COLORFUL
SALAD
Free of: DAIRY, EGGS, SOY, PEA-
NUTS, TREE NUTS, WHEAT, FISH,
SHELLFISH, GLUTEN
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
1 head of lettuce and greens, any type
D
eep in the heart of winter,
with short days of sun-
light and a chill in the air
that makes you want to stay in under
the blankets, it’s easy to get a little blue.
One strategy that our family uses is to
put a little sunshine on our plates. At
least one of our daily meals includes
bright colors and healthy fresh fruits
and vegetables that brings to mind
bright and cheery summer days. We eat
with our eyes too — a spark of color
boosts our energy and appeals to taste
buds. The expression ‘eat the rainbow’
is a good one to consider. It means to
eat a variety of colorful foods as those
colors represent different nutrients.
For a fun activity with your little
ones, grades pre-K to 2nd grade, you
can download this adorable Eat-a-
Rainbow lesson plan with coloring
guide or search for other online color-
ing pages or lesson plans for any age
group: https://www.teacherspayteach-
ers.com/Product/Healthy-Eating-Nu-
trition-I-Can-Eat-a-Rainbow-FREE-
BIE-1687334
This is a sample lesson plan for
grades 3-6: https://kidsgardening.org/
lesson-plans-eat-a-rainbow/
46 WNY Family February 2019
A few tips:
Fresh is best. Select colorful
fruits and vegetables in season.
Choose a variety of both colors
and textures — red, yellow,
green, purple, orange, crispy,
crunchy, and soft.
2 cups chopped veggies:
beets, radishes, red cabbage,
tomatoes, carrots, celery,
onions, scallions, chives,
cucumbers, peppers, zucchini,
broccoli, cauliflower, snow pea
pods
2 cups chopped fruit:
berries, melon, pears, apples,
grapes, oranges, red grape-
fruit, pomegranate, kiwi,
mango, peaches, mandarin
orange, pineapple
Olives, peppers
Put together a make-your-own
salad bar so everyone can
choose their favorite toppings. Salad dressing, seasonings, salt, pepper
to taste
Salad dressing is fast, easy, and
inexpensive to make: equal
parts oil and vinegar (or juice),
a little salt, pepper and other
favorite seasonings. Or just
drizzle salad with a little olive
oil, salt and pepper to taste. Shred a variety of lettuce in a large
bowl. Toss in remaining vegetables and
fruit or arrange as a serve-yourself plat-
ter. Serve with salad dressing.
Make a zoodle salad! If you
have a spiralizer, you can use it
on zucchini, beets, cucumbers,
carrots – or purchase pre-spi-
raled from your local market.
Add some warm foods if
desired, e.g., strips of chicken,
sautéed mushrooms, cooked
cubed winter squash.
Toss in beans, pumpkin seeds,
or sunflower seeds for a vegan
protein boost.
If you have any questions about
our column, e-mail Kathy at allergy@
roadrunner.com. For further informa-
tion about food allergies, contact FARE
www.foodallergy.org, or call 1-800-929-
4040.
Kathy Lundquist is a Western New York
parent whose son, now an adult, was
born with severe food allergies. Over the
last two decades, she has worked tire-
lessly, in a variety of capacities, to in-
crease community awareness about food
allergies.