JOAN ZOLOTH
San Francisco restaurant critic
Mother to Jake, 19, and Julia, 16
The kids love to eat steamed mussels with white wine broth, lamb
shanks, tomato and goat cheese on baguettes, and grilled lobster.
She says: "Interest and excitement about
food is infectious - if
you are enthusiastic about food, your kids will be, too. To
encourage their taste for healthy fruits and vegetables when they
were toddlers, I introduced Julia and Jake to local farmer's
markets and fruit stands. Children generally love to pick their own
produce. At farmer's markets, for instance, kids can make the
connection between the juicy peach they bite into and the peach
they will eat later in a fresh salsa or low-cal sauce."
DAN SACHS
Owner of award-winning restaurant Bin 36 in Chicago
Father to Madeline, 5, and Nina, 2
The kids love to eat all vegetables, steamed shellfish and lobster,
grilled salmon steaks, and crab cakes.
He says: "I know it's hard to do, but my wife and I never offer our
kids alternatives to the foods we serve at home. It may be
stressful at first, thinking that your kids will starve, but, of
course, they don't. I'd like to think that we wear them down with
loving patience until they eat a healthy, nutritious meal.
"My wife, Naomi, and I also urge our daughters to be part of the
preparation, and Madeline helps make her own blueberry pancakes by
cleaning berries and mixing batter. We take the time to explain
kitchen procedures to them, and we always prepare fresh, well-
seasoned, interesting food."
TAKASHI YAGIHASHI
Executive chef at Tribute, recently voted best restaurant in
Michigan by Gourmet
Father to Brandon, 9, Emily, 6, and Bridget, 2
The kids love to eat sushi and sashimi, any kind of risotto, pasta
primavera, beef sukiyaki braised in sake and soy, and chilled tofu.