Verified by 
"How do the French teach their children to eat well?"
The French Paradox is a question that research scientists have been puzzling over for 15 years. Why are the French able to eat more fat than Americans and yet have a lower incidence of heart disease and extra, unhealthy pounds? Research on this question has led to some interesting comparisons. My favorite is the difference between what French and American children eat for lunch at their schools.
It shows how we train our children to eat high-calorie, low-nutrient "junk food" from an early age, while across the ocean the French are teaching their children to develop their palates by enjoying a variety of fresh, nutritious, organic foods.
Here are some examples from school lunch menus on the same day in small cities in each country. The American school lunch consists of a hot dog on a bun, tater tots, and a choice of pudding, a vegetable or canned fruit.
The French kids have a first course of iceberg lettuce with radishes and a vinagrette dressing, a second course of grilled fish with lemon and stewed carrots, some Emmental cheese and an apple tart. On a day when American kids are eating deep fried cheese sticks, their French counterparts are becoming gourmands, savoring cucumber salad with herbs, spiced sausage and lentils, St. Nectaire cheese and floating island (meringue on custard) for dessert.
One American earning his keep in Paris by babysitting a five year old relates this story. " One evening as I was preparing a snack, I held up a piece of cheese. ‘Nicholas, in English this is called cheese. What would you call this in French?' ‘Reblonchon.' Five years old and he knew his cheeses by name. I checked him on everyone in the fridge. He even knew the names of the ones that were unpasteurized." (1)
Other important differences don't show up on the menus. The French children drink plain water. American children typically drink soda. Because American schools are underfunded, many American schools have soda vending machines in the halls and cafeteria as a way to make ends meet financially . The French school menus often highlight organically grown fruits and vegetables, fair trade items, and provide an alternative vegetarian entree.
According to Consumer Reports, some of the popular breakfast cereals we feed children in the US have more sugar than the same brands sold in Europe. In fact, American kids can get more protein and less of sugar if they eat a Hershey chocolate bar with almonds than if they eat a cup of Honey Smacks breakfast cereal.
What is the result of how we feed our children? Medical researchers recently predicted that, for American children born in 2000, 30% of boys and 40% of girls will develop Type 2 diabetes if they do not improve their diet and get more exercise. The predicted risk for Latino girls is 50%. (2) This is a disease that has serious consequences including damage to the kidneys, liver, high blood pressure, heart disease, and retinal deterioration. How mindful are we being about what our children eat?
Mindful eating includes listening to the body in order to make healthy eating choices. Unfortunately, when we feed our children junk food, we are conditioning them to prefer junk food. We are preventing them from being able to "hear" what their body actually needs. If you only drink soda, your body can't "tell" you it needs orange juice.
Once, at a party for hospital staff, a nurse asked me if I wanted a soda to drink. I said no, that I wouldn't drink anything if the ingredients on the side listed eight chemicals. I read her the list (see below). She asked me in astonishment, "Well, if you don't drink soda, What IS there to drink?" " Plain water, to start with," I said, "or real fruit juice." It seemed to be a radical idea.
Here's what's in orange juice: orange juice.
Here's what's in Slice diet orange soda: Carbonated Water, Citric Acid, Aspartame (Phenylketonurics Contains Phenylalanine), Potassium Citrate, Potassium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness), Citrus Pectin, Gum Arabic, Yellow 6, Salt, Malic Acid, Glycerol Ester Of Wood Rosin, Natural Flavors, Calcium Disodium EDTA (to Protect Flavor), and Brominated Vegetable Oil. Oh yummy!
Which of these drinks is best for children, or for any living being? In a land where many pets get organic food, many children are drinking and eating a chemical cocktail. Organic pet food sales are growing at three times the rate of organic food for people. (3)
Mindful eating includes being aware of what we are feeding our children, and thus what we are training them to desire and buy. If we want to have healthy kids, a healthy next generation, we should feed them mostly fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, and encourage them to drink plain water or real juice. Let them get the occasional soda and sugar cereal at a friend's house but don't buy or stock "foods of no nutritional value" (as the USDA and schools now call them) at home.
MINDFUL EATING EXERCISE: Have fun trying a new fresh fruit. Look in Asian markets for something you and your family have never eaten before like star fruit or dragon fruit. Note the color, texture, smells and tastes and also your reactions.
Sources:
(1) www.idlewords.com/2003/03/french_week_on_school_lunches.html
(2) http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/1055/cdc_issues_diabetes_warning_f…
(3) www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2004-07-13-organic_x.htm )
