something different for them. Today they are more adventuresome than me. They will try ANYTHING anywhere! I am around so many picky children, and i work in an elementary school where free lunches go in the trash without a sampling, it makes me ill. Plus manners are non-existent. This is a hot topic for me and i am anxious to see if we can make a difference in our grandchildrens lives….when they get here! It will break my heart if they grow up to be fussy eaters.
Eating habits of children often make humorous reading. i have two favourite stories about my boys I love to re-tell. One night serving lasagne to my family, my youngest son, about four at the time, exclaimed that he didn’t like lasagna. The next time I served it, I cut it into small, messy bits. “What are we having?” he asked. “Why, noodles, of course,” to which he heartily exclaimed, as he devoured every bit, “I love noodles.”
The second story relates to spinach, which I knew would be a hard sell. “What’s this?” they both ask in unison. “Why, it’s epinards,” is my cunning reply (the French for spinach, of course.) They both look slightly perplexed as my older son comments that that sounds familiar but he doesn’t think he has had it before. Only after they finish their dinner with some enthusiasm, do I come clean and tell them it is spinach.
It’s all in how you sell it!
I followed these rules with my own children. I will add one more: cook your own meals whenever possible and involve your kids in the preparation. My two young adult sons are both adventurous eaters, home cooks, and enviably thin.
I’m not certain how I taught my children to eat healthy, properly & most everything. They are adults & are raising their children the same way which thrills me.
I am constantly appalled at the obesity I see in children anymore, much less their parents. Fast foot, too much sit down video gaming & social media going on in children’s lives which mimic their parents habits. I applaud the French for not falling into this downfall that we see in the US. Thank you for this post Lynn.
Oh boy! This is a subject that gets me going. For many years I worked as a bilingual para in an elementary school. I had “lunchroom duty.”
American kids are so, so picky with a few exceptions, of course. Most food was thrown in the trash. Certain children with smart parents had lovingly prepared lunches from home with imaginative things like pomegranate seeds, tiny cheeses, hummus, etc. These kids were shown how and what to eat from an early age, I know, because I interviewed their parents who were, for the most part, food savvy.
My own children would eat anything I gave them. I NEVER assumed that they would not like something and certainly did not suggest that. I think the problem here in the US is that the generation who are young parents now were not raised on homecooked meals, instead lots of fast food and convenience foods. Thus, their own little children do not know how to eat!
And…by the way I have that book and loved it. I am going to loan it to some young mothers I know. (If I can find it on my bookshelves, that is.) These young mothers need a food education themselves, too, and some extensive cooking lessons.
Babette’s Feast is one of my all time favorite movies!
The subject of children and what they eat is endlessly fascinating to me. Fortunately, I did not ever have problems with my own children and eating. It seems to have to do with not ever suggesting, in a subtle way or overtly, that a child MIGHT not like something. They ate what we ate, end of subject.
I have that book and enjoyed it. I ought to lend it to some young mothers I know.
The book and movie of Elegance of the Hedgehog are both excellent. It’s a very interesting character study and highly engaging
Thank you,Lynn, for another thought provoking and interesting post!
Though I don’t have a lot of expertise on this subject(our ‘kids’ are of the four pawed variety),I do remember my dear parents setting an example of trying everything first(before we started screaming “EEEWWW!”) and then decide.They also made a real effort for us to absorb as much French as possible by speaking it at home. Alas, not all of their intentions absorbed into our brains, but I so appreciate all the love and care they put into our upbringing.
One of my favorite movies is an oldie,set in Paris in the 50’s,entitled “Love In The Afternoon”(in English),starring Audrey Hepburn,Maurice Chevalier,and Gary Cooper. Such a feel good,happy ending film!
The Élégance of The Hegehog is one of the best books ever. I think it’s being made into a film.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a great read!
This is interesting Lynn. I can’t remember any previous post on your blog which has provoked so many comments!
Here in the UK, if you’re having a meal in a restaurant and a family with children enter and sits a the next table, you always have a fear (too often justified) that the experience is going to take a turn for the worse. Kids getting “bored” and wandering around is my own pet hate.
No such fears in France. On the one occasion that I can remember that a French child was less than perfectly behaved, the outraged stares of the other diners soon ensured that the poor parent took action.
I remember having a perfectly serious conversation about food in a museum with a group of eleven year old French children who wanted to chat to us. It turned out that we’d eaten in their home town. When they asked which restaurant, we replied that we couldn’t remember but that it was recommended in the Michelin guide. As one, they smiled, exclaimed, “Ah” and nodded approvingly.
I read your post on Charlie Hebdo and enjoyed it a lot. I also wrote one on my blog and received many comments, but I explained the tradition of French satire in France.
As for food, I never thought about feeding my children the “French way.” I fed them the way I had been taught while growing up in Paris, and they ate everything. My daughter (in Nashville) is doing the same with her 4 children and they also eat everything (French food, Southern cuisine or Indian cuisine from their father’s family.) When we go to restaurants here in the US we never get “children menu” because it is usually only hot dogs, hamburgers and such. Instead they eat what we eat. We took our grandson to New Orleans and he loved the cuisine there (at only 5 years old.) I think it has to do with the parents, mostly.
I read L’Elegance du Herisson when it came out, in French, and loved it (the elegance of the hedgehog) and the movie Babette’s Feast is also a wonderful movie.
Read Karen LeBillions book when it first came out. I especially like how French public school lunches are prepared and served. It follows the family style and is cooked from scratch ! I am a teacher and see the nutrition poor lunches that are precooked at another facility, reheated in the cafeteria and served in meager servings for ridiculous prices to our children everyday. We also have busy, tired parents who often opt for take-out for dinner. Another reason to relocate to France!
Beautifully said Lynn, I never worry about children in French restaurants but here in America – not so true! I am not sure any of my grandchildren could sit for 2-4 hours for a complete and delicious French meal, at home or in a restaurant. Where have I gone wrong? Sadly, I am probably the cause for their pickiness – as I have eaten Boudin Noir twice in my 71 years and for this American, that is enough. I marvel at anyone who can enjoy all types of food! Keep up your great writing and probing into our cultural ways compared to our choice of living in La Belle France! Gros bises, Montelle