- Motherhood Melbourne
A French inspired approach to fussy eating solutions
Has meal-time become stressful in your home? Wondering if your child will ever eat anything other than plain pasta and a slice of cheese? Time for a game plan and a little expert help. Marie-France is a Melbourne Mum and owner of Fussy Eater Solutions. As a dietitian-nutritionist, Marie-France loves to help families first discover the cause of the fussy eater. Her aim is to work with families in-person or online to re-discover the pleasure of eating. Originally born in France, Marie-France's approach is inspired by the French culture around the way food is prepared and enjoyed. Find out more about how this Melbourne Mum draws upon both culture and expertise to help you and your little fussy eater.
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Written by Marie-France – owner of Fussy Eater Solutions
The idea
The first children I met who were having difficulties with eating a variety of food are my Australian nephews, I had moved from France to Australia with my Australian husband (via London). 20 years ago, I had no idea that fussy eating even existed. I could see in my family and amongst my friends that this was a huge source of stress and anxiety. As it happens my youngest daughter was also quite sensitive to smells and challenging to feed. Yet when I went back to France every year, my children never complained about food. I started to look at all the research into fussy eating I have never looked back. I am passionate about helping parents raise confident eaters for life.
Biz beginnings
I started to run workshops in 2009, with a Naturopath friend. It’s a long windy story with interruptions and the loss of my sister to cancer, but I have kept going with my dream of helping fussy eaters and their families.
Making mothers lives better n' brighter
We eat 3 meals a day at least for the rest of our lives, having a child who is fussy strongly impacts the eating experience and may have lasting consequences such as:
– nutritional deficiencies
– detrimental health impact
– socializing difficulties
– eating disorders.
On a daily basis it causes a lot of stress and anxiety for parents who worry about their child’s growth, health and future. Understanding what factors have caused a child to be fussy is the first step towards (re)gaining pleasure of eating. Gathering at the table then is pleasant and stress-free for all involved. A huge change for family life. That’s what I like to see, the impact is life-long, so the earlier a child is helped the better.
Customer love
I feel very honoured families trust me to work with them. I walk them through tailored programs that impact their lives and that of their children positively and into adulthood.
Most popular service
Both my packages (online or at home) involve me going into people’s home, virtually or not. I sell equal numbers all over Australia.
Frequently-asked-question
How long will it take for me to see changes? Improvements?
It takes about 6 months to see changes that will set in for the future, smaller changes will happen earlier such as the stress levels going down…I love to hear from people down the line.
Behind the scenes
That my approach is different, I may be a dietitian-nutritionist but I don’t preach about health and food, I encourage variety, real food, pleasure of eating and conversation around the table. I bring in a bit of French culture and research I have read from all over the world…I have taught cooking skills to some of my clients (parents and kids alike)! I am all about easy whole meals and share recipes and inspiration via Instagram and my blog. I am a ‘whole-foodie’…. I also co-run “mumssupported” on FB with Leanne Trevor sleep consultant and we help parents on sleep and eat issues there….
Biz love
Knowing that a child will grow up not having major hang ups about food, eating and body shape.
Down time
Spending time with my kids and husband (they are quite grown up), listening to podcasts on a variety of topics, reading classic French literature. I also practise taekwondo (3rd dan) and I love yoga.
Future mode
Developing the new workshop I am launching this year in Elsternwick and hoping to get more people to hear about me so I can help more families.
ABOUT FUSSY EATER SOLUTIONS
To support parents of fussy eaters, so all can (re)gain joy of eating
Business owner: Marie-France Laval
Fav café: Kettle Black
Coffee order: Soy Chai Latte
facebook.com/fussyeater.com.au
instagram.com/fussyeatersolutions