The Family Cooks: In which Laurie David helps make kids crave kale. For real.

Parents, don't we all secretly dream our kids will someday request kale over cookies? Laurie David and Kirstin Uhrenholdt, authors  of the wonderful Family Dinner are out with a new cookbook, The Family Cooks. They are hoping the recipes and tips they've gathered will help you and your family start craving foods that are actually good for you. You know. Fruits. Veggies. Not Chicken Nuggets. I'm not hating on chicken nuggets, but I'd love it if our kids willingly scarfed down their greens the way they inhaled all things processed and deep fried . The Family Cooks offers more than 100 healthy, simple, and tasty recipes that any amateur cook can try, and there's enough variety in this book to make your family's carnivores and vegetarians happy. Like all of the best cookbooks for families, The Family Cooks features recipes we would actually make, such as a Fruity Summer Porridge (delish, already tried), Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn (yum), and goldfish-shaped Seedy Crackers that the kiddos are sure to love. And of course, the stunning photos by beautiful to browse. Even the Quinoa Cakes make my mouth water and I don't think of myself as the type of person who says that about things that aren't chocolate. One tip from the book that's worth calling out is what David calls Home-Cooked Sundays. The concept is simple:  Dig through a few cookbooks or blogs on Sunday morning and pick two or three recipes you want to make that week. Ask your kids to pick one, too. Then hit the grocery store or farmer's market and prep as much of it as possible that day. The authors guarantee that if you have pre-chopped and pre-rinsed ingredients waiting for you in the fridge, you're more likely to whip up healthy, home-cooked meals throughout the week. And of course, it helps to get the kids involved since they're more likely to eat something they helped make. Yes, even kale. You can order  The Family Cooks by Laurie David and Kirstin Uhrenholdt starting today on Amazon or your local bookseller. Learn more at The Family Cooks website. Also keep an eye out for Laurie and Katie Couric's new documentary  Fed Up, in theaters May 9, which takes a close look at the state of our nation's health and the food industry's role in the overwhelming prevalence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in our children today. Judging by the Fed Up trailer, I'm guessing it'll give many of us, myself included, a serious wake-up call about the way we eat. Welcome to our newest contributor and newest cool mom, Esther Chen!