The younger you start, the better it is.

A healthy relationship with food, started at a young age, can do a lot to help curb many of the health problems associated with a poor diet. When it comes to teaching kids about healthy eating, the more interesting, appealing and even entertaining you can make it, the better it is.

So I was happy to discover a terrific nutritional TV show for kids. Surprise! It's Edible Incredible! is on CBC, Fridays at 4 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. The premise is fun -- a cooking game show, for kids 8 to 12 years old, that shows them that healthy cooking can be cool and fun. Described as Iron Chef meets Fear Factor, the show culminates in a cooking match, where kids make a nutritious meal from scratch and put it to the Taste Test -- all cheered on by close friends.

And when you're looking for more kid-friendly recipes, you can also turn to Food To Grow On (Harper Collins, $19.95), the revised and updated version of a best-selling book that is packed with nutrition information and great recipes -- again sure to please your kids and you.

Written by Ryerson nutrition professor Rena Mendelson and her sister Susan (a well-known Vancouver cook and caterer), it addresses all the important nutritional issues of pregnancy, infancy and childhood. Food To Grow On is a book I enjoyed the first time around and am now delighted to see in its newest form. The original book, now 10 years old, was one I always kept on my desk to show moms for its practical, easy to understand information and delicious recipes, and this time it's as good, if not better. Your kids will eat their spinach when they try the Spanakopita Logs and they can help out when you make the Fantasy Party Pizzas. Both authors are moms, so the recipes have been pretty well kid-tested!

Put this one on your list when you start to think about holiday gifts.