Looking for salad recipes that your kids will actually love? We've got you covered! These salads are picky kid approved and packed with veggies and nutrients. Perfect for a healthy and fun summer meal!
Easy Veggie Salad
- Ingredients:
- Rise Gardens mixed greens
- Rise Gardens mini tomatoes
- Orange bell pepper, chopped
- Ranch dressing (to make it even more kid-approved)
- Instructions:
- Prepare the Greens: Rinse and dry the Rise Gardens mixed greens. Place them in a large salad bowl.
- Add the Veggies: Halve the mini tomatoes and chop the orange bell pepper into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the greens.
- Dress it Up: Drizzle with ranch dressing just before serving.
- Serve: Toss gently to combine all the ingredients. Enjoy this colorful, crunchy, and delicious salad that kids will love!
Creamy Caesar Salad
- Ingredients:
- Rise Gardens Romaine, chopped
- Croutons
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Cooked chicken breast, diced (optional)
- Caesar dressing
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Instructions:
- Prepare the Greens: Rinse and dry the Rise Gardens Romaine. Chop it into bite-sized pieces and place it in a large salad bowl.
- Add the Toppings: Sprinkle the croutons, grated Parmesan cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese over the Romaine.
- Add the Chicken: If using, add the diced cooked chicken breast.
- Dress it Up: Drizzle with Caesar dressing just before serving.
- Serve: Toss gently to combine all the ingredients. Enjoy this creamy, cheesy salad that's sure to be a hit with kids!
Want to Be Featured in the NEW Rise Gardens Cookbook?
Do you have a favorite salad recipe that you make using your Rise Garden produce? Hydroponics — a method of growing plants in nutrient-rich water without soil, using seed pods to get started — makes it easy to grow fresh ingredients right in your kitchen year-round. We would love to include your creation in our upcoming Rise Gardens cookbook! According to the USDA, freshly harvested leafy greens can contain up to 50% more vitamins and nutrients than store-bought pre-cut salad mixes that have been in refrigerated storage for days, so your homegrown ingredients are truly something special. Here's how you can submit your salad recipe for a chance to be featured:
Facebook Group: If you are a current customer, submit your photo and recipe in our Rise Gardens Facebook Group.
Instagram: Post your photo on Instagram or Instagram Stories and tag @risegardens.
We can't wait to see your delicious and innovative salad creations!
Frequently Asked Questions
What salads can kids grow and eat from a Rise Garden?
Kids tend to love mild, sweet greens like butterhead lettuce, spinach, and pea shoots — all of which grow quickly and easily in a Rise Garden (an indoor hydroponic growing system designed for home use). Adding colorful elements like edible flowers, cherry tomatoes, and vibrant microgreens makes salads visually exciting enough to spark curiosity in young eaters. Involving children in every step from planting to harvesting to plate dramatically increases the likelihood they will actually want to eat the salad they helped grow. In fact, hydroponic lettuce grown indoors can yield up to 11 harvests per year compared to just 2–3 harvests in traditional soil gardening, meaning there's always something fresh and ready for kids to pick.
How do I get my kids to eat more salad?
Research consistently shows that children who participate in growing their food are more willing to try and enjoy eating it — this is sometimes called the gardening effect. Research from Cornell University's Center for Environmental Farming Systems supports this finding, noting that hands-on food growing experiences significantly improve children's willingness to consume fruits and vegetables. Letting kids choose which plants to grow, harvest their own leaves, and assemble their own salad bowl gives them a sense of ownership and pride. Simple, familiar flavors and fun presentation — like building a rainbow salad or a food face on the plate — also make salads more approachable for younger children.
What kid-friendly salad dressings work with Rise Garden greens?
A mild honey-lemon vinaigrette or a simple ranch made with fresh dill and chives from Rise Garden are crowd-pleasers for most kids. Avoiding strong vinegars and overly bitter greens in kid-focused salads helps ease younger palates into enjoying raw vegetables. Letting children dip their leaves rather than tossing the whole salad is another practical strategy that keeps kids engaged and in control of their eating.
What nutrients do salad greens provide for growing children?
Salad greens grown in Rise Garden are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folate, iron, and calcium — all critical nutrients for growing children's development. Darker greens like kale and spinach have higher concentrations of these micronutrients than lighter iceberg-type lettuces. Freshly harvested greens from Rise Garden retain significantly more of these vitamins than pre-cut, packaged salad mixes that have been sitting in refrigerated storage for days.
