Get to know the d'Arabians: Melissa, her husband, Philippe, and their four daughters. Melissa introduces everyone (including their pup, Roxy!) and explains their varying degrees of pickiness.
Melissa
I'm a mom of four, television host and cookbook author, living just outside of San Diego. I believe in the power of the family meal and created The Picky Eaters Project to share my approach for helping my kids go from picky to more adventurous with families everywhere. Picky eating is something so many of us face. Now we can tackle it together.
Philippe
He's the best eater ever. But what people don't know about Philippe is that he is an amazing cook in his own right. We are a divide-and-conquer family out of necessity, so I do most of the cooking at home, but given a day all to himself, he'll be found tinkering with a cool new way to roast a duck.
Valentine
The oldest of the girls, Valentine (8) is very maternal toward her three younger sisters and was a big part in helping to formulate the ideas behind The Picky Eaters Project (especially the ice cream swap). She's extremely proud of the ownership in this program. She, luckily, loves just about everything. Fun fact: Her favorite food is duck liver pate.
Charlotte
Charlotte (7) looks up to her big sister, but also takes great pride in helping with the twins. She's the poster child for this program; her natural inclination is to be a picky eater. Now that she's gone through the program, she's willing to try new foods, which feels like a huge victory. Fun fact: She's my Mini-Me.
The Twins
Océane (left) and Margaux (both 6): They're a tight twosome and my little picky eaters. It's progress — not perfection — with them. They've made a lot of progress (Margaux loves baked fish now), but this will be an ongoing program for them. But that's OK. The Picky Eaters Project is about creating a healthy lifestyle, which is always ongoing. Fun fact: They got long-awaited bunk beds for their sixth birthday. But they both just sleep curled up together in the bottom bunk every night.
Margaux
When Margaux smiles, it’s with her whole face. She's just a joy, and she'll make you laugh (just ask her to give you a high-five and see what happens). She's definitely a mama's girl. (And she's my tougher nut to crack on the food front.)
Océane
Her dream in life is to be like her big sisters. She reads the food labels and tries to emulate the older girls' behavior.
Roxy
Roxy, our 8-year-old rescue Lab, is wondering what all the fuss is about. She'd eat anything at any time and has no idea why anyone would ever be picky!
