31st August Vegetable Day

How familiar you are with a food is a crucial indicator of whether you are likely to eat it. This is the case not only for children but for adults too.

Birch, L. & Marlin, D. M (1982). “I don't like it; I never tried it: Effects of exposure on two-year-old children's food preferences” Appetite Accessed on 26th November 2020 

 So, the easiest way to combat food neophobia in children is to make food more familiar. Ideally, familiarity arises through exposing children to new foods multiple times and through different recipes – if a child can be persuaded to taste an initially rejected food on multiple occasions, the evidence suggests that the food will eventually be accepted. 

Reading picture books that feature vegetables will quickly mean that children will at least know what they look like before they taste them. Many picture books make vegetables easy to identify with and good fun. I'm sure that is why my students love Supertato books and the Runaway Pea  series.

Last week Cate James visited the students I teach and her newest book is this one written by Jo Dabrowski. It is written in a letter format. 

Dear Broccoli,

Last night at dinner you were on my plate. AGAIN. 

Please don't come back. 

From, Frank. 

Dear Frank, 

I am afraid I cannot grant your request. The matter is out of my florets. 

Most respectful regards, 

Broccoli 

This will make children laugh, even those who do not like broccoli. It is surprising how many books there actually are that feature broccoli.

• Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks and Sue Hendra

• There's Broccoli in My Ice Cream!  by Emily MacKenzie

• a series of easy graphic readers about Cookie and Broccoli  by Bob McMahon

• Nelson: Broccoli and Spies  by Andrew Levins

Similarly, there are several books about carrots

• Too Many Carrots  by Katy Hudson

• Colin and Lee Carrot and Pea  by Morag Hood

• Oh, Carrots!  by  Mariajo Illustrajo  

• Creepy Carrots  by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown

• Lottie and Dottie Sow Carrots  by Claire Burgess

Peas

• Give Peas a Chance  by Rob Biddulph

• The Princess and the Peas  by Caryl Hart and Sarah Warburton

• The Princess and the Peas and the Carrots  by Harriet Ziefert 

• More Peas Please!  by Tom McLaughlin

• The Runaway Pea  by Kjartan Poskitt

Zucchini

• Zora's Zucchini  by Katherine Pryor and Anna Raff

Spinach

• Sylvia's Spinach  by Katherine Pryor and Anna Raff

Radishes

• Rah, Rah, Radishes!  by April Pulley Sayre

Lettuce

• For the Love of Lettuce by Courtney Dicmas

Strictly speaking tomatoes and avocados are fruit not vegetables so not included here.

Various other single vegetable books.