The 9 Best Cookbooks for Getting Your Kids to Eat Healthy

Delicious foods children love.

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November 23, 2020

By: Dakota Kim

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Photo By: Narisara Nami

Entice Kids Into Eating Healthy

Even the pickiest eaters will appreciate these carefully crafted cookbooks with mouthwatering, nutritious recipes.

Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton

The neat thing about this cookbook is that it has specific advice geared toward picky eaters, school and lunchbox solutions, and hosting and attending kids’ parties. As a mom of three, Dreena clearly knows what it’s like to fret when your kids refuse to eat a single green thing for days. Her recipes entice with familiar burger formats and rich veggie ingredients, including Polenta Pizza Crust, Creamy Fettucine, Mac-nificient, Umami Sun-Dried Tomato and Almond Burgers, Shipshape Joe’s and Balsamic-Glazed Seasoned Yam Fries. Her catalogue of sauces and salad dressings is particularly impressive, boasting toppings that’ll make your kid eat their peas, broccoli and cauliflower, like the Magical Applesauce Vinaigrette, Cheesy Caesar Dressing, Velvety Cashew Cream, Home-Style Gravy, Green Superhero Dressing, Zesty Raw Almond Sauce and Tzatziki Sauce. Dreena’s advice for picky eaters? Focus on the successes, stay consistent and calm, talk about food health early, recognize phases, refrain from sneaking healthy foods in all the time, season and sauce, try the two-bite try and accept some dislikes. She also gives her kids choices and gets them in on the shopping, choosing of recipes and cooking.

BUY IT: Amazon, $16

The Forest Feast for Kids: Colorful Vegetarian Recipes That Are Simple to Make by Erin Gleeson

Most cookbooks for kids bear little resemblance to the gorgeously shot tomes for adults who love to cook, except for Erin Gleeson’s “The Forest Feast for Kids,” which naturally resembles her beautiful and much-lauded cookbook for grown-ups, “The Forest Feast: Simple Vegetarian Recipes from My Cabin in the Woods.” An artist, photographer and cook, Erin’s books are famous for their whimsical illustrations and lush photographs. The kid’s version is no exception, with fancifully drawn berries and artichokes spilling out of the pages to entice your little chef. The recipes appeal to a gourmand in training, including Lemon Ricotta Crostini with Honey, Edamame Hummus, Apricot Bites with Chevre, Cranberry and Thyme, Cucumber-Strawberry Ribbon Salad, Asparagus Pastry Straws, Butternut Quesadillas and Pesto Pepper Pizza, to name a few. Some recipes are extremely simple, involving two steps and a few ingredients, while others scale a bit more complex, but step-by-step pictorials with fun drawings help make everything easier. This cookbook pleases with the ability to elevate your kids’ cooking, giving them a view into how they will continue to cook as an adult. Unexpected dishes like radishes with butter and salt may throw your picky kid off, but sometimes an unusual combo can get them to try something new that they might like.

BUY IT: Amazon, $12

Living Lively by Haile Thomas

Haile Thomas’ father received a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, and 10-year-old Haile got to work in the kitchen. She graduated at age 16 from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition as a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. Now 19, Haile has written her own cookbook featuring the “7 Points of Power”—wellness, world perspective, media and societal influences, thoughts and spirituality, education, relationships, and creativity and giving. What that translates to for cooking is a fantastic set of recipes like Pink Sunrise Latte, Korean Jackfruit Sloppy Jill, Straight Fire Mac N’ Cheese, Fruity Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge and Golden Dream Turmeric Berry Chia Pudding. If your kid won’t eat his or her veggies, try Haile’s fancy toasts, tacos and bowls. Her food is trendy and appeals to the younger generation in both format and ingredients. But this isn’t just a cookbook; Haile also features fellow Gen Z leaders in the book and offers reflective worksheets. Her exercises ask your kids to consider what they’re thankful for, who they surround themselves with, and even how they feel about social media–truly health in all its formats.

BUY IT: Amazon, $19

The Wellness Mama Cookbook by Katie Wells

Katie Wells was holding her six-week-old baby in the doctor’s office when she picked up a magazine and read that her child’s generation might be the first in two centuries to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Shocked and mobilized, she decided then and there to do better for her child’s generation, and the seeds of “The Wellness Mama” were born. Katie isn’t just about cramming as much broccoli into your kids as possible, but about examining each ingredient at the root. She talks about the nutritional issues behind wheat, sugar and vegetable oils, offering better alternatives. But you won’t feel like you’re not indulging with Soulful BBQ Ribs, Dairy-Free Upside-Down Pizza, Creamy Broccoli Soup with Extra Veggies, Meatball-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash and Cottage Pie-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Katie isn’t anti-saturated fat, and she isn’t about denial; her dishes let kids enjoy cream cheese on their salmon, and bacon with their tomatoes. And best of all, many of the dishes are easy for little hands to hold, like Avocado Deviled Eggs, Homemade Gyros and Sriracha Shrimp Lettuce Wraps.

