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There have been times — and there still are — when food has been a struggle for us with the girl. We like a much more varied menu than she does, and would be a lot closer to vegetarian without her influence over our meal planning.
Still, I know we’re lucky that she eats as many vegetables as she does. She loves broccoli, snap peas, regular beans, carrots and corn. She will not touch a tomato or an avocado, to our constant displeasure.
We try to get her to try new things, but it isn’t always easy to engage kids about food and what’s healthy and trying new things.
Sometimes reading a book or watching a show about a topic makes it easier to open the door to discussion and maybe actually encourage kids to try new vegetables, too. 
So it is with the interactive ebook Teddy Tries a Vegetable by Jennifer Glockner, a registered dietitian nutritionist. (I was sent a free copy of the book to review.)
This colorful book tells the story of Theodora Rose, aka Teddy, an almost six-year-old who says “vegetables are not my thing.”
She talks about the excuses she makes to avoid eating vegetables, but she loves fruit and enjoys the family garden.
Her dad is a musician and compares the nutrients that come from fruits and vegetables to all the different members of a group playing together. 
One day Teddy spies the vegetables having a concert, and when the germs roll in to make the garden gray, she has to convince them to all work together to keep things healthy.
This cute story includes sound effects and bonus facts you can read by touching the forks on the screen. There’s also a recipe for broccoli and orange slaw, a quiz kids can take about the story and different nutritional facts, even a drawing page where kids can draw the fruit or vegetable they want to try next.
It’s a fun concept that may just help your reluctant eater.
On the same subject, the girl LOVES Fizzy’s Lunch Lab, a PBS Kids Go! show all about nutrition and healthy eating. She found it on her own on the PBS Kids app and is obsessed. She sings the songs and talks about the nutrition facts she’s learned. It’s another great option to try.
Do you have kids who are reluctant to try new things? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you.
