The unfortunate reality is that most people don't get their recommended seven or more servings of vegetables each day due to lack of time and availability. It's generally advised that daily vegetable servings come from a variety of sources, particularly brightly colored vegetables that tend to be rich sources of antioxidants. While most people don't have the time to cook four or five types of vegetables each day, if you want to make sure your family gets antioxidants and fiber, why not set up a home salad bar? Choose a designated night each week and advertise it as salad bar night. You can even make it a meal if you include some protein on your home salad bar. Everyone enjoys salad more when it's served “salad bar style” so they can choose their own vegetable, fixings, and salad dressing. This is an idea that may really take off at your house.
Start by making a list of possible salad ingredients for your home salad bar. Choose colorful vegetables such as red peppers, carrots, and grape tomatoes along with green ingredients such as spinach, romaine lettuce, arugula, cucumber slices, and endive. Add extra flavor with chopped onions, olives, and crumbled feta along with chickpeas, edamame, and toasted nuts for protein. Add a gourmet touch with sun dried tomatoes, hearts of palm, water chestnuts, and baby corn. You can even add exotic fruits such as mango and papaya to your home salad bar. There are some many healthy options available and you can vary them on a week by week basis. Consider buying local and organic salad ingredients when possible.
For a special touch, consider making your own salad dressings. Instead of offering the standard dressings such as Thousand Island and Ranch, mix up some exotic and healthy vinegar based dressings or dressings with an Oriental flare. There are lots of recipes for tasty salad dressings on the internet that will work well for your home salad bar.
Wash the vegetables thoroughly and chop them into smaller pieces a day or two before salad bar night and store them in containers in your refrigerator. On salad bar night, take them out and place them into attractive glass containers. Line them up along a long table and add tongs so each person can serve themselves. Stack attractive plates at the beginning of the table and glass containers of salad dressing at the end along with silverware and napkins. Imagine the delight as each member of your family creates his or her own salad. Plus, you get the satisfaction of knowing they're getting their vegetable quota for the day.
