Picky eating is something that MANY parents struggle with. Since there are a variety of reasons behind picky eating, there is not a single solution to the problem! For some children, however, reading a few books about picky eaters may be just the thing to encourage them to try new foods (especially for younger children). Other children may dig in their heels even more, though, so consider your strategy carefully! If you think they might be helpful, here are some fantastic (and funny) Books To Encourage Your Picky Eater.
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Gregory, The Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat
Your kids are guaranteed to giggle during this book. Gregory is a goat, but instead of eating regular goat things like newspaper, trash, & old clothes, he prefers healthy fresh fruits and veggies. His parents are horrified! After a trip to the doctor who straightens him out, Gregory begins enjoying regular goat food, in HUGE quantities! Gregory eventually settles on a varied diet that both he and his parents are pleased with. This book is a funny way to show children that what they may think of as icky may not be!
[Related Read: Books About Healthy Eating]
Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks
Monster's Don't Eat Broccoli is about a group of monsters at a restaurant who DO NOT EAT BROCCOLI. The silly rhyming cadence will entertain your children, along with the refrain, "Fum, foe, fie, fee, monsters don't eat broccoli!" The bright colors and silly illustrations are also a fun way to encourage your children to try new foods, just like the monsters do at the end of the story.
Daniel Tries a New Food by Becky Friedman
This book is just a text version of the corresponding episode of Daniel Tiger (which you can watch here [episode 6] through Amazon Instant Video- you can even get a free 30 day trial). Daniel's family invites some friends over for dinner. Even though Daniel is nervous about trying a new food, he does anyway with some encouragement from his family. There is a cute little song in the episode that encourages children to try new foods. We've sung it hundreds of times!
[Related Read: Healthy Spring & Easter Snacks]
D.W. The Picky Eater by Marc Brown
D.W. is a picky eater, and she misses out on all sorts of things because of it. She finally agrees to go to a restaurant and eat something from the menu. She tries something new and to her surprise, ends up liking something that she has vowed to hate! This book is nice for children who tend to hate foods that they haven't even tried yet. D.W. is portrayed as a bit of a brat, though, and since most picky eating is not caused by brattiness, it wasn't my favorite pick.
Little Critter : Good For Me And You by Mercer Mayer
This book focuses on overall health, and includes some parts about healthy eating. I like that it points out that we should sometimes eat foods that are good for us, even if they may not be our favorite thing to eat. It teaches children that a food's taste is not necessarily the most important thing to consider!
[Related Read: 25 Tips For A Kid Friendly Kitchen]
Picky Peggy by Jennifer Dussling
Picky Peggy prides herself on how picky she is - she only likes buttered noodles. When Peggy gets a pet duckling, she decides that she will only feed it its favorite food. Soon, Peggy's duckling isn't as healthy as its brothers and sisters next door. She realizes that the duckling needs to eat a variety of healthy foods in order to be grow nicely and feel well. Peggy decides that instead of amazing people with how picky she is, she will amaze them by being a bold eater! She decides to eat everything! This book is longer than the others, and attempts to use reason to encourage picky eaters, so I recommend it for older preschoolers or elementary students.
[Related Read: Fruit Theme- Weekly Home Preschool]
I Will Never Not Ever Eat A Tomato by Lauren Child
Big brother Charlie is sometimes responsible for feeding little sister Lola her supper. It's challenging, since she has a long list of foods that she doesn't eat. Charlie gets creative and Lola ends up trying lots of new foods. This book is a great reminder for parents on one effective strategy to use with your own picky eaters! Plus it's nice and silly, and your kids will love it.
Want to spice up your reading? Any of these Adorable Origami Corner Bookmarks from Red Ted Art would be so much fun to make!
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From Other Great Bloggers:
Tips For Helping Picky Eaters from Preschool Inspirations
How To Deal With Picky Eaters from Best Toys 4 Toddlers
10 Tips For Getting Picky Eaters To Try New Foods from The Educators' Spin On It
