Happy Food Revolution Day! Jamie Oliver’s goal is to get as many kids and families from across the globe, in the kitchen together today.  I’m taking part in this day because I love Jamie Oliver’s philosophy on the importance of getting kids involved in the food they eat.

“It’s time to take action!

We need every child to understand where food comes from, how to cook it, and how it affects their body. This is about setting kids up with the knowledge they need to make better food choices for life.” -Jamie Oliver

To participate in this day, our family made Jamie’s “Rainbow Salad Wrap” recipe.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/rainbow-salad-wrap

I have to confess, when I first saw the ingredients (raw beets, pears, green cabbage…) I was a little concerned. I’ve never eaten raw beets, let alone tried to feed them to a two year old! I was up for the challenge because, if I’m not willing to be adventurous when it comes to eating new foods, how can I expect my kids to be willing to try new things?! I also have to admit that I took some short-cuts with this recipe. It calls for you to shred all of your own veggies, but when I saw pre-shredded cabbage and carrots in the store I thought, umm, yea, let’s do that instead! I did however shred my own pear (with Brady’s supervision!) and beets.

Here’s my PSA for beets- they’re M.E.S.S.Y. If your child is old enough to use a box grater and shred the beets themself, please use gloves and an apron, or be prepared to have stained hands, countertops, clothes, etc. I took on that task myself, and it was still messy. I kept thinking, we should totally use beets to paint with- outside. Other than the beet mess, this recipe is super easy to put together! Shred the veggies and mix together. Whisk up some cider vinegar, EVOO, mustard, and yogurt for the dressing. Once you mix the dressing and veggies together, top it with some feta cheese and roll it in a whole wheat wrap.

Brady enjoyed measuring, stirring, and as usual, tasting ingredients. (He loves shredded carrots!) But, there’s also something to be said about the amount of conversation that goes on while preparing a meal. From helping me pick out the ingredients at the grocery store, to picking herbs from our herb garden that he helped plant, to reading through the recipe together, there’s some really valuable dialogue that takes place.

I wasn’t sure what Brady would think about this meal. But, no joke, the first words out of his mouth after he took a bite were, “Yum. That’s delicious.” Chris and I both said, “Really?! Yay!” It just goes to show, you should never underestimate what a kid will eat or enjoy. This food was new to him, but it was colorful and fun looking. Plus, Brady was the one who helped mix the dressing and stir it all together and top it with cheese. To him, he cooked it, so it had to be awesome!

This was a fun recipe to make and it just makes me so happy to think that kids around the globe were cooking and eating the same thing that my family was!

For more info on Food Revolution Day, check out this site.

http://www.foodrevolutionday.com/