Healthy Spring Salads

Spring is here! With the cold winter behind us, let’s give up those heavy comfort foods and rich meals for crisp and healthy spring salads. These 2 salad ideas are far from boring and are perfect for light lunches or dinners for your family. You can even pack leftovers for a healthy lunch to send with your child to school the next day. Get ready to be amazed by how delicious salad can be!

Fruity Nutty Salad

Seeds, nuts, and fruit can add a sweet and crunchy touch to any salad. Here’s an easy recipe for one you and the kids will surely love. If you want to swap any of the seeds, nuts, or fruits for ones you like better, go for it – this salad will taste great no matter how you tweak it.

You will need:

Chopped romaine lettuce or mixed greens
Diced sun dried tomatoes (or use fresh tomatoes)
Diced cucumber
Crumbled bleu cheese (use another cheese if this isn’t a favorite)
Shredded carrots
Sunflower seeds (salted or unsalted)
Sliced almonds or chopped walnuts
Dried cranberries or golden raisins (or both)
Dried and diced apricots
Balsamic vinaigrette or lite honey mustard dressing

Use as much or as little of each ingredient as you like… this is your salad, so make it how you like it! The kids can help depending on their age. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Mexican Salad

Lots of kids love Mexican food, so this flavorful salad is sure to be a hit. You can swap out the chicken for salmon, shrimp, beef, or tofu if you prefer one of those instead of chicken. The zesty flavors of this salad will wake up your taste buds!

You will need:

Chopped romaine lettuce or chopped iceberg lettuce (you can also do a mix of the two)
Diced green and red bell peppers
Diced cucumber
Diced tomatoes
Grilled chicken cubes
Sliced avocado
Mild salsa (use a hotter type if you want the salad spicier)

Mix all items except for the cheese and avocado in a small amount of the salsa. Top with the sliced avocado and cheese. You can also add a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese if you do not keep kosher. Serve with low fat tortilla chips and dip. Is your mouth watering yet?

Do you have any ideas for a spring salad? We’d love to hear it! For more information like this, visit All My Children.

By: Melissa A. Kay