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The only thing more chaotic than a kitchen run by the likes of Gordon Ramsay is a kitchen filled with two very independent toddlers who want nothing more than to run the kitchen and be in charge of making every meal with mom or dad.
This International Chefs Day, let them run the show.
This International Chefs Day, let them run the show.
The purpose of this day is to help children learn about healthy eating and encourage them to practice their culinary skills.
What better way to celebrate than with a rainbow-colored salad that's chock-full of nutritious ingredients that will tickle your twins' tastebuds?
Enter, this zesty autumn salad that offers a sensory experience with every bite.
Turn everyday meal prep into sensory learning
Letting two toddlers roll up their sleeves and get to work in the kitchen can be, well, a recipe for disaster.
To involve toddlers in the kitchen in a safe and fun way, you can give them age-appropriate tasks, like washing produce, tearing or cutting veggies, pouring pre-measured ingredients, or mashing soft food items.
Get your little sous-chefs to help you prep the ingredients for this scrumptious salad by using Montessori kitchen tools to prepare veggies, pouring pre-measured dressing ingredients into the bowl, or stirring everything together.
Zesty Autumn Cabbage Salad Recipe
This nutritious citrus salad has a great crunch factor and so many fun flavors and colors for kids to explore.
It comes together quickly and is the perfect complement for hearty meals throughout autumn and winter.
Ingredients
For the salad, you'll need:
- ½ medium head of Napa or Savoy cabbage, shredded
- ½ medium head of red cabbage, shredded
- 2 large carrots, sliced into thin medallions
- 4 celery stalks, sliced
- 4 red radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 clementines, segmented
- 1 big avocado, diced
- 1 big handful of mint, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup almonds, toasted
For the dressing, you'll need:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup clementine juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Method
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, ginger, juices from the lemon and clementine, and soy sauce.
In a large bowl, mix together the cabbage (a mandoline slicer is your best friend, here, and will have your cabbage prepped in next to no time), carrots, radishes, half of the clementines, and half of the avocado.
Toss the salad with about half of the dressing and let it sit for 10 minutes, so the zesty flavors can begin to meld.
Then, season the salad to taste, adding more dressing as desired.
Assemble the salad (I like to add the ingredients bit by bit, in layers, for easier mixing), and then top it off with the remaining clementines, avocado, mint, almonds for pretty presentation purposes.
Then, drizzle the last of the dressing over the top layer immediately before serving.
Make the mess worth it
Cooking with two or more curious—and, let's be honest, mess-prone—toddlers can feel incredibly daunting and make you rethink any plans to hop into the kitchen with your kid-crew just seconds after pulling up the recipe.
But, sometimes, the mess can be worth it.
Hands-on food exploration is one of the most effective ways to help kids reduce sensory aversions to overcome picky eating, build fine motor skills, and encourage a lifelong relationship with nutrition and healthy eating habits.
What's your favorite thing to make with your twins in the kitchen? Let us know in the Comments section below or connect with us on Instagram to share your thoughts!
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