As a blogger, I love getting the chance to review new books about kids and food. But sometimes I come across a book that’s so good, it’s actually a little painful to read — I find myself lamenting the fact that the book didn’t exist when my kids were younger, when it could have really helped me out. And that’s exactly how I felt when reading “Eat Your Vegetables” And Other Mistakes Parents Make: Redefining How to Raise Healthy Eaters.
In Eat Your Vegetables, author Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RD systematically examines twelve common mistakes parents make in feeding their children, from “Forbidding Potato Chips and Ice Cream” to “Using Food as a Reward” to “Catering to Picky Eaters.” Each chapter thoughtfully examines why parents often make the mistake, then offers detailed counterstrategies to help them reverse course. All chapters also contain developmental considerations based upon a child’s age, a concise summary to drill home key points, a bibliography for further reading and a handful of healthy recipes designed to support the specific goals of the chapter. And Muth doesn’t just focus on the feeding of children by parents, but also includes chapters on encouraging physical activity, dealing with “grandparent sabotage” and the tricky topic of discussing your child’s weight with your pediatrician.
As good as that description may sound, though, it doesn’t quite do justice to this book. Eat Your Vegetables is so full of resources and sound advice that even a reader who is not making one of the identified “mistakes” will still find much to learn and use here. Several times while reading the book, I would stop and ask myself, “Why haven’t I heard about this book in the media before? It’s so awesome!”
I only have one quibble with the book, which is that it doesn’t include an index so it’s hard to go back and find a favorite recipe or a particular reference. But that small criticism aside, I regard Eat Your Vegetables as an essential resource for all parents trying to instill healthy habits in their young children. If you have kids between infancy and age 10 or so, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
And now for the promised giveaway! To enter to win your own copy of Eat Your Vegetables, just leave a comment below by 6pm CST tomorrow (November 2nd). You can tell me why you’d like to win or you can just say hi. I’ll use a random number generator after the comment period closes to select one lucky winner and if you comment twice (e.g., to respond to another reader’s comment), I’ll use the number of your first comment to enter you in the drawing. I’ll email you directly if you win and announce the winner on TLT’s Facebook page, too.
Good luck!
[Blogger disclosure: As with most of my book reviews, I received a free copy of this book for my perusal but I never accept any other form of compensation for the book reviews you see on The Lunch Tray. I’m also mentioned in this particular book, but I had no communications with the author before it was published. ]
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Stacy says
Sounds like something my family can benefit from.
Suzie Valenz says
Pick me, pick me! I am truly blessed to have a child that LOVES his veggies, he has ever since he was old enough to eat. As a matter of fact, it is a chore to get him to eat meat. He will actually scream and run the other way. He hates fast food as well. I never thought that a child could be a born vegetarian, but that’s the case for my son. I accept it now & don’t make him eat meat. I recently bought a few books on vegetarian cooking and this book would make a perfect addition to my collection!
Tina says
I’d like to win! We are working on healthier eating for my family (less processed, NOT processed, no dyes, etc). I’d like even more information to share with my childcare families. THX!
Dina Rose says
You and I are almost always on the same reading track. I just finished this book a few weeks ago!
Dina
RobynPerry says
I want this book for my little brother who has a 2 year old and a new baby due in January. We regularly talk about the food “issues” we both have and the struggle to do it differently with our own kids. Mine are teenagers and doing well (where was this book when I needed it!) but he’s just starting out on the feeding children journey.
Adrienne Markus says
Sounds like a great book! As a health coach and nutrition consultant, I’m sure this information would be very helpful for my clients. Thanks for letting us know about it!
JulieVK says
Oh dear, I have a 12-year-old picky eater, and if it’s not too late, this might be able to help! Thanks for the giveaway!
Polly says
What a great idea!
Christy O. says
Love to read! This one looks interesting!
Abby N says
I’d love to read about how to feed my child better!
Kelly says
That sounds like a fantastic resource. As a mom to two young girls, who have very different eating habits, I bet there is a lot to learn in this book!
stef says
Would love to read it! Sounds juicy.
Caron says
Not sure I can wait to see if I win-book sounds fantastic!
Mom in NJ says
I’d love a copy of this book. Sounds like it could help everyone in my house, me included!
Andrea says
Me! I thought I was smart enough to raise healthy, adventurous eaters. Turns out I have two picky kids whose weight is of increasing concern. I seem to like most of the books/posts/articles you approve of, so I think need to check this out!
Laura says
Sounds like a book I would like to check out. Thanks for the review of this book!
Lori says
I have one kid with special needs who will eat most anything, so any cool tips on how to TEACH him good eating are always welcome for me. I have another who is pickier and loves one thing one day and hates it the next. She is aware that she should eat healthy, but I struggle with answering her questions: “Mommy is chicken healthy?” She also has a sweet tooth and wants to rush through dinner and make “deals” about eating the healthy stuff so she can get to the sweet stuff! I’d love tips on how to deal with two very different eaters!
Nicki Rathert says
My son is four months old and will probably be starting solids by Christmas! My husband and I eat a whole foods diet, but we were not raised that way.
Casey says
You made me want to read it.
Jana says
We are doing our best to be healthier eaters and this would be a great resource to have at our disposal. Thanks!
Michelle says
Sounds like a must-have for my shelf! 🙂
Emily Silva says
Lo0ks like a great book….maybe it can help my picky but healthy 4 year old make more varied choices….
Donna says
Sounds like a great book for my nieces! Frankly, sounds interesting for my own family even though my kids are older.
Krista Bean says
Sounds like a great book! Thanks for the opportunity.
Alicia says
I’d love to win this. As much as I try to encourage healthy eating, I think I still struggle with some of these mistakes.
Ian says
Great blog!
Marishannon Baker says
My three year old has gotten so stubborn with his eating – I am desperate!
Timmi Dobesh says
My once happy to they anything will now eat nothing!
Pilar says
Hi,
Your advice on feeding a good dinner to the kids the night of Halloween was so spot on.
Thanks.
Sylvie says
Although I’m firmly in the no junk food AT ALL camp, I’m open to a different perspective. (FWIW, I was raised that way and have no taste for junk food – so from my sample of 1, I think it works).
Wilma says
I just had to enter to try to win this giveaway. The book sounds so great. Having a very impressionable young child makes it such an important topic of discussion in our home.
Kristin says
Sounds like a great book!
Heather says
I’m always interested in this subject, and your review made this book seem very intriguing.
Lauren Calderon says
This would be wonderful to have. I have a 2 year old sometimes finicky eater. I wonder if the tips will work on my husband.
LindaSue says
Sounds like a great resource. Very interesting.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
The entry period for this drawing is now closed.