The Big Salad Is A Big Hit!

Our weekly menu tool is still working so well!  Every Sunday night at dinner, when everyone is sitting together, we discuss what we want for dinner the next week.  My picky eater only ever wants pasta, but by seeing what is coming up in the next week, she can prepare herself and know what she will be asked to try each night.  This week, my husband asked for “The Big Salad.”  When we were first married, I would make a big salad and then put out bowls of extras that could be added to the salad – cheese, beans, nuts, fruit, or whatever was left over from the previous night’s meal.  We haven’t had it on the family menu yet, even though on most nights I have it on my own, especially on pasta nights.  Of course there were complaints at first; My daughter claims she doesn’t like salad and my son thought it wouldn’t fill him up.  But we went ahead with it anyway, to test their theories of course.

I started with a big garden salad with Romaine and Boston lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and sugar snap peas as our base.

The Big Salad foundation.

Next, I thought of the foods my daughter liked, not necessarily on a salad, but foods she would eat just in case she held her ground.  I boiled up some eggs, opened and rinsed a can of black olives, and knew I couldn’t go wrong with Mozzarella cheese and croutons.  Then I put out a few other items that I knew the rest of us would eat:  Turkey, chopped pear, raspberries, raisins, slivered almonds and Cheddar cheese.  I also brought out an avocado last minute.  I like to add it to my salads to replace the cheese – it gives a creamy texture and it fills me up.  Making it look a little pretty on the table doesn’t hurt either.  My daughter has actually said that she doesn’t like “ugly” food.  That may be a picky eater’s excuse, but it wasn’t going to be used on this night!

The Big Salad Fixings

I then pulled out some salad dressing options.  I used store-bought dressings (I buy the organic store brand ones at Stop and Shop) because we had a busy evening schedule and I didn’t have time to make one.  I also put out oil and vinegar.  Once the kids saw the display, they were both intrigued.

How could this not taste as good as it looks?

As they started compiling their meal, they seemed to enjoy creating their masterpieces.  As I expected, my daughter went for the olives, Mozzarella cheese, and croutons.  The egg ended up on a side dish, but as a bonus, she chose raspberries – a happy surprise for mom.  Her reason:  They looked so pretty!

My picky eater’s beautiful Big Salad.

I think my son added a bit of everything.  And to his surprise (and mine), he announced that he was full after eating it!

My teen boy fills up with turkey, cheese, olives and avocado.

After they were done creating, it was my turn.  I added turkey, avocado, almonds, pears, raisins, and raspberries (love a little fruit in my salad).  A little bit of aged Balsamic vinegar and I was in heaven.

My Big Salad masterpiece.

Dinner was delicious, healthy, and best of all, a hit with everyone.  I even called my husband for his selections and packed him a salad in my son’s hockey bag so he could eat it at the rink when he got there.  This was his response:

Gotta love a healthy dinner that everyone will eat!  What will you put in your salad?

xo

B