Our kids are salad lovers and yours can be too! This story is sponsored by Bright Farms. All of the opinions are my own.
Salads are a mealtime staple in our house — whether its a simple side salad, the main dish in the school lunch sack or a hearty entree salad for dinner, greens are nearly always part of the menu. People often marvel at the enthusiasm our kids have for leafy greens but I don’t think we’ve done anything magical. We’ve simply used a few easy strategies to incorporate them into our regular meals —and they’ve worked!
http://www.fox32chicago.com/mornings/321094611-video
In fact, its worked so well that Lillian joined me on the morning news at FOX 32 Good Day Chicago to share our “Simple Strategies to Turn Kids Into Salad Lovers”. Check out the full segment (especially the end where Lilly digs right into that salad bowl!).
Our salad success story can be attributed to three key strategies that are easy to replicate:
Choose The Right Greens
Tender-crisp greens with a mild, neutral flavor are a great first choice for kids or anyone new to salad eating. I’m particularly fond of local varieties, which are fresher and retain more nutrients than those shipped in from the West coast. Here in Chicago, we love a varietal called Sunny Crunch from local grower BrightFarms. Its a type of baby green leaf lettuce that’s super mild and tender. My kids have actually eaten entire containers of this green as an after school snack. It’s that good.
Let The Kids Help In the Kitchen
Kids are much more likely to try new foods if they’ve had the opportunity the help prepare them. Salads are a particularly great meal to let kids help with, because making them involves many simple tasks that even the youngest children can assist with. Ask them to help with tasks like using a salad spinner (they love this one), scrubbing produce with a vegetable brush, chopping veggies with a plastic knife, snipping fresh herbs and even making a homemade dressing in a vinaigrette shaker.
Set Up a Home Salad Bar
When it comes time to serve the meal, try creating a home salad bar. Start by arranging all of your salad toppings on a large platter or cutting board . Try to incorporate as many textures and colors as possible into your platter. Anything from crunchy red radishes to crispy bacon, shredded cheese to sliced cucumbers can be part of the offerings. Then give everyone their own bowl of plain greens and encourage them to create their own perfect meal.
If you need a little salad bar inspiration, I’ve created a simple Salad Bar Ingredient Cheat Sheet that you can download for free below. Just click on the link and it will take you to the printable PDF.
If you’ve downloaded my free cookbook, you know how much I love serving DIY or “Platter Style,” meals and a salad bar is the original version of this serving style. Its also a great way to avoid arguments with picky eaters because they’re not going to be picking things out of their dish and complaining. Kids feel empowered by the opportunity to choose for themselves and, as a result, may be more likely to try something new.
So thats it — no magic at all. Just a few simple strategies. It may not work the first time but keep trying. Let them try their hand at the salad spinner, ask them what sort of toppings they’d like to put on the big platter and encourage them to load their bowls high with delicious goodies. Before you know it, salad will become a mealtime slam dunk.
Note: I am a media spokesperson for Bright Farms and have received products and compensation for my work. All opinions shared in this story are completely my own.
