The 7 Secrets of Raising Happy Eaters: Why French kids eat everything and how yours can too!

by Karen Le Billon

Are mealtimes with your kids a source of frustration? Ever wonder how on earth to get them to eat the recommended five servings of fruits and veggies per day (or even per week)? The 7 Secrets of Raising Happy Eaters is a practical and engaging guide for parents eager to get past their children's food resistance - or to avoid it altogether. The book introduces 7 Secrets of Raising Eager Eaters. Secrets Secret 1: Teach your child to eat, just like you teach them to read! Secret 6: 'Teach me to do it myself'. Child participation is every parent's secret weapon. Karen LeBillon, author of French Kids Eat Everything , coaches readers through the process of taste training, including strategies, games and experiments that will encourage even reluctant eaters to branch out. Over 100 delicious, kid-tested, age-appropriate recipes lead families step-by-step through the process of learning to love new foods, enabling kids to really enjoy the foods we know they should be eating. Wise and compelling, The 7 Secrets of Raising Happy Eaters is grounded in revolutionary new research on the science of taste. Packed full of observations from real-life families, it provides everything parents need to transform their children - from babies to toddlers to teens -into good eaters for life.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2014

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical ideas about how to encourage healthier eating. It has renewed my determination to broaden my children’s palette and has given me clear guidance about how to do this in a positive way. The authors insights re snacking were particularly interesting to me- especially re using snacks to pacify children and the need for children and parents to see hunger as a positive thing. I do wonder whether we, as parents, need to be encouraged to think about how our own attitudes to food and how these can affect our children.

[Johanna Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book a refreshing, positive take on not just teaching kids healthy eating habits, but on helpful paradigms and tools to aid in the kid developing an adventurous palate for healthy food. The author believes that all kids have the ability to learn to love healthy food and from that love stems the foundation for good food choices in the future. I found it practical and insightful, with researched studies, food games and recipes included. I’ve tried some of the tools out and it worked well on my 3yr old who though not too fussed with food, could develop a wider palate. More testing to be done 😜

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading her first book more. This is missing the family stories and is more of a how-to. I'm excited to implement many of these techniques with birth my son (once he starts solids) and myself! I'm by no means a picky eater but I don't want any of my preferences affecting what he does and doesn't get exposed to. I've renewed it from the library so I have more time to take down the recipes, they all sound incredible!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read, really enjoyed the cultural component. Timely for both work and home as I think a lot about how children in the U.S. eat. Loved it!

[Ali M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great recipes in here that have become a part of my regular rotation. Kids love it too!