How to Make a Lettuce Salad More Nutritious and Appealing to Kids of all Ages

Do you have trouble getting your children to eat a lettuce salad? Do they smother it with a high fat/sugar salad dressing just to get some taste? Try adding some of the items listed below to increase the nutrition value, give it eye appeal, more taste and flavor, and a bit of sweetness and crunch.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Lettuce: Trying adding different kinds of lettuce (i.e. Butter, Bibb, Romaine, Iceberg, red leaf, dark green leaf) to add color and texture. Add spinach to add some extra Vitamin A.

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   Vegetables: Add cherry or grape tomatoes (Vitamins A and C) for color and texture; sliced mushrooms (Vitamin C and Iron), grated carrots (Vitamins A and C, Calcium and Iron), radishes (Vitamin C), onions (Vitamin C) - all give eye appeal.

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   Fruit: Cut up apple (Vitamin C), dried cranberries (Iron plus a little sugar), raisins (Iron, Calcium, Vitamin C) are usual favorites of children.

4. Nuts: Sunflower seeds (Iron, Calcium, Vitamin C), slivered almonds (Calcium and Iron), pine nuts (Iron, Calcium, Vitamins A and C) add a crunchiness to the salad.

5. Beans: Kidney, pinto and garbanzo (canned, rinsed, drained) are all high in Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron. Another flavor to add to plain lettuce.

6. Egg: Cut up hardboiled egg contains lots of Vitamin A, Calcium and Iron.

7. Cheese: Grate some cheddar cheese or slice some Swiss cheese - both high in Calcium, but cheese is also high in fat. So just a little on the top will do.

8. Salad dressing: Covering a healthy lettuce salad with too much dressing negates the nutritious value of the salad. Off the shelf salad dressings contain high amount of calories, sodium (salt) and fat: Bacon and Tomato (1/2 cup equals 370 calories, 42 grams of fat, 1301 mg of sodium); Ranch (2 tablespoons contain 148 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 287 mg of sodium); and 1000 Island (1/2 cup contains 460 calories, 12 grams of fat, and 1078 mg of sodium). Read the nutrition labels on the bottle to ensure you are buying and using a healthy salad dressing. Try olive oil and balsamic vinegar - a favorite with the Italians. It has a good flavor and can be sprinkled over the salad so that it can be tasted without being overwhelming. Light balsamic vinaigrette (2 ounces) has about 6 grams of fat, 220 mg of sodium and 110 calories.

9. Serving suggestion: Even though it may be a little bit of extra work, make individual salads bowls instead of a 'family' bowl. This way the children can make their own (with your guidance) with the items they want to eat and you can provide them with the correct portion size.

Resources

• Food Pyramid
• Nutrition Food Facts