Eat the Rainbow! Books That Make Nutrition Fun

Most parents are all too familiar with the challenge of making healthy food choices more appealing than the alternatives for young children. It can feel daunting to make sure vegetables are an appealing top choice but hang in there. It’s not impossible! It can be done.

March is National Nutrition Month. A great time to talk through why it’s important to eat a variety of colorful foods at every age. Children’s books provide a relatable, age-appropriate way to share essential messages about all sorts of topics, including nutrition. Through fun stories, silly characters, and colorful artwork, your child may feel more curious about trying new foods. Our Education Team is sharing several recommendations by age to get you started!

Infants/Toddlers

Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert

A vibrant, educational book that introduces children to both uppercase and lowercase letters while exploring a variety of fruits and vegetables from around the world. Each letter of the alphabet corresponds to a different food item, giving young readers a fun way to learn letters while discovering new and exotic foods.

Rah, Rah, Radishes! A Vegetable Chant by April Sayre

A lively board book that celebrates fresh vegetables and healthy eating. Through playful, rhyming text, it introduces kids to a variety of veggies such as radishes, carrots, bok choy, broccoli, and cauliflower to encourage them to embrace healthy food with enthusiasm.

Eat Your Colors by Amanda Miller

A toddler-friendly book that encourages young readers to explore colors through the lens of healthy foods. With engaging photographs and illustrations, the book makes learning about colors fun and interactive. Each page highlights different colored foods, helping toddlers connect colors with the world around them.

My First Book of Growing Food by duopress labs

A delightful introduction to the world of gardening. This charming book helps little ones develop a connection to nature by showing them how simple foods like lettuce, tomatoes, and herbs can be grown at home. The book also includes a step-by-step guide for starting an herb garden, making it a perfect way to inspire future nature lovers.

Make eating healthy a fun adventure as children get older and more involved.

Visit the farmers’ market this Spring or turn your trip to the grocery store into a sensory experience. During each outing, encourage your child to touch and feel the produce to help make selections. If you have space, plant a small garden as the weather warms up.

The more involved children can be with the process, the better. Remember, it may take several tries for them to develop a taste for something new, so keep finding opportunities to share healthy choices. And, as always, keep connecting through books!

Preschool/Pre-K

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

Sal and her mother are picking blueberries for winter when Sal stumbles upon a mama bear preparing for hibernation. Meanwhile, Sal’s mother is unknowingly followed by a bear cub, leading to a humorous and heartwarming mix-up. It may leave you craving blueberries!

Too Many Mangos by Tammy Paikai

This story follows two young Hawaiians, Kama and Nani, who help their grandpa pick mangos from a giant tree. After picking too many, they share the fruit with friends and family, teaching readers about community, friendship, and the joys of island life.

Vegetable Garden by Douglas Florian

This colorful picture book follows a family as they plant, care for, and harvest a vegetable garden, showing the growth process through the changing seasons. Young readers will enjoy watching the vegetables grow, with the sun shining and summer rain falling.

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child

Lola is a very fussy eater, refusing to eat foods like carrots, mashed potatoes, and especially tomatoes—until her imaginative brother, Charlie, rebrands them as fun, magical items. This witty story showcases the power of imagination and the bond between siblings.

Squash Boom Beet: An Alphabet for Healthy, Adventurous Eaters by Lisa Price

This vibrant, award-winning book invites kids on an exciting journey through the alphabet to discover unique vegetables like dragon tongue beans and candy cane beets. With stunning photography and playful text, it encourages young readers to be adventurous eaters and explore new, fun foods with curiosity.