The Wonder of
What We Eat Series:
Book, Workbook and Cookbook
How Our Incredible Food, Our Incredible Bodies, and Our Incredible Planet Are Connected
Empowering the next generation to understand the power of food, while fostering a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.
Buy Now! →About the Author of the Book
Ritu Saluja-Sharma, MD
A double board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, and the founder of Head Heart Hands—a comprehensive, holistic wellness program for individuals and organizations. She is also a devoted mother and a passionate advocate for food-based health education.
After years of practicing Emergency Medicine on the frontlines of our healthcare system and seeing many of her patients suffering with diseases that could likely have been prevented, (and many which could potentially still be reversed), Dr Saluja-Sharma earned a second board certification in Lifestyle Medicine and created Head Heart Hands to help people prevent and reverse disease by targeting ROOT CAUSES.
While searching for ways to make her programs accessible to all, she expanded from individual coaching to working with corporations and school systems, offering her online and corporate programs to people of all demographics and education levels, to help participants lower their blood sugars, blood pressure, and cholesterol, increase their energy, improve their mood, decrease their pain, and improve their quality of life.
As more and more adults experienced incredible health transformations through her programs, they frequently shared how they wished they had this help when they were younger. Teachers and principals shared that they wished their students could learn the same tools and insights. Their experiences inspired her to shift her focus to children, with the goal of helping the next generation build strong, healthy foundations—starting when it matters most.
Through her book, companion workbook, and cookbook, she’s empowering a new generation to understand the power of food, build healthy mindsets, and fall in love with their bodies and the nourishment that fuels them. She is currently working to improve the health and nutrition curriculum in public schools and serves as an expert advisor on state-level curriculum standards.
View The Book →
About the Author of the Workbook
Dylan Sharma
11 years-old, and he is the co-author of The Wonder of What We Eat Workbook. He helped to design the kid-friendly activities and brought a student’s perspective to the lessons. Dylan’s interest in how food affects the health of the Earth and how the body works inspired him to help other kids learn in fun and relatable ways. When he's not reading (or writing) books, he enjoys swimming and coding.
View The Workbook →About the Author of the Cookbook
Serena Sharma
9 years-old, and she is the co-author of The Wonder of What We Eat Cookbook. Serena helped to create kid-approved recipes and take photos of our creations. Serena’s interest in cooking and taking photos inspired her to work on this project. Serena also enjoys soccer and art.
View The Cookbook →
Part of a 3-part system based on the Head Heart Hands philosophy:
HEAD
The Book
empowers with knowledge and builds a healthy mindset about food and health
HEART
The Workbook
provides reinforcement and turns lessons into reflection, real-life skills and action
HANDS
The Cookbook
provides the tools to apply it all in the kitchen for hands-on learning
Who The Books Are For...
These books are for anyone wanting to encourage kids to enjoy more nourishing, whole foods and build habits that support long-term health. The books may also be especially helpful for families navigating picky eating, early health challenges, or concerns about weight gain.
The books offer a supportive alternative to restrictive or shame-based messages, guiding children to develop a healthy relationship with food, understand their bodies, and make choices that help them thrive—now and for the future.
The books are for:
- Kids who want to feel informed and empowered about their choices—and who may need support with picky eating, food curiosity, or building healthier habits

- Parents who want their children to grow up healthy, strong, and confident—and who may be searching for picky eating strategies, or navigating concerns about nutrition and weight

- Teachers and school districts seeking inclusive, prevention-based curriculum that supports social-emotional learning (SEL) and aligns with national health education standards.

- Pediatricians, family doctors, and dietitians looking for an evidence-based trusted, kid-friendly resource to support patient education, especially around weight-related or dietary concerns

- Health coaches, lifestyle medicine practitioners, and wellness professionals focused on family health and helping children build sustainable, nourishing habits

- Homeschooling families and public libraries looking for engaging, evidence-based educational material to support health, science, and wellness learning at home

- Youth programs, nonprofits, and community health educators working to promote child wellness, reduce health disparities, and encourage positive lifelong habits

