A Chef’s Virtual Toolbox.
My latest book, Food Fight for Parents of Picky Eaters (Koehler Press, late 2018 ) is a hands-on guide to understanding and reprogramming how families battle picky eating. It’s loaded with proven tactics to help parents take mealtimes back.
As founder of a professional culinary school for children, author I have coached thousands of children and adults in how to cook (and eat!) better.
Based on over 35 years of professional experience, Food Fight targets picky eaters with the science of flavor and taste mechanisms, teaching parents how to transform nutrient-dense meals into something delicious for their children’s unique and developing palates.
In addition to behavioral tips and solutions, the book features over 60 innovative and practical recipes, including naturally colored Green Eggs and Ham, smashed-fruit filled Purple Tie-Dye Unicorn Muffins, umami-rich Dinosaur-as Teriyaki Drumettes, and hassle-free Homemade Soft-Serve Ice Cream.
While it’s easy to see picky eating as a phase, moderate-to-severe picky eating often coincides with serious issues like depression and anxiety that may later require intervention. I expose the habits that inadvertently reinforce picky eating and helps parents navigate the challenging landscape by showing them the science behind flavor and awakening them to the culinary magic of umami. Gigi also talk about what kids who are athletes need in their diets.
Some of My Tips you will see Sprinkled Throughout the Book:
If a child develops a preference for a certain flavor at an early age, odds are she will stick to foods with similar flavor profiles.
Our taste buds disappear as we get older. Children have thousands of
additional taste buds, so flavor sensations, especially bitter flavors, can be extremely overwhelming.
Hiding or disguising vegetables in children’s favorite meals has negative consequences, with children later rejecting the food they once enjoyed and becoming suspicious of all home cooked meals.
Bribing backfires in the long run, as it teaches #children to create lists of negative and positive foods, where #healthy #foods are only viewed!
Chef Gigi Gaggero 