In reading lots of Mom blogs and parenting websites, I realized that kids like to have options. So I decided to do a once a week salad bar for dinner. It takes the guess work out of what to have for dinner for at least one day during the week, and it's super healthy with no fighting!
Let's start out with lettuce of course! I think most of us grew up thinking (and still thinking) that if we ate a huge salad with iceberg lettuce, that we were being really healthy. As I have aged, I have learned that iceberg lettuce does not have much nutritional value. Now I love it in my salads still, but it's not the main event! I like to use organic spring mix or a kale and baby spinach mix of lettuce. The greener the better! I put the lettuce in it's own big bowl, and surprisingly I rarely have leftovers of it. I am shocked each time after dinner being slightly upset not to have lettuce for my lunch the next day, but super happy that my kids ate lots of salad without being bribed!
Now for the main purpose of this post, cut up lots of vegetables! I cut up any and everything in my refrigerator and freezer! I'm all about an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of salad! I always try to incorporate new fruits and vegetables for them to try in their salads. Pictured above was peas, carrots, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, apples, cucumbers, mushrooms, and red onions. The rule is that in addition to the lettuce they have to choose at least two vegetables to go into their salads. They always choose more because they like trying to make their salads look as creative as possible.
The favorite is of course the meats! The rule for the meat is that if you want more meat in your salad, you have to add more veggies! They usually do. I like to give them a variety to try in their salads. In the picture above we have boiled eggs, turkey pepperoni, grated cheese, buffalo chicken, and deli turkey.
Once all the ingredients are prepped, I put them on the table so that the kids are free to pick and choose what they want throughout dinner. I also add bread or a dinner roll with the meal.
Gracee is usually good about eating salads that I make on the regular at dinner. She is actually excited to eat salad when we do this. She even skips the salad dressing and only uses red wine vinaigrette. She is usually the one that wants thirds on salad when we have the salad bar!
It takes a lot to get Georgee to eat his vegetables and even his fruit. He is always asking for seconds on something and I always have to remind him to eat all his fruit or vegetables first. When we have the salad bar I don't have to remind him. He is eager to try new things in his salad, and cool with putting more veggies in because he likes his meats!
I am thankful that my hubby is not allergic to all things healthy because he loves salad bar night as well! He just needs lots of meat in his to keep him full.
All in all this idea is a win win! It's kid (and husband) tested, mother approved! Try it out tonight!
