With all of the tasty, processed, fast-food options available, it can be an uphill battle getting our children on the right track. After long hours at work and running active kids around to all of their after-school activities, it is a lot easier to grab takeout than cook a meal using fresh ingredients. And when parents do have the time to prepare a well-balanced meal with vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, they are sometimes faced with kids who prefer chicken nuggets and french fries. Keep in mind, however, that all of the nutrition lessons don't have to happen at the kitchen table. We've gathered some of the funniest, most informative, super influential and highly entertaining picture books for children about healthy eating.
A quick, funny read for preschoolers who absolutely refuse to let a veggie grace their little lips. A toddler named George goes completely crazy when he is encouraged to eat his veggies. So crazy, in fact, that he turns into a monster. Lots of humor (and drama!) in this children's book about vegetables.
Children's Picture Books About Nutritious Food
If you are searching for children's books about nutrition food, you are very likely have a picky eater who shuns fruits and vegetables. A fantastic idea is to encourage kids to take an active role in preparing their own meals. Introducing healthy cooking and baking practices in the kitchen is a great place to start. Getting our young children to develop healthy eating habits can feel like a losing battle. No matter how we try to disguise carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and other vegetables, our toddlers cannot be fooled. Cover them in cheese, puree them into a smoothie, or cut them into funny shapes. Parents can get pretty creative when it comes to trying to trick our children into eating healthy foods. Encouraging finicky eaters choose nutritional foods calls for a new tactic- reading stories about the benefits of making healthy food choices.
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food
If there is a family dilemma you want to address by reading a picture book, you can count on the Berenstain Bears for addressing it! Brother and Sister have formed some very bad food habits, always opting for junk food over healthy snacks. Their choices are affecting their energy level and overall physical health. Mama Bear comes to the rescue with her very direct, motherly advice about good nutrition.
Little Pea
Awe....poor little pea will not be rewarded with his vegetables for dessert unless he eats his dreaded sweets for dinner first. What is a tiny green thing to do? A creative twist on the "dinner before dessert" rule will have preschoolers in stitches. The whimsical illustrations add to the charm of this adorable children's book about nutrition (even if they have it backwards).
Eating the Alphabet
Teach your toddler the letters of the alphabet by using fruits and vegetables as phonic cues- brilliant! A vibrant picture book features healthy produce from around the world. Upper and lower case letters correspond with every image.
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato
Have you ever heard these words come out of your child's mouth? The banter between Lola and Charlie is pure entertainment. Little sister is as stubborn as ever when it comes to eating carrots, potatoes and, most of all, tomatoes. But big brother has some pretty clever tricks up his sleeve to get her to eat her veggies. We may all learn a thing or two from Charlie's creative problem solving.
Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli
A little reverse psychology is a good ploy to get your kids to eat vegetables. A funny book about a group of monsters who will eat just about ANYTHING, but most definitely, not ever broccoli. How could you possibly think otherwise? Youngsters will enjoy this rollicking read about some hard-headed monsters (i.e. picky eaters) any maybe they will change their minds next time you serve up some veggies.
Good Enough to Eat
Sometimes you have to take the most direct route and educate your children about the nutritional value of the various food groups. This picture book about nutrition covers a lot of ground, from nutrients and their functions to how the body digests food. Chock full of good information and some delicious, healthy recipes to make with your child.
Stanley's Lunch Box
It's never too soon to teach your toddlers how to eat healthy. In this adorable and cheerful board book, Stanley is headed out to have a picnic lunch with his friends. But first he must stop at the market to pick up the food. He buys bread, fruit and cheese from his favorite vendors and heads over to the park. A great introduction for little ones about making good food choices!
Gregory, the Terrible Eater
Gregory the Goat is challenging his parents with his unhealthy eating habits. A good goat is supposed to munch on old shoes and boxes. But Gregory has his preferred diet of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and other distasteful culinary items. His parents try everything to get him to change his ways, and even resort to consulting their physician. Will they ever be able to change Gregory's palate so he prefers more acceptable goat food? A funny, relatable storybook about the trials and tribulations of raising a picky eater.
Oliver's Vegetables
Ok, so technically French Fries are made from potatoes, but we can't exactly call them vegetables. A little boy named Oliver has a loving grandfather who wants to expand his diet beyond this fast food. So he makes a deal with him to grow a garden and eat everything it produces. Guess what? It works! Maybe you, too, can try this tactic for your vegetable-resistant child!
