Healthy Foods Your Kids Will Love – Great Salad Ideas

Farmers Market Salad

Take your kids for a trip to the local farmers market once in a while. There, they can learn first hand about fresh naturally grown foods. Luscious heirloom tomatoes, giant cucumbers, bright yellow ears of corn, colorful bell peppers, sweet carrots and mixed salad greens – all waiting to be taken home to be tossed together and sprinkled with a favorite dressing.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 large heirloom tomato, diced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 medium cucumber, diced into bit-sized pieces
1 ear yellow or white corn, husk and silk removed
1 small sweet red pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch baby carrots, washed and diced into bite-sized pieces
2 cups mixed salad greens, washed and torn into pieces
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, or to taste (see recipe below)

Wash and dry all salad ingredients. Prepare tomato, cucumber, red pepper, carrots and salad greens as directed. Lightly steam the corn and let cool. Remove corn kernels from the husk. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette dressing to taste.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing:

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix everything but the oils together in a small bowl. Slowly pour in oils. Whisk until blended.

Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken

Although, this salad recipe is borrowed from Asian cooking traditions, feel free to add more seasonal vegetables from your own region. For an even lighter version, you can use baked tofu in place of chicken. Sprinkle on a few roasted peanuts for extra crunch. This recipe calls for white chicken breast meat rather than darker, fattier leg and back meat. For additional “savings,” you can reduce the amount of oil by half and use light (low sodium) soy sauce.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized carrots, peeled, cut in thin matchsticks (about 2 cups)
1 pound fresh mien noodles or dried vermicelli
Asian Vinaigrette (see recipe below)
3/4 pound chicken breast, cooked, cut into bite-size pieces
3 or 4 scallions, white and green parts, sliced on the diagonal
1/3 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the carrots in a medium bowl and scoop 1 cup of boiling water over them. Allow to sit for a minute, drain, then set aside. Cook noodles until tender – about 3 to 4 minutes for fresh noodles, about 10 minutes for dried ones. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water and shake off the excess moisture. Meanwhile, make the Asian Vinaigrette (see recipe below). Place the noodles in a large bowl along with the chicken, carrots, scallions and cilantro. Pour the vinaigrette over the mix and toss gently to coat the noodles.

Vinaigrette for Asian Noodle Salad with Chicken

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:
6 tbsp. light soy sauce
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 tbsp. golden brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 oz. fresh ginger, grated (about 3 tbsp.)
Pinch of red pepper flakes or to taste
1 tbsp. each of sesame and peanut (or canola) oil

Mix everything but the oils together in a small bowl. Slowly pour in oils. Whisk until blended.

Potato Salad

Traditional potato salad recipes are typically rich in mayonnaise and dressing, which makes them yummy but also heavy. Here is a lighter alternative.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. fresh dill, minced
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp. fresh tarragon, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 small carrot, coarsely grated

Cook the potatoes until tender but firm. Cool and slice. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add potatoes and stir well until coated. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

Black-eyed Pea Salad

This simple but colorful dish can be served with lettuce as a salad or as a side dish.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
8 oz. black-eyed peas, washed (about 1-1/3 cups)
3 cups vegetable or unsalted chicken broth
1 stalk celery, chopped finely
1 carrot, peeled and chopped finely
1/4 red onion, chopped finely
1/4 red pepper, chopped finely
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh parsley for garnish, chopped
3/4 cup citrus dressing (recipe below)

Wash and sort peas and place them in a pot with the cold broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 35 to 40 minutes. Peas should be tender but not mushy. Prepare the remaining vegetables. Make the dressing as instructed below.

To assemble the salad, drain the peas (do not rinse). Gently toss the warm peas with the dressing and the vegetables. Spread the salad out on a large roasting pan or baking sheet with the edges slightly raised. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley (if desired) before serving.

Citrus Dressing for Black-eyed Pea Salad

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:
Juice of 1 orange, 1 lemon, and 1/2 lime (about 3/4 cup total)
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 tsp. walnut oil

In a small pan, bring juice to a simmer. Dissolve cornstarch in vinegar with sugar and other seasonings. Stir mixture into the juice. Simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the oil. Chill until ready to use. Whisk the dressing before tossing it in the salad.

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