BUY IT: Amazon, $21

Mom and Me Cookbook by Annabel Karmel

Part of your child’s reluctance to eat healthy foods may stem from feelings of powerlessness. Empower your kid with this cookbook meant to get kids in on the cooking. The large photos illustrating every step of the process will help get your kid in on the action. Ingredients are all pictured, so you can point to the corn, broccoli, green onions, pasta and chicken listed for Annabel’s Perfect Pasta recipe, and ask your child to help gather them. Go healthy by substituting whole wheat flour for half of the flour in the pizza dough in her 2-in-1 Pizzas, and pile colorful veggies on top–she suggests sweet peppers, mushrooms, basil, olives and cherry tomatoes. Her recipes live up to their fun names, like the Avocado Frog Dip, which uses cucumbers and olives to make silly eyes to place on top of the dip, and chives to form a pair of lips. Mashing up the avocado and tomato for the dip is easy for kids to do, and they’ll love making “ribbit” sounds and playing with their food. For her Fishy Fruit Dip, she employs a seemingly odd combination of ingredients, but the mango, yogurt and honey become a fun dip that’s decorated with mandarin oranges for the mouth, chocolate chips for the eyes, and kiwi and apple slices for the fins and tail. Then, let your kids plunge fruit skewers into the dip and play while dripping the yogurt-mango mixture into their mouths.

BUY IT: Amazon, $12

Super Foods for Super Kids Cookbook by Noelle Martin

This superhero-themed cookbook by nurse and nutritionist Noelle Martin frames pea pods and tomatoes as superheroes for your child’s health, with your kid as the ultimate hero for eating them. These recipes burst with avocados, black beans, broccoli, kale, chia seeds, almond butter and carrots, but the recipes are anything but boring. Yes, your kid can have cake for breakfast when it’s made from blueberries, and nachos for a snack when they’re made from apples. The recipes include Radical Raspberry Chia Pudding, Banana Sushi, Oatmeal Pancakes, Zippy Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chickpea-Stuffed Peppers, Cheesy Carrot Quesadillas, Speedy Salmon Bites and Trail Mix Salad. There are even Protein-Packed Brownies as a sweet and healthful treat.

BUY IT: Amazon, $10

The Vegucated Family Table: Irresistible Vegan Recipes and Proven Tips for Feeding Plant-Powered Babies, Toddlers, and Kids by Marisa Miller Wolfson & Laura Delhauer

Marisa and Laura make a magic combination for feeding littles a vegan diet. Laura, an actor and performer, was Marisa’s mother’s helper, and the two quickly discovered how magical Laura was in the kitchen and what a great team they made. From the list of recommended pantry staples and kitchen appliances to the Q&A with nutritionist Reed Mangels, the authors make it easy to add healthy vegan staples to your child’s diet. You don’t have to go full vegan, but you can use this book to add delightful easy dishes like Magic Beans (beans with nutritional yeast), Cashew Creamed Kale, White Bean Wonder Waffles and Clean-Out-the-Fridge Burgers to your child’s repertoire. Even your pickiest kids are sure to love Chickpea Sweet Potato Croquettes, Tempeh Tacos, Baby Mac-o-Lantern and Cheeze, and a PBJ Smoothie Bowl. What’s more, the book is eco-conscious, recommending against unsustainable palm oils and advocating for zero-waste storage solutions, and offers emotional support for feeding your child.

BUY IT: Amazon, $24

Complete Children’s Cookbook by Elizabeth Yeates

This cookbook is the encyclopedia for bringing your kids into the kitchen, helping them take responsibility for their own healthy eats and growing with them. The visual equipment guide in the front quickly acclimates your children to the tools they will need, from a ladle to a ceramic flan dish. The following pages teach your child about cooking methods from poaching to roasting, and prep methods from peeling to dicing. The book includes lower-calorie dishes like Mixed-Bean Stir-Fry, which includes sliced fennel, green beans, bean sprouts, cashews and whole wheat noodles, and also higher-calorie dishes like Vegetable Lasagna, which incorporates zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, eggplant, red onions and tomatoes. A fair number of vegetarian recipes are included. The sauces and dips are plentiful, with sauces like barbecue, cheesy white sauce, crunchy satay sauce and chunky tomato sauce, and dips like tzatziki, guacamole, tomato salsa and hummus. Large colorful photos, fun fonts and simple instructions make it easy for your kid to join in on cooking healthy, though the large number of desserts and breads that comprise the second half of the book may be hard for both adults and kids to resist.

BUY IT: Amazon, $19

Little Helpers Toddler Cookbook by Heather Wish Staller

Heather Wish Staller, blogger at Happy Kids Kitchen, has figured out how to get the kids to eat green beans, cauliflower, broccoli and tofu. In her book, she divides cooking skill levels into 1, 2 and 3, so that adults know how to guide their toddlers as their skills grow. Broccoli Nuggets employ an egg, cheddar or mozz, garlic powder and quinoa or rice to get kids to enjoy the green stuff, while Smashed-Bean Quesadillas pack on the protein. Heather also gives tips about knife safety (including acquiring child-safe knives), knife skills, how to deal with pickiness, the emotional benefits of cooking, adopting a playful attitude in the kitchen and how to cook together as a family. The recipes are easy and don’t contain too many ingredients or take hours to make, resulting in a higher chance of success for parents and kids cooking together.

BUY IT: Amazon, $13

The 9 Best Cookbooks for Getting Your Kids to Eat Healthy

Related To:

Shop This Look

Entice Kids Into Eating Healthy

Plant-Powered Families by Dreena Burton

The Forest Feast for Kids: Colorful Vegetarian Recipes That Are Simple to Make by Erin Gleeson

Living Lively by Haile Thomas

The Wellness Mama Cookbook by Katie Wells

Mom and Me Cookbook by Annabel Karmel

Super Foods for Super Kids Cookbook by Noelle Martin

The Vegucated Family Table: Irresistible Vegan Recipes and Proven Tips for Feeding Plant-Powered Babies, Toddlers, and Kids by Marisa Miller Wolfson & Laura Delhauer

Complete Children’s Cookbook by Elizabeth Yeates

Little Helpers Toddler Cookbook by Heather Wish Staller

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