If you have a picky eater at home, then you have dealt with lots of frustrating mealtimes. I was a picky eater, and now I have a picky eater, so I have experienced both sides of the battle. So I was excited to check out these children’s books about picky eaters, and pair it with some resources to help picky eaters explore food in a fun way!

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Fussy Flamingo

Written by Shelly Vaughan James and illustrated by Matthew Rivera

In this silly story, readers meet Lola, the picky flamingo who refuses to eat shrimp. Instead of eating the shrimp that will turn her feathers pink, Lola decides to try other foods and soon turns all kinds of crazy colors. Her parents try to persuade her to eat shrimp by sharing all of the things that it will do for her growing body, but she refuses. In the end, by actually trying shrimp, she discovers that they are actually delicious. The back of the book includes facts about flamingos and resources for further learning about them.

Little Green Donkey

Written by Anuska Allepuz

Little Donkey loves eating grass. No matter what foods his mother gives to him, he would prefer to eat grass. But only eating grass eventually turns him green. His mother tries to convince him to try other foods to reverse his color change, and he eventually finds another new food. But only eating that food has consequences too. This silly story is a fun way to talk to kids about the importance of eating more than one kind of food, and they will love the funny donkey and silly situation.

Related Post: Children’s Books about Food & Eating

I Don’t Like to Eat Ants

Written by JTK Belle and illustrated by Sabine Mielke

This book follows a conversation between two anteaters. Anteater One doesn’t like to eat ants and wants to eat other foods. Anteater Two can’t believe that his friend wants to eat things like chocolate cake and grilled cheese instead of ants. Together they go to Anteater Three’s restaurant, and Anteater Two has to try something new. This is a funny story about eating something other than your favorite food, and discovering something new. Kids will love the funny argument between the two main characters, and the simple illustrations that highlight their heightened emotions.

Cave Dada Picky Eater

Written by Brandon Reese

This follow up to Cave Dada revisits the adorable Baba and his caveman dad. Baba wants eggs for breakfast, and no matter what Dada offers, Baba will not settle for anything else. In the end, through a bunch of silly accidents, Dada may discover something delicious. The text is told through stilted caveman language, making it fun to read aloud. The illustrations are done in earth tones, and they are full of funny details that kids will love finding.

There are lots of fun ways to get kids excited about food and eating, even if they are picky eaters!

Cooking Together

When I was younger, my mother insisted that my sister and I pick a meal one night a week. Eventually as we got older, we had to cook one meal a week. This ensured that there was at least one night a week that we didn’t moan and groan about the menu, and it gave us a chance to learn how to cook and be comfortable in the kitchen. Little Bookworm has enjoyed cooking since she was little, and this has helped to get her excited about food. Start out by offering your kids one night a week to select the dinner if they are younger. Set parameters that it has to include a protein, a vegetable, a side dish, and a fruit. You can use this free printable to help them plan. If your kids are older, try out some fun cookbooks to get them excited about trying new things.

Related Post: 9 of the Best Cookbooks for Kids

Eating the Rainbow

One of the best ways to get kids excited about something is to give them a challenge. Print out this free rainbow foods printable challenge and mark down each of the colorful foods that you try. Challenge your kids to try new foods and color in the squares for each colorful food they try. At the end of the challenge, your kids will have tried all kinds of new foods, and may have found some new favorites.

No Thank You Bites

When my daughter started showing signs of being a picky eater, we instituted “no thank you bites”. Whenever Little Bookworm doesn’t want to try a new food, I ask her to take a “no thank you bite”. This ensures that she tries something, even if she doesn’t think she will like it. If she takes a bite and doesn’t like it, then she is able to say no thank you to more without arguments from me.

Veggie Kids Club

We had the opportunity to try this fun subscription box in the past and it helped us to explore new vegetables in fun ways. Each box focuses on one vegetable, and it includes recipes and activities to bring food to life for kids. Check out our full review here!

Raddish Cooking Club

We have tried the Raddish Cooking Club subscription boxes in the past, and they are so much fun! Each box includes themed recipes, as well as Table Talk cards for families, and a cooking tool. The themed menus from Raddish include both sweet and savory dishes, giving kids a chance to cook a whole meal for the family.

What are your favorite books for picky eaters? Do you have any tips for teaching picky eaters to try new foods? Share them in the comments below!

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