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Teens and Tweens Toss Some Greens
Kids in the Kitchen Cook up Healthy Habits

Andrew Shue, actor-director and founder of the national youth organization Do Something joins celebrity chef Todd English and two teens as they test a recipe for the Fresh Express Teens for Greens contest.

(Family Features) - Hey, Moms and Dads — Need a cure for the dinnertime downer of "I don't like that" from the teens and tweens in your life?

Nothing ruins dinner more than kids complaining about what's being served — especially veggies. Now you can put fun back into dinnertime, take some of the prep off of your plate and move your kids out from behind the TV or computer by including them in healthful meal making.

How? Let them toss the greens and make the salad.

Everyone loves salads, and your teens and tweens can have fun whipping up their own personal creations. Let them use whatever appeals to their taste buds and whatever you have on hand.

"It's what I call 'thinking like a chef,'" said Food Network phenom, celebrity chef and cookbook author Todd English. "Everyone can get personal when making salads — adding their own touches and favorite ingredients lets imaginations soar."

Chef English ought to know — he's joined the top salad-maker Fresh Express to support a new national "peer-to-peer" program designed to get teens into the kitchen so they can develop healthier eating habits for a lifetime.

His suggestion: Get the entire family involved with a new, jazzed up creation every day of the week — you can even turn this into a family tradition (and look out — it could become competitive!).

Here are some tips to get the creative juices flowing:

Forget conventional, ho-hum salad ingredients — they need not apply.
Keep things simple by using ready-to-eat salads — then open the door to flavors and textures that excite your mouth.
There's an "inner chef" in each of us, so imagine the possibilities.
Inspiration comes in all forms — crunchy, salty, savory or sweet. Who cares if it's not something you usually find in salads?
Remember: the sky's the limit, and there's no "wrong" salad concoction.

To get started, try this teen-inspired Kickin' Chicken Salad with Spicy Vinaigrette — it will knock your taste buds for a loop.

Kickin' Chicken Salad With Spicy Vinaigrette
Makes: 4 servings

2 bags Fresh Express Spring Mix
4 grilled chicken breasts or 8 ounces precooked chicken strips
1 cup whole red grapes, rinsed
2 grilled, vidalia or yellow onions, quartered and sliced again
4 tablespoons toasted walnuts (optional)
6 ounces goat cheese (chevre), crumbled (optional)
Dressing: 2 ounces olive oil
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put dressing ingredients into a jar or bottle. Shake vigorously. Place salad mix in a large bowl. Top with remaining ingredients and toss with dressing.

SOURCE: Fresh Express