Ever since MadDad put raised beds in our garden after my Mastectomy six years ago we have always grown a small amount of vegetables, salads and fruits at home. I know from experience that kids are more likely to try to eat things that they have grown and nurtured. It worked for me in my Granddads allotment and for MadDad as a farmers son.
Tip: Involved the kids in growing as much as possible from planting, labeling, watering and picking. Let them give the plants names such as Robbie runner beans or Colin carrots.
Higgidy sent us a selection of Sarah Raven Salad leaves earlier in the year and we planted them along with radish and lots of other vegetables and waited for them to grow.
Last week Higgidy sent us a selection of pies and quiches to eat with our salad and challenged us to design a salad to go with them. So Mini and I put on our thinking caps and came up with our salad:
Salad Ingredients
- A selection of leaves
- Radish slices
- Blanched sugar snap peas
- Crumbled feta cheese
Tip: blanched sugar snap peas, beans, asparagus or long stemmed broccoli are great added to a salad or served cold as finger food for younger children. Cook in boiling water for three minutes before plunging in to cold water with ice.
Salad dressing
- White wine vinegar
- Lemon juice from half a lemon
- Olive oil
- Chilli flakes
- Salt
- Honey
Mini put all the salad dressing ingredients in to a kilner jar and gave it a good shake, before checking the taste and adding a little more honey. It was important that the dressing was to his palate to encourage him to eat it. Both the boys loved it and covered their new potatoes with it too!
Tip: always put a small salad out with dinner. When the boys were small I served chopped cucumber, red pepper and tomatoes in a small bowl with each meal. Eventually they will eat it.
I can’t wait unyil Baby gets a little older do I can cook with her. It looks yummy x
That is absolutely brilliant…getting the kids involved with cooking is ensuring that they have some life skills as they grow up as well as giving them a chance at making healthful choices at a young age! I wasn’t ever allowed to enter the kitchen as a child, and as a result only learned to cook at a very late stage in my life. I endeavor to change that with my children. Your recipe is quite doable, I might try getting them to do their own salads…for which child really has a taste for raw green?! 😛 x
I feel really bad that we haven’t grown anything this year. We did last year but it was pretty diastrous and put us off, bt seeing this makes me regret it. I’m going to try again next year. Great post.
That’s a good tip about serving salad with every meal, I’ll definitely start doing that, thanks
Great tip about letting the children make the dressing to their own taste. I shall try that, although all my children eat lettuce it’s a bit hit and miss with other salad stuff.
Growing your own greens and then involving them in the cooking process too is probably that most genius idea ever for getting a kid to eat right!
I love how you get the kids to join in here, I never did when i was younger and as a result am pretty poor in the kitchen! The finished dish looks yummy! x
It’s wonderful eating your own produce, isn’t it?
that salad sounds so yummy as does the dressing
Getting kids involved in cooking is an excellent idea.
I don’t have green fingers but fortunately my children will eat all fruit and veg 🙂
I’m sorry I never knew you had a mastectomy. I assume you have the all clear now?
The food looks very tasty and nutritious.
Healthy, home grown and delicious – perfect
My eldest is a fussy eater! Will try that tip with the salad thanks!
My eldest is a fussy eater! Will try that tip with the salad thanks!
It’s so true that they get excited about stuff they’ve grown or made. My girl despises tomatoes but will make an exception for one she has picked herself!
I am a great believer in growing, cooking and eating what we grow at home. I think it makes children appreciate things more and that sometimes it is not as easy as just popping into the supermarket. Brilliant post!
Mmm, looks delicious. The quiche looks tasty too.
I can’t imagine anybody turning down that meal. So much the better for being home-grown.
I think its a great idea for kids to grow their own fruit/veg as it educates them about where food comes from and how it is produced! I think its also key to get them helping out in the kitchen particularly if they dont really like trying new foods as they really are more likely to try it if they helped cook it!
Looks like you’ve made some yummy food in your pics! x
Jess
http://owlcrazymummy.blogspot.co.uk
You can’t beat some fresh greens and feta in a salad on a summer’s day, and this looks delicious and refreshing! Love how the kids got involved too 🙂
#Recipeoftheweek