We love books…and I love when a book is not only fun to read but also teachable. As a dietitian and a mom, I’m always looking for opportunities to teach my girls about good food and nutrition without it feeling like I’m giving them a lecture or obsessing about healthy food (we already do a lot of talking about food).
I’ve honestly come across quite a few books about food and nutrition that are geared toward kids but frankly just not great but every once in awhile you find a gem - like The Food Parade that I stumbled upon in the library and then promptly ordered from Amazon (not widely available in hard-cover but you can get it in an electronic version for Kindle or iPad) - and since I’m all about sharing, I’d love to share some of our favorites with you.
The Fruits We Eat by Gail Gibbons - This book is all about fruits and when you’re trying to teach little ones about the different food groups and their role, hyper-focusing can be key. This book talks about how different types of fruits are grown in different climates and places and shares information about growing, processing, and preparing fruit in a clear, understandable way. And the takeaway message is this: fruits in ALL forms (fresh, frozen, canned, etc.) are delicious, nutritious, and help kids expand their palettes.
Carrots Like Peas by Hannah Eliot - This one comes from an awesome series of “Did You Know?” books. It’s so well laid out, with great illustrations and tons of facts about food that will fascinated curious little people. This is a definite favorite.
The Vegetables We Eat by Gail Gibbons - The companion book to The Fruits We Eat, this one is all about vegetables - where they come from, how we get them, and why we eat them. Again, a great take-home message that vegetables are for everybody, everywhere.
The Food Parade by Elicia Castaldi - I’ve searched and searched for the hard-back copy of this book after checking it out from the public library. The best I could find was a used copy on Amazon but mostly it looks like it’s not in print and just in e-book version. No matter what version you choose though, this book is gold. It looks at the food groups in a way that is clear, fun, and it has the cutest illustrations. I love this one.
Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat - A book kids find hilarious - perfect for the school classroom. Gregory the goat has a terrible diet according to his parents - he wants to eat fruits and vegetables while his parents want him to eat trash like rubber tires, shoelaces, and cardboard. Such a cute book that kids will love.
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food - We love the Berenstain Bears series (what’s not to love?) and there are so many awesome lessons to be learned in their series. In this one, Papa, Brother, and Sister who are eating too much junk food. Mama and Dr. Grizzly attempt to help them understand the importance of nutritious foods and exercise.
