Summer of Salad

Never underestimate the power of a simple cooking demo! I recently had the opportunity to watch a virtual cooking demo by my friend and colleague Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD (you can view it here). She prepared a simple fruit salad with a lime juice dressing and a quinoa salad with fresh baby spinach and chickpeas. The final product looked so good that I added the ingredients to my shopping list so that I can make both salads at home. And it got me thinking about all the salads we can make as summer arrives and more fresh, local fruits and vegetables become available. Whether you work with individual or groups, consider making this the Summer of Salad with these ideas:

1. Salad-themed bulletin boards displays: Our square vinyl banners come with PDFs that give you display and activity ideas. There are so many to choose from:
   • Farmer’s Market Bounty
   • Fresh corn
   • Carrots
   • Summer Season
   • Peaches
   • Dinner Salad
2. Summer of Salad recipe contest
3. Build-a-Salad demonstration (in-person or virtual)
4. Summer of Salad social media posts:
   • Easy tip: Challenge yourself to make a new salad each week, then snap a picture and post it to social media.
5. Salad-related giveaways:
   • Wristbands, notepads, stickers, or our fun fruit and veggie masks (the kind that go on your eyes!). Or maybe a cutting board, citrus zester, or salad tongs.

If you’re serious about salads, check out our Salad Secrets cookbook and CD. It contains everything you need to make your Summer of Salad promotion a success! Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD