Getting kids excited about trying vegetables

One of the great thing about the produce box is the way it entices The Boy--who is not always the most adventurous eater--into trying new foods. There is something so exciting about discovering what is in the box each week that his natural reluctance is put on hold.

During the off-season, he goes back to his reluctant self. But he recently begged at the grocery store to take home an artichoke to try. In fact, as soon as he spotted them in the produce section, he was ridiculously excited at the idea of trying a new vegetable!

For that I can thank Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z, a charming picture book by Lois Ehlert. Like a pictorial directory of fruits and veggies, it offers up colorful watercolor collages of different vegetables and plants for every letter from A to Z. The text is sparse--just the letters and the names of the foods--letting the vibrant illustrations take center stage. Seventy-four foods are featured, from familiar favorites like apples and blueberries to more unusual items like the ugli fruit. The back of the book has a glossary that tells you a little bit about each fruit and veggie. I appreciate the enticing and accessible way it introduces these healthy foods. It's turned a trip through the produce section into a scavenger hunt as he searches for items from the book. How fun is that? He has his eye on trying the starfruit next.