Kids don’t like salad? We totally disagree! This Strawberry Spinach Salad is not only delicious, it’s so much fun to eat.

At this time of year especially, I can’t wait to get out of bed on Sunday mornings. Just the thought of the farmer’s market and all of the amazing new fruit in season gets me so excited (it also makes me feel like a huge nerd, but it’s what floats my boat)!

We’re very lucky to have so much diversity in our fruits and vegetables in southern California. Melons have just started popping up at different vendors at our market and the ones I’ve sampled are incredible. What’s available is not just your basic cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon (though you will find all of those in abundance), but there are numerous different varieties that smell and taste like heaven: Crenshaws, French, Galias, Casabas and more. Every time we’re at the market, we are so wowed by the succulent samples being given out, that we end up buying several types because we can’t make our minds up.

Melons are packed with vitamins such as beta carotene, potassium, vitamin C and A, so they’re a really nutritious snack for kids.

I can just sit with a spoon and half a melon and be happy, but when you get home with your gorgeous melons and want to give them a little extra zip, make this gorgeous recipe and watch your family be as excited as me on a Sunday summer morning!

Summer Fruit Salad (Serves 4-6)

1/2 Small Seedless Watermelon
1/2 Small Honeydew Melon
1/2 Small Cantaloupe
Juice of 1 Lime
2 Tbsp Mint, minced

1. Cut the fruit into 1 inch chunks or use a melon baller.
2. Combine the fruit with the remaining ingredients.
3. Serve.

For a while I hesitated giving Kenya salad. Salad just seems like something you shouldn’t serve a two year old. I mean, what could be less exciting for a kid to have put in front of him than a plate of lettuce? I think I was also concerned that it would either be too difficult for him to chew certain raw vegetables or that he simply wouldn’t enjoy some of the ingredients I put into my favorite salads.

Boy was I wrong! And when you really stop to think about it, why wouldn’t kids love salads? When made right, salads are visually appealing, full of fresh flavors, able to be topped with all kinds of different dressings and easily tailored to each individual in your family’s likes and dislikes.

This strawberry spinach salad is not only delicious, it’s packed with nutrients. There’s protein in the almonds, tons of iron in the spinach, vitamin C in the strawberries and the poppy seeds are a good source of calcium. It’s also a really colorful dish that is naturally sweet, so I think it looks appealing and tastes great to a young discriminating palate. Honestly, there’s nothing cuter to me than watching my two year old munching away and asking for “more salad”! But then again, I’m his mother!

Strawberry Spinach Salad (Serves 4)

5 Cups (or 5 oz. Pkg.) Baby Spinach, packed
1 Cup Mushrooms, sliced thin
2 Cups Strawberries, sliced thin
1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
1 Tbsp Honey
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp Poppy Seeds
1/4 Tsp Salt

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
2. Place remaining 5 ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Toss the dressing with the salad.
4. Serve.

Corn is just starting to show up at our local farmer’s markets, so I decided to buy a few sweet ears this weekend to make a super-simple salad full Kenya’s favorite ingredients. I love preparing this delicious dish for several reasons: it’s a complete vegetarian protein because of the beans and corn, the mixture of colors and textures are appealing to a little one’s eyes and it’s easy on the wallet.

If you need a last minute pot luck dish this summer that’s easy to prepare and that adults as well as kids will love, give it a shot!

Corn & Black Bean Salad (Serves 4-6)

2 Ears of Corn, husked and cleaned or 2 Cups of Frozen Corn Kernels, defrosted
1 16 Oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed
1 Red Bell Pepper, small dice
2 Tbsp Cilantro
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Tsp Honey
1/2 Tsp Salt

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil and add the corn.
2. Cover and steam for 5 minutes, remove and let cool.
3. Cut the corn off the cob and place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients.
4. Stir to combine throughly.
5. Serve.

Kids may turn up their noses at a lot of foods, but rarely do you see them get finicky when it comes to pasta. One of the major bonuses for parents is that pasta is inexpensive, versatile and keeps well in the fridge. I like pasta because you can add an endless variety of meats, vegetables, and sauces to it and still give your kids a well-rounded meal.

Recently, I’ve been trying to come up with yummy lunch box recipes and this pasta “hero” is fantastic. I was inspired by one of those gorgeous, layered submarine sandwiches that you get from a deli, but this spin on the classic substitutes pasta for the bread and is SO much easier for little mouths to navigate since everything is bite-sized.

Kenya’s eyes got wide when I opened his bento lunch box and he saw all the beautiful colors and shapes this dish contains, and of course, one of his favorites, pasta. I designed this recipe to feed 6-8 people because once your brood sees how incredible it looks, everyone is going to want their own bowl!

Pasta Hero (Serves 6-8)

16 Oz Box Whole Wheat Fusilli
1 1/2 Cup Ham, Turkey, Salami or any of your favorite cold cuts, cut into thins strips or cubes
1 Cup Monterrey Jack, shredded or cubed
1 Cup Garbanzo Beans
3/4 Cup Pimentos, diced
3/4 Cup Olives, chopped
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Red WIne Vinegar
1 Tsp Italian Herbs, dried
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Strain and rinse with cold water. Place pasta in a bowl.
3. Add the meat, cheese, garbanzo beans pimentos and olives to the pasta.
4. Whisk the remaining dressing ingredients in a bowl to combine.
5. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss.
6. Serve.

If there’s one food you can always find in our refrigerator, it’s hard boiled eggs. I usually buy a dozen every Sunday at the farmer’s market, boil them up as soon as we get home and then put a big bowl of them in the fridge. Packed with protein and iron, these little orbs are a favorite with everyone in our house, especially when they’re on the go. They work for pretty much every meal.

My husband usually just pops a whole one in his mouth with a little salt. I appreciate the simplicity of that, but you can be simple and still have a bit more fun. Egg salad sandwiches only take seconds to whip up and you can really have fun with your ingredients from dijon mustard to grated carrots to capers. People can get quite finicky about what goes in their egg salad, though, so know your audience. In our house, pickles are a must. We also have dill growing like weeds in our garden, so I added some to this recipe and it took it from simple to spectacular. I truly consider this a gourmet egg salad, which even the tiniest little eater will love.

Egg Salad Sandwich (Makes 3 Sandwiches)

4 Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped
1 Dill Pickle, chopped fine
3 Tbsp Vegannaise or Mayonnaise
1 Tsp Fresh Dill, chopped
Salt
1 Celery Stalk, chopped fine
2 Tsp Lemon Juice
6 Slices of Bread

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Place filling on top of bread to make sandwiches.
3. Serve.