Adventurous eating has never been my kids’ strong suit. From age 3 to 4, my middle son basically lived on peanut butter sandwiches. A lot of times the battle over food was one I didn’t want to fight, but I was inspired by a few good books for picky eaters to work on expanding their palates. Reading these books helped my boys seen that new foods can be fun, and that trying new things can lead to some fun surprises!
Books are a great tool for encouraging kids to try new foods, but they aren’t the only tool! My friend Jenni has put together an amazing guide for raising adventurous eaters. Her tips are practical and easy, and she really makes the idea of introducing new foods approachable and fun. I highly recommend checking out her guide, and the fun, easy recipes on her site, The Gingered Whisk.
9 Good Books for Picky Eaters
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Picky Eaters by Ellen Jackson — This adorable board book shows kids the picky eaters of the animal world: pandas, koalas, and other animals that eat only one thing. Its rhyming prose also teaches kids why it’s good for people to be less picky and more adventurous with their food!
Tales for Very Picky Eaters by Josh Schneider — James is a very picky eater, and his father will go to hilarious lengths to get him to try something new. He tries all kinds of funny things to get James to eat different foods, but in the end James himself discovers that the foods he thought he hated might not be so bad.
The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman — Mrs. Peters is raising a houseful of picky eaters! Each one of her seven children only want one type of food all the time. This creates a chaotic kitchen for Mrs. Peters, but her kids find a way to treat her as a thank you for all her hard work.
The Picky Eater by Betsy Parkinson — Piper is a picky piglet who only wants foods that start with the letter P. However, her particular preferences keep her from some pretty pleasing foods. Is it possible for Piper the pig to changer her picky ways?
D.W. the Picky Eater by Marc Brown — D.W. does not want to try new foods. She’s got a long list of things she refuses to eat, and she’s so stubborn about new foods that she ends up throwing her salad on the floor when her family dines at a restaurant. Once she gets over her stubbornness and tries something new, she finds out that she’s been missing out on some tasty delicacies.
Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat — This was one of my favorite books as a kid! Gregory is a goat who doesn’t eat like a goat; he prefers fruits and vegetables to old food and cans. When Gregory’s parents finally convince him to eat “junk,” he can’t stop eating it. This book uses silly circumstances to teach about trying new foods and making healthy choices.
Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks — Monsters don’t eat broccoli. They just don’t. They’d much rather chow down on a tractor or a rocket ship. However, the monsters have to rethink some things when they find out the trees they’ve been munching on aren’t trees at all. Maybe broccoli isn’t so bad!
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child — Lola is a very picky eater She’s got a long list of food that she simply won’t eat. However, her smart older brother has found some creative ways to get her to try new things, including changing the names of some foods Lola refuses to try. Can he convince her to sample a tomato, her most feared food?
But I Don’t Eat Ants by Dan Marvin — You’d expect an anteater to eat ants, right? But the hero of this story will eat anything but ants! He loves all kinds of food, but refuses to try ants…that is, until his mom finds a new way to serve up ants that he can’t resist. This super funny book will have your kids giggling.
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