2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Children don't necessarily like all the ingredients in the salad. Here are some tips from nutritionist Julie DesGroseilliers to get kids to love meal salads.
I love cooking meal salads. It's fresh, nutritious, easy to prepare and so perfect for a last minute improvised meal. Just assemble a few ingredients and you're done! The problem is that children do not necessarily like all the ingredients that make up the salad and sometimes they do not like that the foods are all mixed together. My solution: the salad bar!
The salad bar
Instead of assembling the meal salad myself, I present various ingredients in several bowls or large trays. I am in LOVE with this concept since it allows children to compose their own salad and suddenly, to develop their creativity and their culinary autonomy. Also, it leads them to reflect on their level of hunger, and to prepare a portion accordingly. My 9-year-old daughter sometimes asks me to take pictures of her salads, she's so proud! I find it too cute. The principle of the salad bar also allows us parents to create salads-meals to our liking, without taking into account the whims of our children. In the end, everyone wins!
As you know, when children are involved, whether preparing ingredients, cooking or assembling their salad, they are more likely to taste. Because of this, the salad bar is great for involving them, from preparation to assembly.
A variety of foods
In order to assemble complete and nutritious salads, I first offer each member of the family a bowl of lettuce. It can be arugula, spring mix or kale, for example. Then, I have a variety of foods in the center of the table. And from there, everyone's desires give way to creativity by choosing freely from the categories below:
- At least two fruits: blueberries, strawberries, pear slices, mango or avocado cubes, etc.
- At least two vegetables: cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, cubes of commercially cooked beets, strips of colored peppers, etc.
- A cheese: crumbled goat cheese or feta, grated mozzarella, cubes of Swiss cheese, etc.
- At least one variety of nuts or seeds: walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, etc.
- At least one source of protein: boiled eggs, leftover cooked chicken, smoked salmon, chickpeas, textured vegetable protein, etc.
- Optional (often for parents!): olives, heart of palm, marinated artichokes, dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, etc.
- A salad dressing. Quite often, I simply put a good bottle of oil, a vinegar or two, honey or maple syrup on the table, and everyone sprinkles their salad to their liking.
To complete the meal, I often offer a good piece of bread (focaccia or walnut bread, for example) or crackers.
The ultimate shortcut
Between homework, the bath, soccer lessons and conflicts to manage, sometimes there isn't much time left to prepare supper. My quick fix? Ready-to-eat saladswith store-bought toppings. Just top them off with foods that kids love, and that they have prepared themselves, such as fresh grapes, avocado cubes and a boiled egg. Again, as children participate in the creation of the salad, we increase the chances that they will enjoy it.
For fun and creativity, the homemade salad bar is definitely a winning solution for getting kids to love me altime salads. What do you say?
By Julie DesGroseilliers Nutritionist and Spokesperson for the Mouvement I love fruits and vegetables.
This blog post is written in partnership with Fresh attitude, a Quebec company offering several varieties of ready-to-eat lettuces and salads.
