Now Eat This:
8 Food-tastic Books for Picky Eaters
by Janssen Bradshaw
Some kids are picky from the moment they start eating real food. Others start out as rockstar eaters only to morph into picky eaters, either overnight or gradually.
And some kids are just pretend picky (these are my children!) where they tend to like most foods but then resist eating them for their own reasons and take a great deal of convincing to try anything new or eat the things they’ve eaten happily for months or years.
No matter what camp your children fall into, these eight books can help!
-
How to Eat Pizza
Available from:Listen, your pizza slice thinks you can do better. Eating pizza is disgusting, in fact. There are so many other foods in the world to eat! Like, anything but him. The author of Splat! and Rhyme Crime offers up a wacky character with hilarious jokes for the picky-eater crowd (and everyone else).
Also available from: -
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Available from:I love that The Very Hungry Caterpillar not only introduces very young children to a huge variety of foods — from fruits and vegetables to desserts and meats — but also encourages nutritious eating and portion moderation for healthy growth and development. Not to mention, little holes to stick little fingers through. What more could you want?
Also available from: -
Picky Nicky
Available from:You haven’t met picky until you’ve met Nicky. This sprightly blonde with an iron will absolutely refuses to entertain the possibility that she might ever think about having the smallest bite of what’s on her plate. Getting desperate, her parents concoct a brilliant plan to make picky Nicky just a bit less persnickety.
Also available from: -
Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes
Available from:This kid-tested and parent-approved cookbook gets children excited about cooking wholesome meals. Simple and illustrated recipes are fully accessible for your little one, while the authors are also kind enough to include tips and tricks for parents. Chef-to-chef interactions are laid out clearly from the get-go, so you can work together to get a delicious meal on the table.
Also available from: -
Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli
Available from:Everyone knows monsters don’t eat broccoli! Or do they? This rollicking, rhyme-filled story features a couple of monsters who are downright appalled that their server brought them broccoli. But if they’re willing to change their minds, maybe your picky eater will be, too.
Also available from: -
Elmo’s Breakfast Bingo
A filling, healthy breakfast is crucial for starting the day off right, and what better way to check all the boxes than playing a little breakfast bingo with Elmo? You’ve got your grains, your fruit, and your protein, too — who can get to bingo first? It’s so fun, they’ll forget they’re finicky (or so we can hope).
-
Our Food
Available from:But why do we need to eat vegetables? For parents many years removed from health class, the basics of food science might be difficult to recall. Luckily, science writer Ranida T. McKneally and award-winning author Grace Lin teamed up to deliver a science-based approach to nutritional eating. Approved by the Harvard School of Public Health, this comprehensive and pun-laced discussion is ideal for building a strong foundation.
Also available from: -
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato
Available from:Lola has zero interest in eating any of her vegetables until her clever brother Charlie explains that they aren’t vegetables at all. Instead, mashed potatoes are clouds from a mountaintop and carrot sticks are twigs from another planet. Can he get her to love her most despised food?
Also available from:
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2019.