Food, glorious food! Hot sausage and mustard! Magical food, wonderful food, marvellous food, fabulous food, beautiful food, glorious food! These are of course lyrics from Food, Glorious Food!
Fortunately today there is so much delicious and nutritious food to choose from that we do not need to eat gruel (like poor Oliver did!) Judging by the popularity of cooking shows on television, the rise of celebrity chefs and the plethora of recipe books available, we agree that food is glorious. And there are many fun facts about food too! Here are a few that may surprise you:
- Applesauce was the first food eaten in space.
- Broccoli contains more protein per calorie than steak.
- Cucumbers are 95% water.
- Honey is basically bee vomit. Forager bees regurgitate it.
- Popsicles were invented accidentally by an eleven year old child.
Whether your child is a fussy eater or loves their food, there are plenty of picture books and songs for children about food. And countless recipes you can try too.
Books
Alpaca Picnic Panic
Written and illustrated by Matt Cosgrove
What child doesn’t love a picnic? This recently published picture book is a rhyming, rollicking picnic adventure for Macca the Alpaca and his best friend, Al. The pair have been waiting on the perfect day to go on a picnic. When it comes to the food, they have packed everything from sushi rolls and poke bowls (very on trend), yoghurt, berries, cheese and cherries, chips and dips, sweets and treats! And this is just some of their picnic feast! But will their picnic go as planned? With bright, vibrant and engaging artwork this is a fun bouncy read aloud. And spring is a great time to plan your own picnic!
Stupid Carrots
Written by David Campbell and illustrated by Daron Parton
This humour filled story is told from the perspective of Betty Bunny, a rabbit who really does not want carrots for dinner. Betty insists she doesn’t like carrots and suggests chops or pizza or hotdogs as preferable. But her mum insists that rabbits eat carrots. And Betty’s mum is very good at hiding carrots in sandwiches, cake and yummy soup. This is a very relatable story for families, particularly if you have a fussy eater. The vibrant, colourful and expressive illustrations add to the humour as you watch Betty have a meltdown over carrots. And the narrative is fun to read aloud. This was David Campbell’s first ever children’s book and there are now others about the Bunny family, inspired by his children.
Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas
Written and illustrated by Aaron Blabey
This has become a Storytime favourite! The children love Brian, a very likeable fruit and vegetable loving piranha. Brian sets a good example by eating and enjoying healthy food. And because Brian loves fruit and vegetables, maybe he could encourage your children to like them too! This humour filled rhyming story is so much fun to read aloud. The text is minimal and the bright, comical illustrations portray the piranhas as cute rather than fearsome. The children always giggle when Brian’s friends prefer bum! This is simple silly fun.
Songs
Picked a Strawberry
Picking berries is so much fun and they are yummy too! You can also practise your counting with this song.
Apples & Bananas
This is a super silly and fun song. Watch the cute monsters who like to eat apples and bananas and sing along to the catchy tune.
Make Something Yummy!
Look through a few different children’s recipe books together. Encourage your child to choose three different recipes to try. Make the recipes (who knows, you may have a little chef in the making) and then go on a picnic to enjoy them. Here are three cookbooks for children you may like to try.
