I find it really challenging to get kids to eat the healthier choices when we’re out. We had several picnics and barbecues over the Memorial Day weekend starting with my kindergartener’s class concert/family picnic. I made a quick lunch with leftover steak, egg salad, mixed greens salad and strawberries. The dessert table was full of blue jello cups, blue punch, cupcakes and very shiny marshmallow treats. I find it so hard to get the kids to eat anything healthy if other children are already on dessert, but they have to have some good things first before they’re allowed. I also try to get the kids to not pick the artificially colored desserts and choose the more “real” stuff like ice cream and cupcakes. Not sure that I’m on the right track but the color thing gets to me. I don’t serve my children dessert at every meal or every dinner for that matter, but I do give them some sometimes. And again, holidays and birthdays my rules get much more relaxed. They’re even allowed soda on those days (I try to get the ones without preservatives and artificial ingredients- like Virgil’s- if I buy any, which is next to never) but I serve them real juice or water if it’s available.
One of the parties we went to I brought my mother’s old standby rice salad with tuna. It’s such an unusual combination but so many people love it. Perfect for summer gatherings. My kids love it too! Maybe it’s the crunchiness and sweetness of the apple together with saltiness of the tuna and pickle.
Julia’s Rice & Tuna Salad
- One and a half cups of white or brown rice (or 3/4 of each), cooled
- One or two cans of tuna (depending on your taste preference)
- 1/2 onion chopped (I prefer red)
- 2 peeled and cubed tart apples, (Granny Smiths, Braeburns) soaked in a little water and lemon juice so they don’t turn brown
- 2 pickles cubed
- 2 chopped plum tomatoes –sans seeds if possible
- 4 hard-boiled eggs cut into large pieces (add last so they don’t break apart too much)
- handful of chopped parsley
- Tbsp fresh chopped basil or mint (optional)
- vinaigrette or Italian style dressing
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Mix together and serve chilled.
I also have another great rice and fish salad that I adapted from Chef David Raymer’s chopped rice salad. You can make it with white fish or salmon or even canned salmon. Fabulous for left-overs!
Make it same way as above but without the apples, eggs, tuna or pickles.
Use the rice, red onion, tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, and vinaigrette dressing.
Add veggies-(select your favorite or what ever’s left over) like zucchini, summer squash, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli and green beans (prefer haricot verte)—all chopped. Add handful of nicoise olives, several handfuls of chopped mesclun greens and 2-3 Tbsp capers. Really delicious! Not all my children will eat the olives but they love capers …and the salad in general.
©2010 MyKidsReallyEatThis.com
I served it with asparagus, organic baby spinach and organic red potatoes. “Conventional” asparagus is considered “clean” in terms of pesticide contamination. If you’re wondering which vegetables and fruits to buy organic over conventional there are lists of those considered “clean” and those you should always buy organic (like I recently got reminded that strawberries contaminated with pesticides , which we eat almost daily, have been linked to ADHD among other problems). I had been buying the cheaper conventionally grown strawberries because the price was right, but now I think the price I have to pay is greater in the long run.
I take the whole bunch in its rubber band and chop off the bottom third of the stalk before I put it in the boiling water. That is the woody part and what most people complain about. You can save it for asparagus soup or just compost it if you’re like me. Just need to lightly boil the asparagus for a few minutes until tender (you can always taste test one), take off heat, and cold shock with ice water. 
It’s one veggie that needs to be cooled completely to stop cooking. No one likes mushy vegetables. Wish someone would tell/teach that to the cooks at the elementary school. Once you’re ready to serve everything, reheat in a little butter, salt and pepper (once again, notice the pattern).