Hi friends! The summer sun has officially hit our house and it’s time to whip out the no-heat recipes! I wanted to share this spinach apple salad because it’s light and refreshing, so quick to toss together, and a salad that my whole family always enjoys!
You just need fresh baby spinach, apples, avocados, almonds, dried cranberries, and a yummy balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It also tastes fantastic with cucumbers, blueberries, and strawberries!
I know that a lot of parents hesitate to feed their children salads because they’re often met with pushback (so much green stuff)! My daughters will actually eat every part of this spinach apple salad and it’s mostly due to the fact that we serve it deconstructed.
We’re all visual eaters, but this is especially the case for young children as they’re continually being introduced to new food and developing preferences. I’ve learned that my daughters want a plate where all of the components are easy to decipher. It’s just faster for their brains to process the ingredients separated than when they’re all mixed up.
My kids are also all about dipping! I put dressing in the middle of their plates and they just dip the spinach in there like chips. Although I prefer a balsamic vinaigrette for this salad, I’ll let them choose what type of dressing they want. It really doesn’t make a difference as long as it gets them to eat their food!
Preparing a deconstructed salad honestly takes about 20 whole seconds longer (so totally worth it) and is such a smart way to make sure that your kiddos are eating healthy food! Give it a try with your little ones!
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- 8 oz baby spinach
- 1 apple chopped
- 2 avocados chopped
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Ingredients
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- If you're making a deconstructed version for your little ones, do this first! Arrange their ingredients separately on a plate with their favorite salad dressing in the middle.
- For the traditional version, toss all of the ingredients together and serve with a light drizzle of dressing.
- Enjoy!
Goes well with slices of French bread on the side!