Posts
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| School lunch from Japan |
I liked the underlying message of this chapter: kids will follow the habits you set, so if you take time to prepare healthy food and take time to enjoy relationships around the table, then your kids will probably pick up healthy habits and attitudes around food. Inviting kids to be involved in the process of growing, choosing or preparing food is a great idea, and requiring them to try all foods you serve them at least twice seems like a reasonable compromise.
This chapter also made me realize that in the American families I know, most of the burden of healthy eating falls on moms. I don’t think the author had a good answer to that (and I don’t either!) - I was really glad the author’s spouse took on a little responsibility for modeling healthier eating for their daughter (he started eating more vegetables), but in the end the author sounded a bit exhausted from her continuous efforts. It sounded like dinner time and food in general were a heavy responsibility and a source of guilt or concern for her, possibly because her ideal was so different from her surroundings.
I wonder if the reason that some American moms sometimes enforce very strict rules about food is that they feel like the have to work so hard to counter American food culture. The French families seem to have an easier time because the whole community values healthy food and time spent preparing and enjoying food. Do you think that moms in general feel this responsibility for healthy eating more?
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| School lunch from America |
I thought the examples from France that the author chose were pretty discouraging. The description of the tiny French school with perfect multi-course lunches prepared by a chef for the kids sounded pretty amazing, but cooking a lunch like that for your child each day or trying to grow your own food would be a huge time commitment. I would like to hear your opinions about whether the meals she described would be typical in France! Even if they were typical, it seems pretty unrealistic for one person (a mom, probably) to try to imitate it single-handedly every day for multiple meals.
Ideally I would apply the author’s approach to bedtime to dinner time - instead of strict rules, keep things simple and just enjoy time together with your kid regularly around fresh food that you would want eat anyway.
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| School lunch from Czech Republic |
P.S. These lunch pictures are from the blog Never Seconds, where a 9-year old student Martha shared pictures of her school lunches in the UK and people submit pictures of lunches from schools all over the world.
I really don't think the example of the French school is relevant. I never went to such a school. Though, now that I compare meals offered at American and French schools I see a huge difference. In France, there is a logical order to a meal. You start with an appetizer (at school, usually shredded carrots with vinaigrette) then a main course with protein and veggies and then dessert (yogurt or fruit). In elementary school, you can't have the next part of your meal if you are not done with the last. So if you want dessert, you'd better eat your veggies. Pizzas, nuggets and so are special treats, not even once a week.
ReplyDeleteI also find out that French kids like their veggies better because they are cooked. I don't really believe in choosing them, growing them and so on, just because I don't always have time or a garden. Even though, my kids still have to eat their veggies. To do so, THEY HAVE TO TASTE GOOD. Kids are like adults, they like their food to taste good. So season them right and it will make a huge difference. Steamed veggies with salt on them in not really appealing, but add some olive oil and dried herbs and they will taste much better.
After I came to the US, I became obsessed with processed food. I didn't know what it was before but here everybody was talking about it, as bad for you. In France, we also have it (and yes, we use it) but it is called prepared food. So I did a little comparison between the 2 countries. The major thing that really chocked me is that when you read a label of an American processed food you usually don't understand half of the ingredients. I checked the ready-made pastry dough label in France, and all I could see was the usual butter, flour, and so on. Then it becomes much easier to cook healthy if the products you have access to are healthy.
One last thought: My 5 year old had his annual check-up a few weeks ago, and I was told not to force him to finish his plate. I'm afraid that's where I'm too French! Even if you prove me that it's better in the long run, I could never do it. In my house, you are allowed not to finish dessert (not that it happens a lot!) but you have to finish your plate. As my mother use to put it: " There are starving kids on Earth, so finish it up". To that day, I still don't really see the link, but this rule is definitively in me and I can't go over it.
Adeline
Although I didn't find this chapter particularly interesting, I also agree with its message that kids learn by following example and that they get use to eat whatever they are expose to (even fish eye!).
ReplyDeleteAt home we always have the same food for everybody. Veggies are a must and we eat them row or seasoned with olive oil and pepper to make them more appealing - as Adeline says, that helps. And there is no questioning about if they have to be eaten, everybody eats them because it is what it has always been eaten. At restaurants we can have "special" food, but no "kid's menu" that usually is too special, no nutritious, and always the same: Mac & cheese, nuggets, or grilled cheese sandwich. As part of the Spanish culture, we eat meals all together at the table. Maybe that will change when my kids are teenagers? We'll see when I get there...
In Spain, similarly to France, the school menu has entrée (some soup, salad or pasta), main course (meat or fish with a side of veggies), and dessert (fruit or yogurt). Beyond my personal beliefs on what a healthy diet is, I think it is more complete than most school lunches I have seen in the US. However, I feel that in the US there is more respect for diversity and for food options that may be different from the traditional diet. In that sense, I think it is easier to find alternatives in schools, events, or restaurants if you go for a diary-free or vegetarian diet.
I found quite unfortunate the author's comment on women drinking wine when pregnant. Is that really that common? Because I would say it is not something to be proud about, since studies now agree that it is prejudicial for the baby… In Spain some people do, sure in the US too, but I don't see how that can be included as part of the whole food and wine culture in its positive sense.
Adeline, my mom used to say the same about finishing up the food because there were kids starving. Today, I agree. I see it as a matter of being respectful and appreciative. At our home, the size of the portion is adapted to how hungry you are, since as a general rule, the food served on the plate has to be finished up.