Top 5 Salad Recipes for Kids

There are a lot of products in the market nowadays that claim to be healthy, and they may be. If you want to ensure what you and your children are consuming, though, your best bet is food that has been locally sourced, and dishes you have made yourself and know exactly what has gone into it.Parents want their children to eat healthy, always. Eating healthy and clean is probably the biggest determinant of how their health is going to be, not just currently but also in the future. It is always a good idea to cultivate good eating habits in children early on, as these are the practices that are going to stick until very later in their life, when they would appreciate you instilling healthy habits in them.Salads are a healthy and a great way to eat vegetables without too much spending time and effort on cooking them, and the ingredients you use in a salad are often fresh and locally sourced and you know where they come from. You can be assured of the healthiness quotient of a salad because everything that goes in a salad - from the leafy greens to solid veggies, even the dressing - is something you are aware of and have chosen to include in the salad. Read on to learn about the top 5 salad recipes for kids which they are going to love and enjoy.Many parents, often, do not try too hard to offer salads to their kids assuming that kids do not prefer having salads. Well, it is true that it is not very easy to make kids like salads, but if you try some easy and tasty recipes, things will be different for both of you.Kids do not start liking foods immediately after they are offered. It takes some time and consistent exposure to foods that make children develop taste for them. The same goes with salads also. While it is not wrong of you to assume your children may not like salads, as kids are less likely to truly enjoy salads, there is absolutely no harm in trying to get them to try it. Worst case scenario, they do not like it at all, in which case you can still convince them to have it once in a while purely to ensure the nutrition present in them and promise them a treat in return. Best case scenario, they might like it! So, instead of giving up, try some easy and delicious salad recipes and help your children get the healthy habit of eating salad with meals.Best Salad Recipes for KidsHave a quick look at the top 5 best salad recipes for kids.1. Summer SaladThis salad recipe is extremely healthy as it is rich in antioxidants.The Ingredients you will need -Carrots – 3Bunch of radishesSmall red onionCourgette – 2Mint leaves – roughly tornWhite vinegar – 1 tbsp.Mustard paste – 1 tsp.Mayonnaise – 1 tbsp.Olive oil – 2 tbsp.The preparation for the salad is as follows-Grate the carrots in a bowl, as this consistency makes it easier to eat them. Add finely chopped onion and thinly sliced radishes and courgettes. Add roughly torn mint leaves as well, because it enhances its flavour and mixes them well with vegetables in the bowl.To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar, mustard paste, mayonnaise and oil in a separate bowl. Add salt and pepper according to the taste. Mix everything well and then pour it over the bowl of salad in a way it is distributed evenly and blend thoroughly with a salad spoon so all the ingredients mix together well, before serving.This is called the summer salad because this is made from vegetables typically harvested during the summer season. The dressing combines ingredients that have intense flavours together, and bring out the flavours of the vegetables. The flavour from the mint and the kick from mustard paste, complemented by white vinegar and mayonnaise will make the salad taste good, and your child will definitely enjoy this salad. It may be simple, but it is wholesome in its nutrition. Raw vegetables retain the most amount of nutrition of vegetables, which is why salads are such a good source of nutrition. Carrots are rich in fibre, Vitamin A and beta carotene. They also have calcium and Vitamin K, both of which contribute to good bone health, something a growing child needs. Radishes are rich in antioxidants, and also minerals like calcium and potassium that are good for the heart. It also helps increase blood flow. Red onions have a host of benefits, from helping a sore throat to anti-carcinogenic properties. Courgette is rich in protein, potassium and Vitamin C.2. Summer Potato SaladThe ingredients you will need to make this salad are:Potatoes – 2 to 3Buttermilk – 1/2 cupLight mayonnaise – 2 tbsp.Mustard paste – 1 tbsp.White vinegar – 1 tbsp.Powdered sugar – 1/2 tsp.Sliced radishes – 1handfulPoppy seeds – 1 tbsp.Mustard cress for garnishThe preparation for this salad is as follows-Wash the potatoes well and boil potatoes with salt. Once the potatoes are boiled, drain the excess water and let the potatoes cool. You can tell the potatoes are boiled when you can stick a fork into the potato without much resistance. Once the potatoes are cooled, you can dice them.To make the dressing, whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard paste, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Add pieces of boiled potatoes into it along with the radishes and poppy seeds and mix well. Sprinkle mustard cress and serve.Despite what a lot of parents may assume, potatoes do have health benefits too. It is only when they are deep-fried do they become unhealthy, because of the fats they absorb. But potato in itself is rich in fibre, which will keep you full for longer, and is also rich in antioxidants. Buttermilk improves blood pressure and is good for bones as well since it is rich in calcium, and good for oral health too. Poppy seeds, or khus khus as we call them, are rich