Teaching my children about eating right and taking care of their bodies is something that is important to me. I try to find little ways throughout our life to reinforce good information and habits. One way I do this is through books. We love reading! It is something that we do everyday if possible so it makes sense to have a few books that teach lessons on nutrition and not just the typical pyramid. Here are some of my favorites…
Eat Healthy, Feel Great by Dr Sears – This book helped us introduce our kids to the concept of “Green light foods” that help our bodies go and we can enjoy often. “Yellow light foods” that slow our bodies down and we should not eat regularly and “Red light foods” which make our bodies sick and that we shouldn’t eat. That was a concept that stick with the kids, was easy to understand and easy to reference in later conversation. Dr Sears also has a few options for further discussion if you have a more inquisitive or older child. I love the sweet illustrations of the family and all the parts of food. Great book.
The Berenstain Bear and Too Much Junk Food – by Stan & Jan Berenstain – This is an old favorite. My mom read this to my siblings and I as kids and we loved it. The way the bears crave junk food is very easy to identify with (especially for kids). Although it does tend towards the traditional pyramid style of eating, this book still has some great info and is a good addition to your nutrition library. Bonus – its the Berenstain bears, who doesn’t love them!
The Gulps by Rosemary Wells – This is a cute story about a family whose RV breaks down on a road trip because its too heavy from their weight and all the TVs and junk food they have loaded in it. The family meets a farmer and end up learning all about eating farm-fresh, nutritious foods and getting plenty of exercise. They eventually get fit and head out for a different kind of vacation – one where they are more active. The illustrations are bright and fun. The story flows well and definitely gets the message across that what we eat effects our lives. NOTE: The youngest daughter does boss her mother at one point in the book. It is nothing terrible but worth noting for kids who tend to be bossy. I just change the words a little so she is a bit more respectful.
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert – A great book for little ones. This one will introduce your family to new fruits and veggies you may never have tried. The illustrations are simple, vibrant and beautiful. A fun activity after reading this book is to visit the grocery store or farmers market to purchase some of the produce you read about and cook them.
The Usborne Flip-Flap Body Book – This book covers the entire body but has a great section on the digestive system and how it works. It may be a little to complicated for your younger child to fully understand but hopefully it will be a conversation starter and it is something you can reference later as they get a little older.
BONUS BOOKS:
Nourishing Traditions for Kids by Sally Fallon – Based on Weston A. Price’s ideas on whole food nutrition including animal products and fermented foods, this cookbook is fantastic! I seriously love it! Not only are the illustrations beautiful, the information shared is phenomenal. I wish I had owned this cookbook as a kid so I could have been exposed to some of these concepts as I looked for recipes to cook for my family. You as the parent will probably learn from this book! Highly recommend!
A Tale of Two Brothers by Brittany Andrejcin – This is a new one for me. It is on my list of books to buy. All about twin brothers, they have many things in common but not what they eat. I love that the author says it is designed to spark conversation on how our diet changes the way we feel.
I hope you find some new books to add to your collection! Let me know if you have any favorites I didn’t list.
Feel free to buy using my affiliate links at no extra charge.
