March is National Nutrition Month, and while we’re wired to now be uber conscious about our child’s diet, it’s important to teach why it is we do the things we do and cook the things we cook. It can be hard for a little one to really understand why too many cookies might just do more harm than good and how greens help us grow strong. Fun, colorful books with illustrations will draw them in, while an interactive cookbook they can enjoy when they’re a bit older can incite the fun in being healthy. Here are our five favorite nutrition-focused books.

From our day, but still relevant and amazing, Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food teaches them what an overload of sweets can unfortunately lead to and how fun it is to be fit and healthy as a family.

 

The vivid drawings and array of produce in Eating the Alphabet might entice them to bite into something new and fresh, and master their ABCs.

The fun sibling tale told in I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato will bring laughter to the usual unpleasant thought of eating fruits and veggies.

 

For the Young Chef, Ella’s Kitchen: The Cookbook is chalk full of recipes they can make and enjoy with you. Giving them control of the menu from time to time will spark curiosity and really allow them to grasp what kind of work and ingredients go into a dish.

 

Good Enough to Eat offers a more “scientific” approach, breaking down how certain foods affect the body and other basic nutrition facts.