in fibre and hence greatly improve digestion. Mustard cress helps improve digestion as well. The other ingredients, like the mayonnaise, mustard paste, vinegar and sugar and the salt from the buttermilk all come together to add wonderful flavours to the dish. This is one salad your child will definitely find delicious and look forward to. Potato salads don’t often conform to our idea of salads, since we always imagine salads to have a lot of leafy greens, but potato salads are equally nutritious. Potato salads also have one ingredient children already love in them, potato!3. Sweet Potato SaladThe ingredients you will need to make this salad are -Sweet potatoesOlive oil 1 tbsp.Small red onion – 1/2Spring onions – 2Sherry vinegar – 2 tbsp.Extra-virgin olive oil – 1 tbsp.Honey – 1 tbsp.The preparation for this salad is as follows-Peel and cut sweet potatoes into medium-sized pieces, they should be chunky but not so big that they are uncomfortable while eating. Add olive oil and some seasoning you may prefer to it (like salt and pepper) and roast in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes or till they are tender and golden. Let it cool at room temperature.To make the dressing for this salad, whisk together sherry vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil and honey in a separate bowl.Now add the dressing along with finely chopped red onion and spring onions to sweet potatoes and mix thoroughly. Make sure you mix them gently so that the pieces of sweet potatoes do not break up. You can use your hands for mixing if you like.The dressing goes wonderfully with the natural taste of sweet potatoes.It may seem like a simple salad, given that there is only one main ingredient, but sweet potatoes are incredibly nutritious. Just one piece of sweet potato gives you 400% of the vitamin A requirement for a human body for one day. It is great for your kid’s eyes. Sweet potatoes are also great for building immunity. It is very important for kids to have good immunity as they are growing. Falling sick is something no child or their parent wants, so this salad works very well to boost your kid’s immunity. Sweet Potatoes are also abundant in Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Potassium.4. Cucumber SaladThis salad is light, fresh and your kid is bound to like it.The ingredients you will need to make this salad are -Cucumber – 1Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp.White vinegar – 3 tbsp.Table sugar – 2 tbsp.Sesame oil – a few dropsThe preparation of this salad is as follows-Wash and peel the cucumber. Then cut the cucumber in half. You can leave the seeds or scoop them out depending on the age of your child since if the seeds are big and they can be a choking hazard for younger children. Slice the cucumber into small pieces. You can also add finely chopped red onion and cabbage to add colour and crunchiness to the salad if you prefer it and want to make it a little more interesting.To make the dressing, add the vegetable oil, white vinegar, sugar and sesame oil into a small bowl and whisk it together until it is combined.Put all the ingredients in a large bowl so that everything can be tossed and turned in properly so the dressing properly coats the cucumber pieces completely and evenly. Chill and serve the salad.While cucumbers are excellent when eaten raw as well, adding a little flavour will help turn it into a healthy treat for your child to munch on. If it tastes good, your child would look forward to it and prefer it over unhealthy snacks too.Cucumbers have a variety of health benefits, but the greatest one may be the fact that they are low in calories but high in nutrients. Despite having very little caloric value, they are high in fibre, protein, Vitamin C and Vitamin K and Potassium. They are very hydrating and very rich in antioxidants as well.5. Crunchy and Healthy SaladThis salad is very tasty and healthy. Many kids simply love this crunchy salad.The ingredients you will need to make this salad are-Red apples – 2Orange juice – 2 tbsp.Celery – 2 stalksRaisins – 1/2 cupWalnuts – 1/2 cupMayonnaise – 1/4 cupThe preparation for this salad is as follows-Was the apples and remove the core. Chop the apples into small pieces, so they can be eaten by your child easily and are not too big for them to chew. Then finely chop the walnuts. Add orange juice, finely chopped celery and finely cut walnut and raisin into a large bowl. Now add mayonnaise and mix well. Refrigerate the salad and serve when chilled.Many times children don’t like mushy salads because that is not the consistency they prefer. This salad remedies that, as this salad is very crunchy. The fresh apples are snappy, the celery is crunchy and chewy, and the walnuts stay crunchy. The mayonnaise helps make the salad creamy and also brings out the sweetness of the apple and orange juice. Apples are great for your child’s digestive system, and are also rich in antioxidants. Orange juice is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, iron and Folate. Celery is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. Walnuts are an incredible source of Omega 3 and promote gut health.Eating raw vegetables and fruits will help kids feel and stay healthy. This will also make them live longer. Salads can be created in plenty of different ways and made delicious. Salads are visually appealing and the different colours and flavours added attract children to love having them. To add variety to food, you can make different types of salads and present them in different ways as well.How to make kids eat salads without making a fuss? Which are the best vegetable salad recipes for kids? How to make fruit salad for kids instantly? Discuss here.