The above picture is a typical representation of weeknight dinnertime at our house. The table is not perfectly set. I don’t use the good serving dishes. But food is prepared, we all sit down, and enjoy a few moments around the table together.
Every family manages mealtimes differently. In our house, with our schedule, I never felt capable of preparing additional food choices for the kids separate from our regularly planned meals. That meant that the kids have always eaten what I’ve served, and if they choose not to, they are offered no other options.
That’s not to say it’s been easy. My son in particular has been a pretty picky eater so I’ve been mindful of his likes and dislikes, trying to maintain a balance of serving him things he enjoys while working to expand his culinary horizons.
And friends, we’ve seen progress. Today, my son will eat salad. The day I discovered this I was blown away. Of all the things I tried to get him to eat, I don’t think I ever once put lettuce on his plate. For some reason, I made the automatic assumption that he just wouldn’t eat it.
That was my first mistake {you know what they say about making assumptions}. My second was always giving up too easily. “Oh, you didn’t like (__insert food here__) that one time so I guess I won’t make you try it again.”
And then this happened: I planned salad for dinner. We sat down to the table and Conlan’s eyes lit up at the huge, colorful spread before him. “Can I put the food on the plate by myself, mommy?” he asked. “Sure!” I replied.
And he took a bit of nearly everything. Avocado, chicken, cheese, cucumbers, carrots, an egg, sunflower seeds…even a few pieces of lettuce. He passed up the tomatoes and onion and kept all the food in separate little piles on his plate, but he ate every last bite and proclaimed his love of salad. He begged to pack salad for his lunch at school the next day, and asked if we could eat salad for dinner more often.
MIND. BLOWN.
But then I thought about it. You know why he loves this meal so much? It’s because he has full control of his plate. Though I would have liked to see him take a few more veggies, I kept my mouth shut. I decided to delight in the victories and not focus on the deficits.
My service, his choices. And my boy surprised me.
Salad for dinner is now part of our regular rotation and is always a hit. I love this as a meal option because not only is it healthy but I can prep nearly everything in advance, grill up a quick protein after work, and throw everything on the table for self-service. Here are some of our fave salad components to make a complete, filling, well-received family meal. Serve them separately and see what your little one chooses to try!
- Lettuce
- Red onion
- Cucumber slices
- Shredded carrots
- Diced tomatoes
- Avocado
- Cheese
- Sunflower seeds
- Bacon crumbles
- Boiled eggs
- Grilled or leftover chicken, steak, or shrimp
- Chopped deli meat or shredded rotisserie chicken
