On the French Front: Crazy French Beliefs about American Eating Habits

Aug 19, 2009 by Anna Migeon

I just got back from 17 days in France visiting my husband’s family there.

One evening at my parents-in-laws’ house, I met a woman whose first question to me was:  “But do you have regular meals at your house in America?”

I knew what she was getting at, but I felt defensive.  I knew she had a point, but I was irritated. Also, as if I would admit it at this point if the answer was no.

I felt like I was being asked if I had quit beating up my husband.  I felt like she was holding up a piece of our collective national…

Training Kids to Tune Out External Cues, Tune in to Internal Ones

Aug 17, 2009 by Anna Migeon

It starts well: in the beginning, our hunger perfectly regulates our eating.  A baby cries when she’s hungry and we feed her the optimal food—breast milk—or the best baby formula we can buy. It’s a simple as that.  Parents, who know best, feed the baby only those foods that will benefit her, and she learns to like them. So far, so good.

Getting civilized

It all becomes considerably more complicated as we grow up. In part, it’s a matter of becoming more civilized in our eating habits. Learning to follow some external cues…

Strategies for Eating Mindlessly / Strategies for More Mindful Eating

Aug 3, 2009 by Anna Migeon

Eleven Strategies of Mindless Eating:

· Make food look like something else, a face, or a tiny airplane, or a rabbit, for example.

· Distract kids from the food itself, making eating a game so kids won’t think about the fact they’re eating.

· Make food and eating a battle ground of wills.

· Connect eating to punishment or reward.

· Tell kids to clean their plates.

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Mango Chutney

Jul 27, 2009 by Anna Migeon

This chutney goes with the Curried Turkey Salad with Grapes and Almonds, previous post.

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mango is soft and mixture is thickened, about 10-15 minutes.

Cool slightly and then refrigerate until needed.

1 ½ C peeled and diced ripe mango

½ C sugar

¼ C finely chopped red onion

2 T apple cider vinegar

2 T finely chopped green bell pepper

1 T grated fresh ginger root

¼ t ground cloves