Karen Fischer is a nutritionist, who has treated everyone from babies to grandmothers, and is the bestselling author of The Healthy Skin Diet.  As a mother of two, she knows how to deal with fussy eaters and has successfully developed a range of healthy and delicious meals that the whole family enjoys.  As Fischer says in the introduction to her new book, Healthy Family, Happy Family: The Complete Guide to Feeding your Family, it was her own experience with her three-year-old daughter’s refusal to eat veges that was the catalyst for her to write her new book.

The book is definitely a comprehensive guide to ensuring your children have the best possible diet.  What I like most about the book is that all the information included is relevant, and the advice given can be easily applied to your own family situation.  It really is a healthy eating ‘bible’. 

Fischer begins the book by highlighting the reasons why it is so important to ensure your children are eating healthily.  She then arms parents with the facts about nutrition they need to know.  Then, my favourite part – the chapter called ‘Marketing Magic’.  In this, Fischer explains that feeding your child will become easier if you can tell them why they should eat healthy food – in the sense that, you should answer your child’s question of ‘what’s in it for me?’, and be able to give this answer in a way that excites your child.  For example, Fischer recounts how she put a plate of lamb and vegetable casserole in front of her daughter, her complained about eating it.  Fischer’s answer was to tell her it was a special meal designed to make people taller.  Her daughter proceeded to ask eat the whole meal.  Pure genius.

The book then covers everything from how to shop and the supermarket, and what to buy, how to prepare healthy menu plans, and lunch boxes for the kids.  The rest of the book is a valuable resource of healthy menus designed to cater to the whole family.  By the end of the book, you’re left feeling that Fischer has left no stone unturned, and for such an important thing as feeding your children to give them the best possible start, this is fantastic.

If you are concerned about your child’s eating habits, and there is one book you buy on this subject – make sure it’s this one.  It is far more comprehensive than a kids' cookbook, and will arm you with some valuable tools in for those times you are faced with a screaming child wanting McDonalds!

Gloss rating: 5/5

Healthy Family, Happy Family by Karen Fischer,
www.exisle.co.nz, RRP$39.99

We have three copies of the book to give away.  Click here to enter!

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