Salads can be tasty, filling and a welcome side dish or main course at mealtime. They're also easy to make, prepare in advance and store.

Let's stop right here for a minute. I totally get it. At first glance, salads can be pretty scary to picky eaters, including kids. Unfortunately, salad often gets a bad rap as being bland, boring, and never filling. But none of that has to be true! 

Here are some yummy, kid-friendly recipes that will fill those bellies! Please leave your ideas for great salads in the comments! 

1. Kid-friendly cucumber salad
Author: Katja Rowell, MD: http://thefeedingdoctor.com/kid-friendly-cucumber-salad-2/

My picky eaters LOVE cucumbers when I scoop out the seeds! A variation on this is to use dill and greek yogurt, giving it a mediterranean flavor. Yum! 

Ingredients

• 1 (or more cucumbers)
• 3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil (optional)
• a few drops sesame oil (optional)
• 2 tsp table sugar (can adjust all ingredients to taste…)

Directions:
Peel and slice one cucumber in half. May leave the seeds in or scoop them out with a teaspoon. Slice the cucumber thinly. May also add chopped red pepper for color, or shallots (mild onion) or even some napa cabbage (sticking with the Asian influence.) We all enjoy plain cucumber for now.

2. BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
Author: Iowa Girl Eats: http://iowagirleats.com/2013/07/18/bbq-chicken-chopped-salad/

The ingredient to watch is the BBQ sauce, which can be loaded with added sugars. Be cautious about how much you use, and/or play with other and healthier sauces too! 

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
• extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper
• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
• 2 ears sweet corn
• 2-10oz bags chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 vine ripened tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup black beans
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• crushed tortilla chips
• Light ranch dressing
• BBQ sauce

Directions: 

• Brush chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes a side, brushing grilled side with BBQ sauce after flipping once. Grill ears of corn, rotating occasionally, until evenly charred. Remove chicken and corn, let cool slightly, then chop chicken and slice corn kernels off cob and set aside. 
• In a very large bowl add lettuce (may need to do this in a couple batches.) Use a pizza cutter to evenly chop lettuce into small pieces then toss with tomatoes, black beans, red onion, cheeses, tortilla chips, chicken, and corn. Drizzle with light ranch dressing and bbq sauce (or your favorite dressing) then toss and serve immediately.

3. Mediterranean Bean Salad
Author: http://foodie-isms.com/?p=1793

I love this one, as lots of picky eaters, including my son, DO like beans! And I'm a vegetarian, so a bean salad gives me an extra boost of protein. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans of artichoke hearts, drained
• 2 cans of pitted black olives, chopped

• 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 15.5 oz. cans of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes (with basil, garlic and oregano), drained

• 1 medium red onion, diced

• 1 fresh bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 
Light Caesar Dressing

Directions: Combine artichokes, olives, black beans, garbanzo beans, and tomatoes together in a large bowl. Add red onion, cilantro, and caesar dressing. Mix well. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

This makes a great salad served over fresh greens or could also be served as an appetizer with Torilla chips. Best made the night before serving.

4. Kale Salad with Warm Cranberry Almond Vinaigrette
Author: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/kale-salad-warm-cranberry-vinaigrette-recipe/

This one might be a hard sell for the pickiest eaters, as kale gets a bad rap. BUT raw kale salads are GREAT, and worth trying! The key is in massaging the greens, to break down the fibers that make them chewy...

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1 bunch kale, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• (optional) 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese

Directions:

• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and saute for at least 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Then add cranberries, red wine vinegar, honey and lemon juice and zest, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, toss the kale with olive oil and an extra pinch of salt, and massage kale with your fingers for 1 minute until tender. Add in the cranberry/shallot mixture and almonds, and toss to combine. Serve topped with crumbled cheese if desired.

5. Rainbow Salad
I love this idea from Inhabitots, because it plays up the mental aspect of eating healthy. Making meals fun, getting kids involved in preparation, and letting them choose healthy options are #winning strategies! 

"Rainbow Salad To truly make salad artistry a fun event, challenge your kids to create a rainbow salad. Depending on the season, visit your local farmers’ market or grocery store and ask your kids to find at least one fruit or vegetable to match each color of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink and purple. Not only will this concept encourage your children to try new veggies, we also know that a colorful plate means you’re getting a healthy variety of nutrients. While the ingredients of this salad can vary, options include: red pepper, red tomatoes, carrots, orange heirloom tomatoes, fresh corn, lemon cucumbers, lettuce, baby greens, cucumbers, green zebra tomato, blackberries, concord grapes, purple carrots, freshly grated purple cabbage, radishes and a pink chiogga beet." - See more at: http://www.inhabitots.com/7-fun-kid-friendly-salad-recipes-that-go-beyon...