French Kids Eat Everything

[chottumommy]

Originally Posted by Nicsmom

I have a "French" kid and an "American" kid with respect to eating . I think I got the "American" kid as karma for bragging so much about my "French" kid.

I have a "American" and "French" kid in the reverse order and truly believe it was my karma of keeping cool with DS1 inspite of his extreme pickiness. Both were served the same food and brought up pretty much identical in terms of starting foods and eating at the table.

It truly is the personality of the child more than the parent for their pickiness during toddler years. Beyond elementary I think peer pressure and general cultural attitude makes a much bigger difference.

[arivecchi]

Originally Posted by wellyes

But they do eat well, enjoy rich foods, and do not have an obesity problem. So, the approach to food is obviously something to consider emulating.

This is absolutely true. Like montreal mum said, all that walking must also help. I ate like a horse while I was there but did not gain an ounce!

I ordered the book. Can't wait to read it!

Where is plusbellelavie? I was hoping she'd chime in

[cvanbrunt]

Did you see this piece in the NYT? Not about kids but an interesting peek at eating.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/ma...pagewanted=all

[Green_Tea]

Originally Posted by BayGirl2

I recently had a conversation with neighbors about how expensive "healthy" mac and cheese is. They are buying Annie's boxed, processed stuff at the grocery store. We make mac & cheese from scratch in bulk with bulk whole grain noodles, organic whole milk, a block of cheese we shred, etc. Same kid-friendly dish, ours costs a fraction and is way healthier IMO, plus bulk cooking is less work over time.

Please share your recipe/secret! I can buy a box of Annie's at Target for $1.50 or $2. The ingredients for my homemade mac and cheese recipe cost me WAY more than that, even when on sale. The cheese alone costs me that much.

I still make the homemade one frequently, but I don't think it's possible to make it for less than a box of Annie's, which I think is a bargain - please prove me wrong!

[BayGirl2]

Originally Posted by Green_Tea

Please share your recipe/secret! I can buy a box of Annie's at Target for $1.50 or $2. The ingredients for my homemade mac and cheese recipe cost me WAY more than that, even when on sale. The cheese alone costs me that much.

I still make the homemade one frequently, but I don't think it's possible to make it for less than a box of Annie's, which I think is a bargain - please prove me wrong!

Hmmm, I haven't done the math in a while, but I'm pretty sure its still cheaper. My recipe is loosely based on the Betty Crocker cookbook, but I improvise and just throw stuff together at this point. I buy noodles from the bulk bin at Whole Foods. They are cheapest in bulk - although often I have to get shapes other than macaroni. I get block cheese at Costco, I think its ~$8 a loaf but usually half of it is enough for 1 pan of very cheesy mac. We buy organic whole milk by the gallon, so 1 cup of it is like 20 cents? Also get butter at Costco, and don't use that much. A little bit of flour. I sometimes add a chopped bag of spinach if we have it from the CSA, my DS likes that its green Mac'nCheese. That's all the main ingredients, which are all kind of staples in our house.

Now I feel like I should make a spreadsheet for the exact cost. I can't imagine I'm spending more than $8-10 and I get probably 8 meals out of it. To me its more convenient to have it cooked ahead in large quantities and know what the ingredients are. So even if the cost is close I still feel its a better option.

[Green_Tea]

Originally Posted by BayGirl2

Hmmm, I haven't done the math in a while, but I'm pretty sure its still cheaper. My recipe is loosely based on the Betty Crocker cookbook, but I improvise and just throw stuff together at this point. I buy noodles from the bulk bin at Whole Foods. They are cheapest in bulk - although often I have to get shapes other than macaroni. I get block cheese at Costco, I think its ~$8 a loaf but usually half of it is enough for 1 pan of very cheesy mac. We buy organic whole milk by the gallon, so 1 cup of it is like 20 cents? Also get butter at Costco, and don't use that much. A little bit of flour. I sometimes add a chopped bag of spinach if we have it from the CSA, my DS likes that its green Mac'nCheese. That's all the main ingredients, which are all kind of staples in our house.

Now I feel like I should make a spreadsheet for the exact cost. I can't imagine I'm spending more than $8-10 and I get probably 8 meals out of it. To me its more convenient to have it cooked ahead in large quantities and know what the ingredients are. So even if the cost is close I still feel its a better option.

I pay around $1/lb for noodles - are the ones in the bulk bins cheaper? I have to check that out. My non organic milk costs more than 3.20/gallon (.20/cup), so I don't think I can save there.

My recipe calls for 4 cups of milk, 1 lb of pasta, 1 lb of cheese, half a stick of butter and a little flour. It makes 10-15 servings depending on who is eating it. I really doubt that I can make it for less than a box (or two boxes) of Annie's (which I think is pretty cheap), but it does taste better .

[fedoragirl]

I too lived in France and loved the lifestyle and culture of eating. It's not that they don't eat rich foods and sweets. It's more that they enjoy foods, taste the wine (not the kids, of course), savor the blends that make up a dish. They take anywhere from 2-5 hours over a meal (usually dinner) during a WEEKDAY which always amazed me. Whenever I visited restaurants, children would always be there at the table along with grandparents and other family members. And they would take just as long. I always wondered about their bed time but I guess they were allowed these indulgences once in a while.
Portions in all European restaurants and homes are not small. Germany has bigger portions than some places in the US. What is different here is the attitude of eating out. Fast food is almost non-existent although there are a few McD's everywhere. Teens usually hang out there. Our family eats out 3-4 times a month. That is excessive according to my DH. Most German families eat at home. The obsesity rate is climbing here. Kids eat a lot of cold cut meat which is highly processed. Bread is another staple. So, this is just a comparison of two large European countries and how they differ. In general, Europeans still eat a lot less refined and processed foods because they have a culture of cooking at home. They also walk more. I know I do since I moved here. But I also eat more here. :P
I have skimmed through this book, and it is very interesting. I like to glean from different cultures since our own family is multicultural. My toddler eats every single ethnic food. She eats everything we eat although she limits her portions very much. I do not prepare anything just for her except adding butter etc. for added calories. She is a beanpole. DS is 9 months and eats table foods. We give him everything except cold cuts and the usual choking hazards. He had garlic, ginger, peanut butter, eggs....everything since he was 6 months. He is a voracious eater so far.
Another thing I have noticed here and discussed with our pediatrician--the lack of so many FA kids. I still haven't figured out why American kids are more prone to this problem.

[Smillow]

Originally Posted by fedoragirl

Another thing I have noticed here and discussed with our pediatrician--the lack of so many FA kids. I still haven't figured out why American kids are more prone to this problem.

I have a feeling it relates to genetically modified foods.