With other competing demands, I have not spent much time on marketing the kid's books I have written. So was pleasantly surprised to receive a Parent's Picks Award for my book If It Does Not Grow Say No - Eatable Activities for Kids and wanted to share the story of WHY I created the book.
I was a plump kid who had to bear the additional weight of comments like “Girls like you should not be eating any bread or rice” and “Good thing you are pretty and nice, so your weight will not get in the way of dating.” The “solution” to my weight issue was exercise and constantly restricted portion sizes, and it has taken me years (decades!) to build instead a healthy relationship to food.
These early experiences with food have made me passionate about educating and empowering kids towards healthy eating. Specifically, my work is to educate kids, parents, and teachers about how important it is to tell the WHY behind healthy eating. We need to empower kids by allowing them to make their own food choices and guiding them in noticing and responding to feelings in their body.
When I became a mother, I wanted to help my own children see healthy food as a friend so they wouldn’t have to go through what I did. As luck would have it, my son seldom ate vegetables without a fight. It felt as though he and I were in a constant battle about his eating, and we were both so frustrated. 
One night, as once again I was trying to get my son to eat his asparagus, and once again he was crying and gagging, I realized I had to change my strategy. I knew I needed a way to make healthy eating fun, not just something I commanded my son to do. So I created If It Does Not Grow, Say No: Eatable Activities for Kids, an activity book that helped us change the fights about food into fascination and laughter.
My approach is about curiosity, not demands. It’s about “How does it taste? How does it feel? Did you like it?” versus “You have to eat a plate of broccoli.” The activity book uses this same positive approach. Children of all ages will be entertained for hours as they
·        draw and write about their favorite foods
·        learn why fruits and vegetables are so awesome
·        try easy recipes for fun foods
·        get brave about trying new fruits and veggies
·        make food art
·        and find other ways to “play with their food.”
The activity book also helps teach kids (and grown-ups!) to slow down for mealtimes, how to enjoy and pay more attention to fruits and veggies, and how to make conscious choices for their health. These are lessons that naturally spread into other areas of their lives, making them stronger, healthier, happier kids... who grow into stronger, healthier, happier adults.
Eating is a life journey, so the activity book is simply a facilitation tool to start the discussion toward empowering you and your kids. Visit the book’s website www.doesnotgrowsayno.com for ideas on how to conduct fun food exercises, how to plan a rainbow meal, how to reduce your family’s sugar intake in fun ways, and much more.
Get your fruits and veggies ready; they're about to become very popular!

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I created If It Does Not Grow – Just Say No: Eatable Activities for Kids for children of all ages to discover how much fun they can have with fruits and vegetables. As a mom, I want my kids to eat healthy foods, and I found myself getting frustrated when they just weren’t interested. That’s when I decided to try a fun-based approach, using enjoyable activities to encourage my kids to eat fruits and vegetables. This simple activity book empowers kids to explore healthy eating and living while helping them see just how much better they will feel eating foods that support their energy.
One of my favorite interactive ways to have kids try new foods is to play the brave game. My kids love this activity because they get to choose if they will test out the new fruit or vegetable, and watch each other’s reactions. Below are the steps for you to guide your kids in the brave exercise:
1.) Ask your kids if they are brave. Of course they will say YES I am brave!
2.) Ensure you have plenty of fruits and vegetables on hand that they have never tried before or already tasted and did not like. Many times, as their taste buds mature, the kids will change their minds on things they once thought tasted bad.
3.) Next ask your kids if they want to taste a new (or previously “yuck!”) fruit or a vegetable, then allow them to select from the options.
4.) Encourage them to take a bite of their chosen fruit or vegetable, and then discuss what it tasted like, smelled like, felt like. If they decided not to try, simply ask why not?
5.) Repeat this process over and over. It never gets old! The book includes tracking charts for this fruit and vegetable challenge (plus a fruit-as-dessert challenge!)
TIP: I have found that offering incentives and doing this activity as a family is most effective.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be a chore for your kids or for you. Make it fun and creative, and you will be building healthy habits for a lifetime. ​

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What to expect: Nutrition and health, lifestyle
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Take a step back and think: What have you eaten today?
Amid the ever-increasing reports of childhood obesity and other health-related issues, IF IT DOES NOT GROW SAY NO: EATABLE ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS is an exciting book about nutrition that is body positive and fun.
This activity book features child-friendly descriptions of different aspects of nutrition, from sugars to fiber to the physical breakdown of whole grains. There are word search puzzles and quizzes with nutrition-themed answers as well, adding to the educational value of the book. The book neatly balances the hard facts of nutrition with more accessible concepts, like colorful selections of fruits and vegetables. There are quite a few worksheets that ask children to think about what they have eaten recently, how to categorize their food based on nutrition, and how to make healthy choices in the future.

Several fun recipes with pictures make this activity book interactive. Children will love to bake their own sweet potatoes just like the pictures, or make open smiley-face sandwiches that feature balanced proteins and healthy whole wheat. There are even two types of kabob recipes for both fruits and vegetables. The recipes are very easy with only a few steps, so even the busiest families can find time to incorporate these healthy ideas into snack or dinner time, which is really the entire point.

The pictures and illustrations are good, and the layout of the book encourages interaction and child participation. There are many places for children to fill in worksheets or write about their own favorite foods.

This would be a great activity book for parents to try with their children, especially if they are struggling with making better food choices. The activities are engaging and non-judgmental, making the conversations about food choices more fun. This would also be an excellent workbook for schools or after-school programs, along with other classroom education on nutrition. Recommended for preschool and elementary school-aged children.

From Eighty MPH Mom: "Kids respond to fun, and when you can combine fun and healthy, that is a beautiful thing. That is why I am really impressed with the edible activity book, “If It Does Not Grow, Say No”. It is simply genius!" Read the entire review.

In that regard, author Kerry Alison Wekelo has a new activity book for kids, If It Does Not Grow, Say No. The book aims to get children involved in their nutrition by helping kids explore food while educating them about why good food is important. Summertime is a particularly good time to work through the activities. Click here for complete article.