Growing Vegetable Soup
One of the best ways to convince toddlers to eat veggies is by teaching them to garden. In this vibrant, boldly illustrated picture book, a father teaches his son how to grow green beans, carrots, corn, peas and all kinds of other veggies. After they plant the seeds and harvest their garden, the two make the most delicious soup together.
Good for Me and You
Little Critter is a classic children's book series full of good lessons. This time, Littel Critter learns all about the importance of good nutrition and exercise in school. He is so excited by his newfound knowledge and is bursting with excitement to share all these healthy lifestyle tips with his family.
How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? The Story of Food
An excellent way to engage your kids in eating healthy is by teaching them about the foods they put into their bodies. This wonderful book is packed with all kinds of good information about the source of all the delicious things they find in their lunchboxes. A detailed description of the food groups and some helpful healthy eating tips are included as bonus material.
The Boy Who Loved Broccoli
There are no guarantees that your child will love broccoli after reading this book, but it's sure worth a try! Baxter has an unusual addiction to broccoli, which gives him some pretty cool super powers. He makes it his mission to convince others that they, too, should consume large quantities of broccoli. And when they do, they become super human! Lots of adventure and little bit of trouble for Baxter in this fun broccoli book.
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
A favorite book that takes us on an adventure around the world to secure the highest quality ingredients for apple pie. A whimsical journey from Italy to England to Vermont where a girl visits the most wonderful markets to collect her goods. A delicious recipe for apple pie is included! So, yes, we included a "less healthy" version of fruit in this post, but it's such a fun read about apples nonetheless!
Rah, Rah, Radishes!
Let's hear it for vegetables! An exuberant celebration of all the vegetables you can find at the market. Kids will be chanting along with the rhyme, learning the names of new vegetables along the way. And maybe they'll even be willing to try a few.
Just Try One Bite
A hilarious reversal of roles is at play in this book about kids who are concerned about their parents' diet. The adults have a craving for sugar and fried foods that rivals the junkiest of eaters. When their children present them with healthier alternatives, like kale and broccoli, it's a special sort of torture for the grown-ups. A bouncy rhyme and exaggerated facial expressions work well in this lighthearted approach to pushing more nutritious choices on your children.
I Can Eat a Rainbow
This is an appealing and colorful book for toddlers ready to learn about a healthy diet. This story is about a little girl who prefers junk food over fruit and vegetables. With a little less on the importance of good nutrition paired with attractive illustrations, this children's books about healthy eating will give your little one the right encouragement to make good food choices.
This Is How We Stay Healthy
A highly visual guide for eating healthy especially written for preschoolers. Through text bubbles and large, colorful pictures, little ones learn about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. They will also read about other nutrient-rich foods that are good for them. This helpful book introduces additional concepts, like thorough hand-washing and good table manners.
What's For Breakfast?
This engaging board book with wheels to turn and flaps to lift will get toddlers excited about breakfast. Little ones will have fun building a plate of colorful, healthy breakfast food. The pages are filled with lively rhymes and food puns. It's a great way to introduce the concept of healthy eating in a fun, non-pushy way.
Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook
A fantastic way to help children make healthy choices is by teaching them how to cook. This fantastic cookbook has over 100 recipes that kids can easily make on by themselves, or if they are beginners in the kitchen, perhaps a helping hand. With large photographs of each recipe, the book also includes detailed information about the nutritional value. There are delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as snacks for in between.
Alice Waters Cooks Up a Food Revolution
There is nothing more delicious than eating ripe fruit immediately after being picked. From the time she was a little girl, Alice Waters appreciated the taste of juicy berries from her family's garden and crisp apples plucked from a local tree. Her passion for fresh food developed into adulthood where she opened a restaurant, Chez Panisse. All of the food served was sourced from local farmers so that her patrons could experience the benefits of organic produce, meat, and dairy. This non-fiction picture book is an informative and entertaining read about the beginning of the organic food movement.
Yummy Yoga: Playful Poses and Tasty Treats
This creative book will teach your kids yoga while reinforcing the importance of eating healthy. Photographs show a diverse group of children in a variety of yoga poses. On the opposing pages, fun there are fun pictures of fruits and vegetables in the same positions. And then underneath the gatefolds are healthy recipes using the featured foods. A visual delight that will motivate your kids to take care of their bodies.
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Encourage Kids to Eat Healthy by Reading Books