Picture Books:

The ABCs of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond: Delicious Alphabet Poems plus Food, Facts and Fun for Everyone, by Steve Charney and David Goldbeck, Ceres Press, 2007 – This has poems, recipes, projects, jokes and more.

Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z, by Lois Ehlert, Voyager Books, 1989 – bright illustrations adorn this alphabet book that highlights fruits and veg!

Oliver’s Vegetables, by Vivian French and illustrated by Alison Bartlett, Orchard Books, 1995 – A boy visits his grandfather’s garden and insists he only eats French fries. Grandpa says to eat French fires he must find the potoates in the garden but if he finds something else he has to eat that with no complaints. So each day he pulls a veggie and each night he eats something new.

Rah, Rah, Radishes! A Vegetable Chant, by April Pulley Sayre, Little Simon, 2011 – An easy to read cheer about vegetables perfect for new readers or little ones.

The Talking Vegetables, Retold by Won-Ldy Paye & Margaret H. Lippert, illustrated by Julie Paschkis, Henry Holt and Company, 2006 – A bit like the story of the Little Red Hen who asks for help to plant seeds to make bread…in this one the animals ask spider to help and he refuses to plant and weed and tend the vegetables. When he goes to pick them the vegetables start to talk to him and tell him to go away because he didn’t help them grow.

The Ugly Vegetables, by Grace Lin, Charlesbridge, 2009 – A little girl wonders why her mother is choosing to plant “ugly vegetables” (Chinese vegetables) in their garden but her mother insists they are “better than flowers.”

Vegetables in Underwear, by Jared Chapman, Abrams Appleseed, 2015 - not really about nutrition but it is hilarious to see the illustrations of veggies wearing underwear...or is that just me?

Non-fiction books on Nutrition for kids:

Fruits, by Allison Lassieur, Amicus High Interest, 2015 – It has larger text but more details making this a better book for new but established readers.

Nutrition Anyone?, by Kristin Petrie, ABDO Publishing Company, 2004 – More details makes this thin book a better choice for older grade schoolers.

Nutrition Basics, by Beth Bence Reinke, MS, RD, - this explains why food is necessary and what nutrients we need. Easy to read but lots of text makes this more for older grade schoolers.

On a Mission for Good Nutrition!, by Rebecca Sjonger, Crabtree Publishing Company, 2016 – A simple book that easily explains the importance of eating a balanced diet and what nutrition is.

The Shape of Good Nutrition: The Food Pyramid, part of the Slim Goodbody Series, Crabtree Publioshing Company, 2008 - This is a great book for older kids with easy to understand breakdown of the food pyramid.

Vegetables, by Nancy Dickman, Heinemann Library, 2010 - this is a book for beginner readers with large print and few words. (There is also a Fruits book in this series).

Vital Vegetables, A Slim Goodbody Book, Crabtree Publishing, 2010 – This easy to read book has Slim talking about the food pyramid with a focus on vegetables (Fabulous Fruits is also in this series).

Your Healthy Plate: Vegetables, by Katie Marsico, Cherry Lane Publishing, 2012 – An easy reader book with very large print for new readers.

Top Food ideas - For Fun

Getting to YUM: The 7 Secrets of Raising Eager Eaters, by Karen Le Billon, William Morrow, 2014—I liked her previous book French Kids Eat Everything and found this one just as interesting, hopeful and useful. For more information check here: http://karenlebillon.com/getting-to-yum/

It’s Not About the Broccoli, by Dina Rose, PhD, Penguin Group, 2014—This one is about teaching habits of good eating: proportion, variety and moderation instead of focusing on nutrition.

For cookbooks that offer healthy recipes I found these titles

(I have not read them all the way through yet or tested any recipes but they look pretty good):

Appetite for Life, by Stacey Antine, Ms, Rd, Harper one, 2012

Real Food for Healthy Kids, by Tracey Seaman and Tanya Wenman Steel, William morrow, 2008