I have talked a lot about how I lean into raw vegetables and easy sides in the summer. An easy family salad is definitely one that happens on repeat around here. I love having this apart of our weekly menus because all of the ingredients are easily incorporated into a variety of our lunch and dinners. A chopped rainbow salad is an easy lunch or weeknight side a fun way to get your kids in your kitchen and excited about different fruits and vegetables.
While Savanna and I had fun creating a rainbow we definitely do not always create the full rainbow. On average we strive for 3-4 colors (usually lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers).
Chopped Rainbow Salad Tips and Ideas:
*This is a great way to get your kids to help with dinner prep. We use kids knives and they help chop 🙂
*Creating a rainbow is fun and gets my kids more excited about different fruits and vegetables, but not everyone likes every part of the rainbow. I do not mix it all together right away and I let them pick out what they want. I find it is important to expose them to a variety and taste a new part of the rainbow each time.
*My kids like this with my healthy yogurt ranch but sometimes I like it with olive oil, vinegar and salt. You can use your families favorite bottled dressing as well!
*I love doing this for lunch for myself and adding some beans, nuts or quinoa for added protein.
Pictured are our favorite combinations but feel free to add in what you love! Below are some ideas for inspiration! What would you put in a rainbow salad?
Chopped Rainbow Salad Recipe Inspiration
1 -2 heads of chopped romaine lettuce
Dressing: 1/2 cup per head of lettuce – my children like my healthy yogurt ranch the best!
Red – 1 cup chopped: Tomatoes, Red Peppers, Strawberries, Raspberries, Cherries, Beets
Orange: Carrots (1/2 cup chopped), Orange Peppers (1 pepper chopped)
Yellow: Yellow Peppers (1 chopped) or Cheese (2/3 cup shredded)
Green: Cucumbers (1 cup sliced/ chopped), Avocado (1 whole chopped), Celery (1/2 cup chopped), Broccoli (1 cup chopped)
Blue: Blueberries (1/2 cup)
Purple: Purple Cabbage (1/3 cup), Red Onion (1/4 cup)
