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5 ways to get your kids (or husband) to eat salad

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“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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.)
  5. 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.  

little clementine and baby kale salad

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!

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Lent, already?

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I can’t believe that this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday!  How did this happen?  I get it–I really do understand how time keeps marching on but . . . I don’t always feel a sense of accomplishment that comes with time marching on.

I digress.

So these are my Meatless Lenten Meals.

  1. Pasta (or Polenta made in the rice cooker) with Red Sauce with veggies, garlic bread and salad.
  2. Homemade Pizza–I have the kids make their own pizza–that way they get the veggies they enjoy.
  3. Meatless Chili–this is really bean soup–I make it like a traditional chili or use black beans and sweet potatoes.
  4. Breakfast for dinner–French Toast Bake, Quiche, or scrabbled eggs/hashbrowns, pancakes with fruit.
  5. Baked Potato Bar–sour cream, leftover meatless chili, cheese, broccoli, roasted veggies.
  6. Tacos with refried beans, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce with rice.
  7. Macaroni and Cheese in the crockpot.
  8. Soup in a mini bread bowl (roll)–I made my recipe for chicken pot pie and serve it in a roll–it can be from the deli or the frozen type–I’ve used both with success.

Do you eat a meatless meal during Lent?  If you have a favorite could you please share it in the comments?

Be Blessed.

I’m linking up with Craftastic Party, motivation monday, create with joy, mindful mothering, and with Ann, The Better Mom, Rediscovering Domesticity.