Kids just love our Monster Side Salads! They’re a playful, easy way to add an extra portion of vegetables to a child’s meal.
Monster side salads are quick to prepare and simple enough for children to help assemble, which makes them far more likely to be eaten. Shaping a salad into a monster face is often more appealing to kids than serving vegetables in a bowl.
For younger children a suitable portion of vegetables is often what fits in their hand, so these monster side salads make an ideal small portion. They also make it less intimidating for little ones to try new flavours and textures.
I now serve a monster face with most kids’ dinners — a handy parenting tip: slightly “mean” monster faces often tempt picky eaters more than overly happy ones.
Monster Side Salad Ingredients
- 1 small carrot
- 1 baby plum tomato
- 6 cucumber slices
- 2 black olives
- ¼–½ red pepper, sliced
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How to make monster side salads
- Wash and prepare the vegetables. Slice the carrot, cucumber and pepper into child-safe pieces and arrange them on a plate to form a monster face. Use a tomato for a nose and olives for eyes or other facial details.
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Make monster side salad your way
Try any combination of vegetables or fruits you like and introduce new flavours gradually.
- Radishes
- Peppers
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Olives
- Broccoli florets
- Mangetout
- Baby corn
- Carrots — try purple carrots if you can find them
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How to serve monster side salad
- Serve a monster side salad with most evening meals — it pairs well with pasta, chicken, fish, and sandwiches. Avoid pairing it with dishes that have heavy gravy, as salad and gravy don’t complement each other well.
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Monster Side Salad for Kids
Serves 2
5 minutes
5 minutes
Super easy side salad for kids
Ingredients
- 1 small carrot
- 1 baby plum tomato
- 6 slices cucumber
- 2 black olives
- ½ red pepper
Instructions
- Cut the vegetables into safe, bite-sized pieces and arrange them into a monster face. Use sliced cucumber or pepper for the mouth, olives for eyes and a tomato or carrot piece for a nose.
Notes
When preparing fruit and vegetables for young children, cut items lengthwise and into appropriate sizes to reduce choking risk.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 51
Total Fat: 1g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 47mg
Carbohydrates: 11g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 6g
Protein: 2g
Nutritional content will vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes; use this as a general guide and calculate specifics if you have dietary requirements.
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