Most parents start out wanting to raise healthy eaters. Then the world intervenes. In Kid Food, nationally recognized writer and food advocate Bettina Elias Siegel explores one of the fundamental challenges of modern parenting: trying to raise healthy eaters in a society intent on pushing children in the opposite direction. Siegel dives deep into the many influences that make feeding children healthfully so difficult—from the prevailing belief that kids will only eat highly processed "kid food" to the near-constant barrage of "special treats." Written in the same engaging, relatable voice that has made Siegel's web site The Lunch Tray a trusted resource for almost a decade, Kid Food combines original reporting with the hard-won experiences of a mom to give parents a deeper understanding of the most common obstacles to feeding children well:

How the notion of "picky eating" undermines kids' diets

from an early age—and how parents' anxieties about pickiness are stoked and exploited by industry marketing

Why school meals can still look like fast food

even after well-publicized federal reforms

Fact-twisting nutrition claims on grocery products

including how statements like "made with real fruit" can actually mean a product is less healthy

The aggressive marketing of junk food to children

often through sophisticated digital techniques meant to bypass parents' oversight

Children's menus that teach kids all the wrong lessons

about what "their" food looks like

The troubling ways adults exploit kids' love of junk food

including to cover shortfalls in school budgets, control classroom behavior, and secure children's love

With expert advice, time-tested advocacy tips, and a trove of useful resources, Kid Food gives parents both the knowledge and the tools to navigate their children's unhealthy food landscape—and change it for the better.