5 Tips to Help Kids (and grown-ups) Enjoy Their Greens and Make Your Salad Prep Easier!

1. This idea is super helpful for helping your kids enjoy salad, and I owe it all to my wonderful hubby, Douglas.  He's the one who came up with this and shared it with me.  Often times "baby greens" are still too big for small kids to eat, and difficult for them to chew.  They also often include more bitter greens like arugula.  If a child just gets a big piece of greens (mild or bitter) in their mouth, they will often spit the whole thing out.  Doug's simple solution: chop salad greens in smaller pieces before tossing and serving to kids.  DUH!  Why didn't I think of that?!  This way it's easier for them to chew, and they won't get a large piece of bitter greens all at once either.  Since we've done this, our 2 year old (Happy Birthday Ariela!) has been devouring her salads.  It works!  Try it! 

2. Get them involved.  We've all heard this before, but it can be difficult since it often requires patience and can get a bit more messy.  But it is worth it.  Even if they just shake the dressing, they are learning from you!  When they participate they also are more interested in eating what "they made".  Not to mention it can also give them a sense of pride and accomplishment. Don't forget to make sure they wash their hands before and after helping prep food! 

3. Before you toss or recycle that old strawberry jam or olive jar, consider saving it (reduce-reuse-recycle).  I've collected tons of old jars over time and they are so useful.  Ones with wider openings are easier to dump dressing or marinade ingredients into before you shake them up.  Glass jars with tight-fitting, lids are best.  If you shop at Trader Joe's, chances are you already have some of these in your refrigerator or pantry.  When they are empty, clean them out and save them as your "dressing/marinade" jars.

4. The best tools for tossing a salad are attached to your wrists...YOUR HANDS!  Obviously make sure they are clean first, but gently tossing salad with your hands allows for better coverage of the dressing on all of the salad, allows the ingredients to all become better incorporated, and is more gentle and won't bruise the greens.  This is also something kids would LOVE to help with! 

5. Don't be afraid to get creative...add fruit to a green salad.  If you notice the latest recipe is a salad with strawberries and oranges.  It is sweet, colorful and delicious.  We eat with our eyes, in addition to our mouths, so make sure to add colorful fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and/or seeds.  The greater the variety of colors in your salad, the more nutrients you are consuming.  Eat the rainbow, as they say!