Gigi Gaggero - Food Fight: For Parents of Picky Eaters

PRAISE FOR FOOD FIGHT

Finally, a practical guidebook to help understand and improve kids eating habits.

Lee Constantine, Cofounder/CMO at Publishizer

Food Fight is a must-have for any family looking for healthy and fun ways to feed their kids, picky eaters or not. Chef Gigis culinary genius and her ability to understand and feed people of any age are beautifully blended in this book. The strategies presented are right on the money and I love the long list of easy, fun, healthy and super child friendly recipes. Already a staple in my kitchen library!

Vanessa Silva, Founder / Culinary Artistas, Creative Cooking Classes for Kids San Francisco, Ca.

Food Fight focuses on the most difficult time of day for many parents: mealtime. Learn how to cope with picky eaters and serve your youngsters nutritious meals they will actually eat. Youll even discover some fun, activities you can do with your children! Chef Gigi offers great ideas to promote healthful eating and improve parent-child relationships.

Diane Flynn Keith, Homeschool Specialist and Author of Car Schooling, San Francisco Bay Area

Delicious! We savored the recipes, strategies and information fed to us as if we were guests in Chef Gigis own kitchen. Chef Gigi breaks down tantrums with taste and puts style on strategy. Make lunch, not war will be the new rallying cry for our toddlers mealtime. Food Fight guarantees a win for everyone seated at the table. Brava, Chef Gigi.

Chef Tony Spatafora, Host of Dish It Out!

Gigi is wonderfully passionate about healthy food! Shes upbeat, hard working and always looking for a fresh angle when it comes to culinary challenges like getting little ones to eat their vegetables. With her help, we have a toddler who eats vegetables and looks forward to helping prepare dinner. Her guidance has been invaluable as a first-time mom and this book makes it available to me at any hour, every day.

Heather Vega, Director Larson Communications and Jamisons Mom

As a personal chef who has cooked for lots of people with picky children, Ive seen how stressful it can be for both parents and kids. In Food Fight, Chef Gigi provides true solutions to a frustrating dilemma. She covers it all, from the psychology of what makes a child a picky eater to kids nutrition-she touches on food intolerances, and adds real-life strategies, including delicious recipes! Food Fight is an absolute must have for anyone who struggles with family mealtimes.

Simone Miller, Author of The Zenbelly Cookbook, Paleo Soups & Stews, and Coauthor of The New Yiddish Kitchen

Food Fight is chock full of practical and helpful solutions for parents who struggle with mealtimes.

Chef Miriam Russell-Wadleigh, General Manager, Guckenheimer, Samsungs First Cafe

This book is perfect for my daughter. She has improved dramatically not only in her eating habits but also in her overall health. She is much more outgoing with regards to trying new foods, and I am much more motivated to cooperate at mealtimes too, Chef Gigi. Thank you!

Olives parent, San Francisco, California

Both of my children love working with me on the family meal now. My son has made wonderful improvements, not only in active listening; Ive made some changes myself with my level of confidence in parenting. My daughter has moved up to enjoying our new foods day of the week, and has discovered a few things she has added to her food repertoire. Thank you so muchour mealtimes are much easier after applying some of Chef Gigis techniques!

Jacksons grandmother, Los Angeles, California

We had the one-bite rule at our home and realized it is a control issue after working with Chef Gigi. We actually have used a few of her tips and it really does make a difference. Not to mention Gigi taught us how to use closed-ended choicesnow, our lives are a bit easier. Thank you for putting us in check, Gigi; we were tired of being short-order cooks!

Joseph, father of three, Hillsborough, California

Food Fight:

For Parents of Picky Eaters

by Chef Gigi Gaggero

Copyright 2018 Chef Gigi Gaggero

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the author.

Published by

210 60th Street

Virginia Beach, VA 23451

8004354811

www.koehlerbooks.com

For Gabrielle and Dakota.

My teachers, I never understood

what true love was until I met you!

AUTHORS NOTE

Here I am, mid-life, and not for one moment did I think I would add published book author to my rsum. My successful culinary career has been challenging yet satisfying. Ive heard, The road to success never comes with ease. I am confirming that.

For my entire life and career, I have been in constant motionclimbing the metaphorical summit, repeatedly losing my footing, yet gliding up and down the mountain steadily. Some years felt as though for every two steps up, I slipped back three. Reaching the top, I would dust myself off, stand tall, breathe deeply, and boldly survey the land, only to find myself at the base of yet another mountain.

As I matured in my career and as a woman, I realized that my greatest triumphs came from my failures. I finally understand that I had to master my inaccuracies in order to grow.

Today, I am a little wiser, a little stronger, and much more of age. I believe my fruitful career might not have happened without those who supported me along the arduous expedition. Although alone in my daily journey, my trek has been fortified by a succession of others.

This book is for those who fed me, drank with me, cried with me, hugged and believed in me. Those who stood by my side and knew I could reach the summit before I knew I could. Those who have been with me for three months or thirty years! You strengthened me to continue in one way or another. This book is a representation of your support, for which I am eternally grateful.

Thank you:

Gretchen Aberg

Liz and Aaron Anchando

Chef Gwen C. Beltran and

family

Chef Brett Byram Beza

Dan Boardman Jr.

An and Patti Chen and

family

Doris Cook

Lee Constantine

Lori Nicole DeAvilla

Lisa De Zordo

Rose Domingo

Richard Donati

Chef Elianna Friedmanm

Florence Gaggero

Al Gerona

Laura Hansen

Eric, Suyun, Adam, Collin

and Ethan Kim

Alice and Bill Leary

Chef Francisco Javier

Martinez

Maria Milik and family

Chef Simone Miller

Ross Meyer

Ed and Irma Medina

Adela Padron

Josephine Park

Chef Pesha Perlsweig

Terry Post

Marc and Wenonalani

Randolph

Elisa All Schmitz

Anne Stone

Chef Suji Kong

John Koehler

David "Bro" Topacio

Chef Cristina Topham

Rhoda Toshimitsu

Chef Heidi Rae Weinstein

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on taking this first step toward food fight freedom. If youre reading this, you must be at a point where mealtimes are being held hostage and everyone in your home tries to avoid the dreaded dinnertime nightmare. As children become more aware of the world around them, they become discerning eaters. Generally, I hear parents say, When my child was a baby, she would eat anything! As a seasoned parent, I know agreeability usually doesnt last. By age two, children have a routine of familiar, safe foods, and once they have established a familiar routine, they hesitate to try anything new or different.