My kids are great eaters. They don’t live on chicken nuggets, gold fish or string cheese. My daughter loves Indian, Thai and Chinese. My son is a big Middle Eastern fan. So, how did this come about?!

I have to admit, I like to take credit for the old wives tale that “since I ate everything while I was pregnant—I influenced my kids diet…” But alas, my husband always reminds me that is not the case!

So, I have to admit, SOME OF IT, has to do with having an au pair. When we think of au pairs, nannies or childcare providers, we always think about the influence of LANGUAGE SKILLS on your home. But, we never think about an aupairs impact on your CHILDS DIET.

Believe it or not, aupairs have a HUGE impact. And, I would argue that with the right guidelines for your au pair, their influence could be great!!!

For example, a few years ago, my kids were living off yogurt and fresh fruit. My au pair, from Germany, lived near a farm at home, and she was used to eating fresh fruit and yogurt for breakfast every morning and snacking on it all throughout the day. My kids followed suit.

Last year, my au pair was from Mexico, and my kids got to know and love quesadillas, tacos and burritos! They also got a passion for refried beans…. (I of course, am responsible for their love of chips!)

This year, my au pair is from Brazil, and cheese balls are the rage in our household!

So, the bottom line is this—with every new au pair, your child is exposed not only to a new language and culture but to a whole world of culinary delight!

Bon Appetite!