10 Must-Read Picture Books That Will Help Your Picky Eater Try New Foods
If you are the parent of a picky eater, you understand the frustration of trying to figure out how you can get your child to eat healthily. However, you can take comfort in knowing you are definitely not alone and that it is possible for your family to find a way to enjoy different foods together!
There are several reasons why children become picky eaters, but thankfully, there are solutions that could help. One involves introducing picture books that teach children about the importance of food and nutrition and the value of appreciating different cultures.
Another creative solution is enrolling in a meal delivery service for your child. A service like Nurture Life helps you remove the stress of meal prep by offering ready-to-eat meals that are delicious and healthy.
Understanding Picky Eaters
Children’s eating habits form early in life, and during this time, children can become picky eaters for several reasons:
- Medical reasons: Early challenges with feeding — such as reflux, tongue-ties, oral delays or allergies during infancy or as a toddler — could lead to pickiness.
- Unpleasant experience: If a child has an illness that causes severe vomiting or has an episode of choking, that can affect their outlook on eating.
- Behavioral: Picky eating may be a learned behavior.
- Sensory sensitivities: Some children may experience sensory overload that causes an aversion that makes food overwhelming for them.
- Family dynamics: Family dynamics could also affect a child’s mindset toward eating. If meal times are stressful for parents, children can pick up on this in a way that affects their eating habits.
Practical Strategies to Curb Picky Eating
It’s easy to become overwhelmed as you face the challenges of picky eating. While that’s understandable, added stress around meal times rarely makes picky eating better. Instead, you could take practical steps, like exposing your children to cooking shows and books, to help your little one explore more foods and learn to enjoy eating. Here are some strategies to try out:
- Routines and rules: Establishing positive rules and routines around food and meal times can be a game-changer. Some helpful tips include eating at a place and time for every meal, eating together, and having the same or similar meals on every family member’s plate.
- Kids and fun food experiences: Take away the seriousness and make meal times a wonderful experience centered around quality family and gratitude.
- Food choices and preferences: While the aim is to get your child to explore more foods, taking their preferences into consideration when you assemble meals can help.
- Stress-free meal times: If you find meal prep stressful, that’s OK! It’s completely normal to not always have the time and energy for cooking. In this case, trying a meal delivery service that caters specifically to children’s nutritional needs and preferences can be beneficial. Taking the stress out of meal times can also have a positive effect on your child.
- The rotation rule: The rotation rule is simple — do not offer the same food two days in a row. If your child likes carrots with dinner, serve that every second day and alternate the in-between days with new foods like peas and cauliflower.
The Magic of Picture Books for Healthy Eating Habits
Picture books about food can help ease your child into healthier eating habits. Books for picky eaters often have a protagonist your child can relate to, and if it’s an enjoyable story, the protagonist can model positive eating behaviors that leave your child open to exploring new foods. Plus, through picture books, you could gain new meal ideas to try with your picky eater.
When choosing picture books about food, look for stories with relatable characters, diverse meals and foods, a focus on family, and a story arc that is fun and easy to understand. You can also look for family meal ideas within the books.
Top 10 Must-Have Picture Books for Picky Eaters
These picky eater-friendly books are fun, colorful and educational. They introduce kids to new foods, different cultures, the concept of food and family time, and the importance of food for growth. You can find these books online at Amazon, in-store and online at Barnes & Noble, on the publisher’s website and at your local bookstore.
1. ‘Little Chef’
“Little Chef” by Elisabeth Weinberg and Matt Stine is an endearing tale of a girl named Lizzie who wants to be a chef like her grandmother. Lizzie sets off on a quest to make one of her grandma’s recipes for her. “Little Chef” even shares the recipe for the special dish Lizzie wants to make for grandma, so your child can try their hand at cooking! This special book for children ages 2 to 6 shows how food and family go hand in hand and teaches them a love for cooking.
2. ‘Green Eggs and Ham’
This classic book by Dr. Seuss takes away the scariness of trying new foods and replaces it with silly and lighthearted adventure! “Green Eggs and Ham” is filled with Dr. Seuss’ fun rhymes, and eventually, the main character tries green eggs and ham and enjoys it.
3. ‘Can I Eat That?’
Written by food critic Joshua David Stein, “Can I Eat That?” is a great book for introducing children to a variety of foods and how food differs from culture to culture. The read-aloud book is playful, vibrant and educational as kids learn that they can eat tostadas but not tornados!
4. ‘Dragons Love Tacos’
“Dragons Love Tacos” by Adam Rubin is a #1 New York Times bestseller for good reason — there are lots of tacos and dragons that become very sassy when they eat spicy salsa! Written for 3- to 5-year-olds, “Dragons Love Tacos” is playful, humorous and engaging, with colorful illustrations and descriptive language that will make your children realize that food adventures can be lots of fun.
5. ‘The Seven Silly Eaters’
“The Seven Silly Eaters” by Mary Ann Hoberman is a rhyming picture book for ages 3 to 7 that tells the story of a family of picky eaters and how a very special mother overcomes the challenge. “The Seven Silly Eaters” focuses on family and making the most of situations with practical solutions.
6. ‘Lulu’s Lunch’
“Lulu’s Lunch” by Camilla Reid is an interactive book for ages 3 to 7. The fun book even has a page where Lulu has bolognese for lunch and the illustrator uses string for spaghetti! The wonderful interactive features and Lulu’s fun meals can even inspire some lunch ideas for picky kindergartners.
7. ‘Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s Guide to Food and Nutrition’
“Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s Guide to Food and Nutrition” by Lizzy Rockwell teaches young kids about food groups, nutrients, digestion and more. The book is colorful, fun and informative and includes a good selection of kid-friendly recipes.
8. ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’
“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle is a beloved classic story about a caterpillar that munches its way through apples and plums but is still hungry! He eats until he is satisfied, spins a cocoon and transforms into a butterfly. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” is perfect for teaching toddlers that it’s great to have an appetite and that food helps you grow.
9. ‘Too Pickley!’
“Too Pickley!” by Jean Reidy is an ideal board book for picky toddlers who will relate to the little boy who finds everything too squishy, fishy or fruity. Through his antics, little ones will find that different flavors and textures make food fun and interesting.
10. ‘I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato’
“I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato” by Lauren Child is a clever little book that engages the imagination so that your kids are keen to try new foods. Lola is a picky eater and refuses to try new foods until her brother Charlie tells her that mashed potatoes ate cloud fluff from the mountains and carrots are from Jupiter!
Explore New Kids Meals With Nurture Life Meal Plans
Books are one of the best ways to introduce your children to new and exciting experiences, and food is no exception. With these book recommendations, you can introduce children to exciting new foods and reaffirm the importance of family meal times.
At Nurture Life, we offer healthy, meals, snacks and smoothies designed for babies and children. With our meal plans and resources, you can take the stress out of meals and help your picky eater embark on a wholesome dietary journey. Our meals are created by chefs and dietitians, giving you peace of mind that your child is enjoying fresh meals that meet their dietary requirements. Browse our menus and pricing options to sign up for a meal delivery service that suits you and your child, or contact us for any additional support.