I have discovered two awesome things that will get my kids to happily eat salad.

Salads are usually expensive garnishes when placed on my children’s plates. The moment my kids see green on their plates, the chorus of “Eww… I don’t like it,” begins. For the most part, I choose not to have battles over their greens. There are negotiations to have at least a bite, to try it, but most of their salad ends up in the bin.

These two awesome things, however, got my kids to not only eat their salad, but happily eat their salad. One of my Mr 5s (M) even declared, “This is the yummiest!” while gobbling down a green baby spinach salad leaf. Let me repeat that again; it was green, he happily gobbled it up and said it was the yummiest. I was probably smiling like the biggest goofball when that happened, but who cares?! I was one very happy mama.

Two awesome ways to get my kids to happily eat their salad:

First: add crunch to their salad. There’s something immensely satisfying about crunching down your food. My kids love crunchy food, (and truth be told, so do I!)

Second: get them to make their salad. In some weird, magical, wonderful way, when they become involved in the making of the salad, their emotional reactions to the salad (that they have made) become positive. Instead of reacting to it like poison and wanting to spit it out, they enjoy it and gobble up more. Weird, magical and wonderful stuff.

Here’s the salad recipe that got my kids to happily eat salad. Enjoy!

Maple Roasted Pumpkin and Crunchy Noodle Salad Recipe

2013-10-24 22:27:54

Serves 8

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242 calories

21 g

5 g

16 g

6 g

3 g

70 g

84 g

4 g

0 g

13 g

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

70g

Servings

8

Amount Per Serving

Calories 242

Calories from Fat 136

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 16g

24%

Saturated Fat 3g

13%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 11g

Cholesterol 5mg

2%

Sodium 84mg

3%

Total Carbohydrates 21g

7%

Dietary Fiber 2g

7%

Sugars 4g

Protein 6g

Vitamin A

38%

Vitamin C

12%

Calcium

8%

Iron

7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Maple Roasted Pumpkin

1. 1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and sliced
2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
3. pinch of salt and white pepper
4. 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
5. 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Dressing

1. 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2. 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
3. 2 teaspoons honey
4. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
5. 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
6. 1/4 cup olive oil
7. pinch of salt and white pepper

Salad

1. 3 individual packets of Mamee Monster Noodle Snacks (BBQ flavour)
2. 5 cups baby spinach salad leaves
3. 1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
4. 1/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese
5. 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 220C. Toss the pumpkin with olive oil, salt and white pepper, maple syrup and orange zest. Place pumpkin slices in a single flat layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for half an hour, until golden.
2. Make the dressing by popping all the dressing ingredients into a jar and shake the dickens out of it, until combined.
3. To make the salad, break up the Mamee noodles (in their individual packagings), then place the broken up noodles into a mixing bowl. Add the spinach leaves and hazelnuts, cheese, parsley and dressing and gently toss the salad.
4. Gobble up the salad, posthaste.

By Pauline, Lessons Learnt Journal

beta

calories

242

fat

16g

protein

6g

carbs

21g

more

Lessons Learnt Journal http://lessonslearntjournal.com/

Thanks to Mamee, one Australian Lessons Learnt Journal reader will win:

• 1 x 12pk Mamee Noodles (Chicken)
• 1 x 12pk Mamee Noodles (BBQ)
• 1 x 10pk Mamee Noodles Rice Sticks
• 1 x Mamee Rice Crisps BBQ
• 1 x Mamee Rice Crisps Sour Cream & Onion

Entry is simple. This is a game of skill and entries will be judged based on creativity and originality. Leave a comment on this post sharing:

What’s your favourite salad ingredient?

Open to Australian entries only. Entries close Monday 4th November, 5pm AEST 2013.

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The post Salad Recipe: Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Crunchy Noodles by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.