No matter how inventive I get in the kitchen, my picky eaters end up with the same dish every night: plain pasta with parmesan cheese. Nutritional deficiencies concern me, but even worse is this unadventurous pattern of eating. When will we ever be able to take our kids to Indian restaurants? Thai food? Not in the foreseeable future. I used to enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, but picky eating has zapped the fun out of cooking.
Picky eating is a recurring theme in children's books. Usually the picky protagonists thwart the parent's efforts to feed them a detested food. Fortunately, there are some fun books that actually encourage kids to try new foods. Reading fiction to encourage healthy eating doesn't come off as preachy. Instead, a nagging topic is made fun through zany characters that resonate with kids.
Here are fun selections that provide kids with food for thought!
Green Eggs And Ham by Dr. Seuss. Timeless Dr. Seuss classic with wacky rhymes and illustrations. Sam-I-Am relentlessly hounds "Doubter" to try green eggs and ham. Maybe, just maybe, he'll try it in a box, with a fox, or with a goat. Well, you know what happens, but kids never tire of the punchline that may encourage them to taste something new.
Seven Silly Eaters. Life is hectic for a Mom preparing meals for seven children, especially when each is a picky eater. Mrs. Peters, a loving cello-playing mother, finds herself becoming increasingly overwhelmed as she tries to meet her children's demands. My kids love the chaotic illustrations and clever rhymes. I love that picky eating is conveyed from a Mom's point of view.
Bread and Jam for Frances. One my favourite books when I was a kid, and it still hasn't lost its charm. Frances insists on eating nothing but bread and jam, until that's all her parents serve every meal. You have to love the sweet illustrations and cute badger characters in the Frances series.
Have fun with these delicious books that inspire kids to realize: Variety is the spice of life!
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