How To Make Salad For Toddlers

Yes, really. But, also, not really really–at least not in the grown-up sense of the word. No leafy greens. No seriously chopped up ingredients. In fact, not a lot of ingredients at all. A salad, but not a salad salad. You know.

You know what, though? These salad for toddlers–or whatever the heck you want to call them– taste good. They look good, too, in that cheffy, farm-to-table way; you might actually look like you know what you’re doing (at least to someone who is not your child). Tres Mediterranean, these guys: they use good produce; they’re dressed and presented simply (but stylishly). They don’t look like rabbit food, much less grown-up food; they look like the things your child wants to eat–mostly because they look exactly like the food itself. Yes, just plain ol’ fruits and vegetables, just done with intention: chopped, combined, caressed. They’re about the most sensible thing you’ll make your toddler and yourself during these topsy turvy years.

Recipes below–but, first, a short primer on what works when trying to make salad for toddlers. Use it to help modify our recipes to you or your child’s content; use it to help create recipes of your own.

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How To Make A Salad Your Child Will Eat in Four Easy Steps

1. Stick With Familiar (And Liked) Ingredients

Since the format and/or flavors of a salad are likely to be new to your child, resist the urge to be clever about what you’re serving and how; you will have your chance later. Use ingredients your child is familiar with, likes–or at least tolerates being in front of him/her and/or next to other ones. Add-ons/accessories like shredded cheese or nuts may seem like a smart move but are likely to distract or confuse them; since your goal is really to get them comfortable eating lightly dressed produce, stick to what will look like what your child knows and (mostly) tastes like what he/she does.

Now, if you are in the position–or have the strong preference–to introduce a new ingredient this way, go with something with a simple (if nonexistent) flavor and crunchy texture–say, radish or jicama.

2. Mix Fruit and Vegetables

Children like fruit; they also don’t spend any of their time or lifeforce on worrying about the proportion of fruit to vegetables they eat. In other words: take advantage of low-hanging, er, fruit and get it in there, front and center; let it do what it does–that is, giving your child a reason to reach for the bowl. Mind you, we’re not talking about a “fruit salad” here–definitely include vegetables in the mix, and make them prominent. But avoid counting or stressing the vegetables in the salad the first few times your child tries it; let him or her figure out what works. They’ll come around–eventually.

3. Pair Soft and Crisp Textures

All the recipes below follow the same basic format: something pliant + something crunchy. Plenty of options in each: think tomatoes, stone fruit, avocado, et al. for the soft parts; think water-heavy vegetables and fruits for the crispy part–watermelon, cucumber, radish, et al. Mix and match as you and/or your child see fit–and feel free to serve the parts of the salad deconstructed, allowing your child to assemble as he/she sees fit–but keep the components to no more than 3-4 ingredients per salad, which will ensure what’s in front of your child stays in the realm of comfortably familiar.

4. Dress Lightly

If you and/or your child is used to covering your salad or food in something thick and creamy, our approach is going to be a bit of a swerve: we’re advocating something akin to nearly nude. Soft and simple, we say: a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of vinegar or lemon, pinch of salt and pepper, and maybe a bit of basil. Let the produce do the talking; make the difference between eating, say, a piece of fruit and eating a salad distinct but subtle. Barely there: the key to getting there.

Here are four takes on salad for toddlers that exemplify these principles:

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Peach and Tomato Salad

Summer in a bowl, this one is as elemental as it gets: just peaches, halved cherry or grape tomatoes, and the lightest wisp of a dressing that your child won’t actually know is there. You can sub out the peaches for other stone fruits (i.e., nectarines, apricots); use whatever tomatoes you have–just cut into appropriately sized pieces. Using really good olive oil helps here, as can a tiny drizzle of honey when you’re making the dressing.

Cucumber and Avocado Salad

Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad

This take on the classic Mediterranean combo of crisp fruit and salty cheese has room for another fruit or vegetable or two; we’ve added cucumber, which complements the watermelon and is plain enough for kids to abide. Keep the cheese crumbles small–not much bigger than the size of a speck of herb or salt–so that it can attach to the watermelon and cuke and your kid(s) can experience the salt-sweet pairing; mint is the standard herb pairing, but feel free to sub in cilantro, basil, or nothing at all if you have no mint or your child doesn’t like the flavor.

Tomato, Orange, Blackberry, and Radish Salad

When you’re ready to level up, this one ups the number of ingredients and the complexity of the dressing, relying on Asian flavors–soy, fish sauce, rice vinegar–to lead the way. With its preponderance of fruit, there’s a nice balance here between sweet and savory.

Notice the moves here: just a couple of ingredients, all familiar; an emphasis on easy texture contrast, with something firm or crunchy paired with something soft or creamy; a really simple vinaigrette that doesn’t interfere or affect the flavor they’re used to.

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