But what if you were able to create a medley of foods that gave a whole new meaning to the word "salad?"
These might not be traditional recipes, but they will make your child fall in love with salad, while also getting in a hearty dose of good-for-you foods. Toss them together for a lunchtime treat or as a side at dinner.
1. Fruit and Nut Salad
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This salad is a great way to get in your recommended daily fruit servings with just a little boost of protein.
Ingredients:
2 Honeycrisp apples, cored and chopped
3 cups green grapes, halved
3 cups red grapes, halved
2 cups cooked farro
1 1/3 cup dates, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp water
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine apples, grapes, farro, dates, walnuts and cranberries. In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour dressing over fruit and nut mixture, stirring to combine. Refrigerate and serve chilled.
2. Strawberry Chicken Salad on Grilled Cheese
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This salad is a great way to get in your recommended daily fruit servings with just a little boost of protein.
Ingredients:
2 Honeycrisp apples, cored and chopped
3 cups green grapes, halved
3 cups red grapes, halved
2 cups cooked farro
1 1/3 cup dates, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp water
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine apples, grapes, farro, dates, walnuts and cranberries. In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour dressing over fruit and nut mixture, stirring to combine. Refrigerate and serve chilled.
3. Ranch BLT Pasta Salad
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This recipe offers a healthier spin on traditional BLT sandwiches and is a huge hit with ranch-loving kiddos.
Ingredients:
1 box ranch bacon pasta salad mix
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 medium tomato
2 green onions
1 green bell pepper
Broccoli florets
Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles until soft; drain and rinse in cold water. Dice tomato and cut bell pepper into strips. Chop up green onion and broccoli florets. Mix mayo and ranch dressing with the seasoning powder from the packet included in the box. Add mayo and ranch mixture with noodles. Add veggies until well coated. Refrigerate until served.
4. Taffy Apple Salad
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Become the hit of every potluck with this yummy dessert disguised as a salad—your kids will devour it.
Ingredients:
20 oz. pineapple chunks (drain any juice)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp flour
8 oz. whipped topping
4 large apples, diced
1 cup miniature marshmallows
2 cups peanuts
Directions:
Combine juice from pineapple, vinegar, sugar, egg and flour into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until thick. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Add whipped topping and stir to combine. Add pineapple chunks, apples, marshmallows and peanuts. Stir well. Refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.
5. Potato Salad with Bacon
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Potato salad is a summer staple, but your little ones will really love it when you kick it up a notch with bacon!
Ingredients:
2 lbs red potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 strips bacon, cooked and crisp
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 dill pickle, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup mayo
Directions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain completely and let potatoes cool. Crumble bacon and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, celery, pickle and parsley. In a separate bowl, mix mayo, vinegar, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the dressing mixture to the potato mixture and toss. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Cover and chill until serving time.
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