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Books to Encourage Healthy Eating for Your Toddler

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September 20, 2023 Children

dad and daughter reading

A visit to your local library can be a fun, healthy, and educational way to get your toddler excited about trying healthy foods. There are many children’s books that can encourage healthy food habits. Below are a few examples:

I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato

by Lauren Child
(©2000, Candlewick Press)

Lola is a fussy eater until her big brother, Charlie makes up inventive names for vegetables and other foods.

Never Eat A Tomato
Rah Rah Radishes
Grapes
Nuts

Books by April Pulley Sayre are written in rhyme, with vivid colored photos that will delight both kids and parents.

Rah, Rah Radishes!
(©2011, Beach Lane Books)

Go, Go, Grapes!
(©2012, Beach Lane Books)

Let’s go Nuts! Seeds we Eat
(©2013, Beach Lane Books)

Handa’s Surprise​

by Eileen Browne
(©1999, Candlewick Press)​

This is a delightful tale of a young Kenyan girl on her way to visit her friend in a nearby village. On the way, seven different animals eat the seven varieties of fruit on her head. Children love seeing the beautiful and colorful illustrations and delight in the surprise twist at the end of the story.

Handas Surprise
Healthy Foods

Healthy Foods from A to Z:
Comida sana de la A a la Z.

by Stephanie Maze and Renee Cornet
(©2012, Moonstone Press)

This bilingual picture book features fabulous color photos of faces made from fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts and beans. It also has fun food activities to do
at home.

If you can’t make it to the library, there are a number of resources online too! Discover MyPlate has mini eBooks available to download for free:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/discover-myplate-emergent-reader-mini-books.

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Reading books like these with your child shows them that choosing healthy foods is important and can also be a lot of fun. When you make healthy eating a priority, your child will too!

mini eBooks
  • Infant
    • When to Start Peanut and Egg to Help Prevent Allergies
    • The Basics of Paced Bottle-Feeding
    • How Do I Know If My Baby Could Be Tongue-Tied?
    • Protect Your Baby from Cronobacter
    • Exploring the World with Baby – Sensory Play
  • Children
    • Shopping With Kids: A Simple Way to Help Them Like More Foods
    • Pumpkin Fun: Free and Healthy Activities for Kids Under 5
    • Letting Your Child Play with Food Can Be a Good Thing
    • Is Snack Time Treat Time?
    • Fun Ways to Learn About Healthy Food and Get Moving!
  • General /Family
    • The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – What Families Need to Know
    • Finding Calm When Life Gets Busy: Stress-Management for Parents
    • February Is National Heart Month: Simple Ways to Show Your Heart Some Love
    • 10 Ways to Enjoy Avocados – And Helpful Tips to Feed with Confidence
    • Food, Feelings, and Finding Balance: Understanding Disordered Eating
  • Women
    • Newborn Hunger Cues: How to Know When Your Baby Is Hungry or Full
    • How to Know Your Baby Is Getting Enough Breastmilk
    • Breastfeeding Through Growth Spurts and Sleep Changes
    • Baby Blues… or Is It Something More?
    • Gut Health and Gestational Diabetes
  • Recipes
    • Heart-Healthy Recipe: Banana Berry Oatmeal Cups
    • Is the Chia Seed Challenge Worth It?
    • Extra Vegetables Quiche
    • Easy Pumpkin Muffins
    • Confetti Bean Salad

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