Charity Curley Mathews: Why French Kids Eat Everything

The same thing happens at our nursery school here in Rome, Italy, where my 3-year-old and 17-month-old spend their mornings. A full-time cook is on hand to prepare a morning snack, three-course lunch (pasta, meat and vegetable) plus an afternoon snack for those who spend a full day there. Fresh vegetables and meat arrive daily from the open-air market down the street, the one where everyone in our neighborhood shops on a regular basis. At the end of the day, we get a report card for each girl, noting what was served for each course (though there’s also a posted menu) and how much of it they ate. They always eat everything. All the kids do.