Healthier Meals? Bring Back The Relish Tray!
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Nowadays, with our focus on getting kids to try new things and eating more healthful foods, this is the perfect time to bring back the old custom of having a relish tray at meals, with a modern twist to tailor it to our own tastes. Don’t go thinking this is just for kids though! Adults love relish trays almost as much, if not more, than the wee ones. My mother always slices up cucumbers and carrots while we’re cooking at family get togethers. We nibble…and nibble..and then have to make a brand new relish tray before the meal because we’ve ate it all!
This also helps keep our portions of more caloric fare to a minimum as we’ve already partially filled up on the good stuff.
My typical relish tray includes: cucumbers, bell pepper strips, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and of course a little ranch dressing!
Now I know some of you are looking at this and thinking “That’s a veggie tray”. Well, its not. Why? Because I said so.
The reason I call this a relish tray is that the dish I am using is called a relish plate and I actually serve these things alongside my meals as a form of condiments so technically, in a highly technical fashion, this is a relish tray. It would just look more like one if my family ate pickles, but we roll with what we got here.
When the kids want a little snack, just pull the handy dandy relish tray out of the fridge and set it on the table.
This is a GREAT way to get your little ones to try out new things. Just set the tray out and go about your business. Without the watchful eye of a parent, you’d be surprised what kids will try!
Relish Tray Ideas:
- Carrots
- Tomatoes (sliced or mini)
- Peppers, sliced
- Green onions
- Diced onions
- Jicama (a new favorite of mine)
- Apples
- Spiced apple rings
- Canned fruits or veggies
- Pickles (all varieties)
- Banana Peppers (hot peppers if only for kids)
- Marinated mushrooms (soak mushrooms in Italian dressing..YUM!)
- Radishes
- Grapes
- Berries
- anything you can come up with!
You can include dips if you like but if you’re going for healthy, that muddles up the picture considerably. 🙂
If you enjoy Southern Plate, please tell a friend!
Wow, that tray looks tasty! What a great idea!
Thank you so much, Heather!!! I appreciate you taking the time to read and especially to comment!!!
~loves comments~
Gratefully ,
Christy 🙂
That’s a great idea Christy. Especially now that I’m on a diet. I scored big at the store Saturday with a produce special they were having. I’ve got a huge salad in the fridge and we grilled a bunch of veggies last night with our little steaks. My older boy loves veggies, and my little one is on his way. (And my little one is ALWAYS hungry when he walks in the door in the afternoons.)
My son is STARVING at all times!!! Its like he has a wooden leg! I feed him and feed him and feed him and he’s still hungry!
In true boy fashion, you can see his poor little ribs, too! Bless his heart, he must be getting ready for one hum dinger of a growth spurt!
I love grilled veggies! Too bad I don’t have a grill!!!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Christy, I have raised 3 sons and that hollow leg never fills up so get prepared for the groceries that are to be bought. Had my 3 1/2 year old grand daughter with me the other day and I brought out sliced yellow peppers and english cukes and added ranch dressing for her to dip in. She just plain wore it out and left the hotdog with catsup until last. Love your site and have been passing it to others. We visited your area last month sure wished you had a place to eat as in a restaurant but realize with 2 little ones not a possibility now. We went to Hartsell and I found some goodies in the antique stores there. Loved Decatur as well. Keep up the good recipes I love them and the comments remind me of earlier days and family.
Oh YUM!!!
What a perfect idea …..especially with Bikini season coming up.
You know, this body has never known bikini season! lol
Tankini season I can kinda sorta do…oh who am I kidding?
I quit swimming years ago, when they took the fully body bloomer suit out of fashion!
But for you and your bikini season, YOU GO GIRL!! Have a bikini season in my honor!!!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
I had to google Jicama.. Tis good to Google..
Jicama is an odd little thing. It looks like a khaki colored turnip. When you peel it, it looks like an apple. The texture is kind of like an apple but it tastes like fresh fresh green beans with a crunchy texture.
I know this sounds odd but trust me, it’s GOOD!
I can find them local here and I bring it home, peel it, and Brady and I polish it off standing at the kitchen counter! lol
Thanks! I wondered what Jicama is and now I know. I’ll just carry myself over to the grocery store and hope they have them. What a good sounding treat.
I agree with Elaine up above.. Ya gotta have Olives… those little green delicacies from across the vast world.. I mean.. without Greek or Spanish olives.. it just ain’t American! 🙂
Beeeyuhll, you come over, I’ll have olives :).
You and Katy can put them on your fingers and chase each other around the house. 🙂
I guess I’m different, we always called it a “veggie platter” rather than a tray or plate. But we served ours on an antique oriental style platter, that didn’t have the little divisions. Whenever we have reunions or big family get togethers, we would always have a veggie platter! And then a cheese and cracker platter, too.
Crackers are my downfall. I could just eat nothing but them all day so I try to stay away from them. I have no self control! lol
Don’t you just love the food at family get togethers? Relatives make everything taste better 🙂
Christy 🙂
Have you tried the new Wheatables Nut Crisps Crackers. So far they come in two flavors: Toasted Pecan (my favorite) and Toasted Almond. When you open the box, the aroma makes you want to get out your relish tray, cheese tray and dig in to these crackers. They are good by themselves as a snack.
All the stores have them now and they are good but don’t last long in my house….and I live alone!
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!
We always have a relish tray on holidays. And we do call it a relish tray. I envy you your tray. Mine is much smaller. Too small really. I end up putting the green onions in a glass. The black olives in a small bowl and pickled beets in a small bowl. Then, maybe, the rest will fit in my tray.
I bet your table looks awesome though with it all spread out in all of those different dishes!!!
Now you’ve got me wanting green onions, lol!!!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