Ready to raise a generation that’s informed, empowered, and excited about their health?
Start here—with The Wonder of What We Eat →Why It Matters...
In a world where ultra-processed food dominates kids’ diets and the childhood obesity epidemic is soaring, our food system and diet culture are failing our children.
Our system is failing adults too.Â
6 out of 10 adults in the US has a chronic disease. 4 out of 10 has two or more chronic diseases. In the US, we spend the most on health care, but we have among the highest rates of chronic disease in the world.
As an Emergency Physician, who has worked on the front lines of our healthcare system for almost 20 years, every day, I see patients suffering with conditions that could likely have been prevented, and can potentially still be reversed. Yet most patients don’t get the help they need to prevent or reverse disease.
While searching for answers and a better solution, I continued my training and earned a second board certification in Lifestyle Medicine. Lifestyle Medicine focuses on helping people prevent and reverse our most common diseases, by targeting the root causes of their problems.Â
Over the past 5 years, I have been working with adults to understand the power of food, understand the power of their bodies, and to help them make positive changes to their diet and lifestyle, in order to transform their health. The results have been extraordinary. When provided this help, adults have lowered their blood sugars, blood pressures, and cholesterol, lost weight, increased their energy, decreased their pain, and improved their quality of life. Many have even reduced or eliminated their need for medications.
Yet, as exciting as it is for adults to transform their health, many are left asking, why didn’t I get this help sooner? Why didn’t I learn about food and nutrition when I was a kid?
I had these same questions too. I only discovered the power of food after studying Lifestyle Medicine, after navigating my own health journey. This was after decades of schooling that taught me surprisingly little about food.
I wrote this book series to empower kids with essential nutrition education that most adults don’t even know. Learning this information as kids can change the trajectory of their health and the trajectory of their life.
But just nutrition education and knowledge are not enough. In order to help adults and kids make meaningful change, a healthy mindset about food and their bodies is essential.
In our toxic diet culture, which emphasizes numbers on a scale and numbers of calories, food is often viewed as the enemy. In our diet culture, we learn when we eat food, we must burn it off by exercising. We learn that in order to be healthy, we need to use our willpower and eat less to lose weight. These unhealthy messages set us up to develop an unhealthy relationship with food, and unhealthy relationship with our bodies.
The Wonder of What We Eat explores the incredible power of food and the extraordinary power of our bodies. It helps kids look at food as more than just calories, and helps them look at their bodies/health as more than just numbers on a scale. Understanding these simple, yet revolutionary concepts can be life changing (even for adults). By teaching kids about food and health in this way, it can shape their mindset and their choices for their entire life.
In addition to a book that kids can read at home, this book was also designed to be incorporated into school curriculums. In order to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic, we must empower kids of all demographics with essential nutrition knowledge and provide a positive foundation on how they think about food and their bodies. I am excited to be working with school systems to incorporate these concepts into their curriculum, and also to be providing input to change the health curriculum standards on the state level.
I encourage you to read The Wonder of What We Eat together with your kids. There’s also a workbook you can use to practice what you learn, and a corresponding cookbook filled with delicious, healthy recipes to try at home.
Together, let’s build a healthier, happier future—one plate, one choice, and one child at a time.
Buy Now! →Book:
What if your kids were excited to eat healthy foods, felt confident in their bodies, and were empowered to build habits to support their physical and mental health for life?
The Wonder of What We Eat is a science-based, beautifully illustrated book that helps kids discover how food powers their body, brain, mood, and even the planet—all while building a healthy relationship with food, a positive body image, and a sense of empowerment over their own health.
Written by a physician and mom, this book is packed with:
- Eye-opening nutrition science (that even most adults haven’t been taught) — like how food affects your microbiome, metabolism, genetics, and mood
- A fresh, empowering mindset around food and the body — replacing diet culture with a focus on nourishment, self-care, and seeing food as so much more than just calories or carbs
- Essential health literacy skills — including decision-making, goal-setting, and analyzing influences
- Encouragement and real-life tools — giving kids confidence and practical strategies they can use every day to expand their food choices, support healthy growth, and build habits that can help with picky eating and maintaining a healthy weight
- A supportive alternative to restrictive or shame-based messages — helping kids build a healthy relationship with food, understand their bodies, and make choices that help them thrive—now and for the future
By giving kids practical nutrition knowledge, a healthy mindset about food and their bodies, and the tools to make positive changes, we can literally change the trajectory of their health—and their lives.
Ready to raise a generation that’s informed, empowered, and excited about their health?
Start here—with The Wonder of What We Eat.
Workbook:
What if your kids were excited to eat healthy foods, felt confident in their bodies, and could take what they’ve learned about food and their bodies—and turn it into real, healthy habits that last a lifetime?
Our toxic diet culture and broken food system are failing our children, setting kids up for poor nutrition, an unhealthy relationship with food, and a negative body image.
 The Wonder of What We Eat Workbook is the hands-on companion to the science-based, beautifully illustrated book that helps kids explore how food powers their body, brain, mood, and even the planet—while building confidence, self-awareness, and a lasting, positive relationship with food and health.
Created by a physician and mom, this workbook helps kids:
- Put nutrition knowledge into action—reinforcing practical and eye opening nutrition education with fun activities, real-life label reading, powerful reflections, and creative goal-setting
- Build a healthy mindset around food and their body—replacing diet culture with nourishment and selfcare, helping kids see food as more than just calories or carbs, and their health as more than just numbers on a scale.
- Practice real-world health literacy skills—like decision-making, analyzing influences, and making thoughtful choices
- Develop a positive relationship with food—offering a supportive, shame-free alternative to help with picky eating, weight-related concerns, and early health challenges
Whether used at home, in classrooms, or with health professionals, this workbook is already making an impact. Lessons are currently being used in one of the largest public school systems in the country—bringing engaging, prevention-focused health education to thousands of students.
Ready to turn knowledge into real-life transformation?
Take the next step—with The Wonder of What We Eat Workbook.
Cookbook:
What if your kids were excited to eat healthy new foods, felt confident in their new skills, and helped to create healthy meals the whole family could enjoy?
For busy parents, making healthy meals can already feel like a challenge—but when kids refuse to eat them, it’s discouraging and disheartening. Over time, it can start to feel like a waste of time and effort, and healthy eating can turn into a daily battle.
But when kids are invited into the kitchen and take part in preparing meals they enjoy, everything shifts. They become more open to trying new foods, more invested in what they eat, and more confident in their own abilities. Cooking becomes a joyful, hands-on way to build real-life skills, healthy habits, and meaningful family connection.
The Wonder of What We Eat Cookbook is a beautifully designed, family-friendly recipe collection that brings the Head Heart Hands philosophy to life—helping kids (and parents) turn healthy intentions into delicious, shared experiences.
Written by a physician and mom, this cookbook offers:
- Delicious, nourishing recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snack made with real ingredients—designed to support growing bodies, sharp minds, and steady moods
- Kid-approved meals that even picky eaters can get excited about—so healthy food feels fun, not forced
- Step-by-step instructions that empower kids to cook on their own or alongside a parent
- Built-in learning moments, helping kids understand how food supports their health in ways they can see and feel
- A joyful, empowering experience, turning the kitchen into a space for connection, creativity, and confidence
Want to help your kids build lifelong healthy habits, confidence in the kitchen, and a love for real, nourishing food?
Make it happen—with The Wonder of What We Eat Cookbook.
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