“Mommy, I DON’T eat leaves!”
You do in my house, Son!
We eat a lot of salad in our house.
My kids eat salad. In the beginning they would choke it down with ice water but slowly–every so slowly, they are beginning to enjoy it.
How do I get my kids to eat salad?
It just isn’t an option. Eating healthy food, isn’t an option. They start by eating a few “leaves” of “green food” and we work up (it did take longer for some of my kids to eat salad and one still doesn’t like it but . . . see #5.) This is how I started.
- Try and get one kid on your side. Kids love to follow other kids–so this might be key. Offer lots of praise for trying the salad.
- Have the kids help you pick out the salad–spinach, romaine, the dreaded iceberg (I have on kid who loves the very center yellow leaves–I think they are bitter) red oak, kale . . . This summer time salad is one of their favorites–it isn’t vegan but neither are my kids.
- Pick an awesome salad dressing–I love Salad Girl Dressings. I splurge a little bit here and let them get any salad dressing that is made out of natural ingredients–stuff that I can read! or I let them make their own–oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and vinegar–a classic.
- Offer lots of “decorations” for the salad–orange segments, peppers, cucumbers, roasted pine nuts or walnuts and of course crunchy croutons. (Chocolate chips, jelly beans and popcorn ARE NOT allowed.)
- They get dessert. (no salad, no dessert, no negotiating)
For inspiration try this salad idea from Salad Girl Dressings–it is a great meatless meal option. We often have salad for dinner and for those who “don’t eat leaves” I offer a small amount of plain pasta or rice.
Peanut Butter and Jelly love salad!
Our turtles love salad too! They have fresh greens everyday and a fruit medley twice a week. They love my salads. If you look close you can see them smiling!
My son says the way to get a kid to eat salad is iceberg lettuce with hidden valley ranch. Ha, too bad he never ever gets that in my house. I like the get one kid on board thing. That works wonders around here. I have featured you on Real food Fridays. Thanks for linking up.
Janine @ My lamp is full
Janine,
Thank you so much for the having me on Real Food Fridays! I must be honest–my kids did NOT like dinner last night–too many onions! It was a lot . . . I don’t think I was plugged in when I made the stir fry :-). But my other trick is to cut everything big allowing the kids to pick out what they don’t want!
Be Blessed.