Team Nutrition Cooks!

 

 

Salad With

Vinaigrette

Dressing

FAMILY

HANDOUT
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout

Table of Contents

Letter to Family .................................................................................................. 1

Recipe: Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing........................................................... 3

How to Wash Your Hands.................................................................................. 4

Skills We Used Today......................................................................................... 5

My Salad Story.................................................................................................11

Kitchen Tools....................................................................................................12

Plant Parts........................................................................................................13

Plant Parts in Your Kitchen............................................................................................14

My Plate Scavenger Hunt..............................................................................................15
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 1 

Dear Family,

Today, your child made salad and vinaigrette dressing as part of a cooking activity. He or she practiced many basic

cooking skills. This Family Handout includes the recipe as well as step-by-step instructions for the cooking skills. Give it

a try at home for a snack or as a side to a meal—your child would love the chance to show off his or her new skills! If you

would like, you can share a picture of your prepared recipe with us on Twitter: @TeamNutrition #SaladWithVinaigrette.

Some skills we covered today

include:

• How to Rinse

• How to Use a Salad Spinner

• How to Peel

• How to Slice

• How to Dice and Chop

• How to Measure

• How to Whisk

• How to Mix a Salad

• How to Set a Table (Optional)

• How to Serve Family Style

(Optional)

Ask your child about today’s activities. Here are some questions to get

the conversation going: 

• What did you cook today?

• What steps did you follow to make the salad?

• What were the steps of making the vinaigrette?

• Tell me about the taste test‚ which salad greens did you like the most?

• Is this salad something we can make at home? Do we have the kitchen

tools we need?

• What do we need to buy at the grocery store to make this salad and

vinaigrette dressing?

• Where do vegetables come from?

Make meals and memories together! Cooking is a skill your child will use for

life. You can also watch a video that shows many of the skills in this activity

at https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/cooks.
Look and Cook Recipe: Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients

Honey Mustard Vinegar Pepper Salt Oil

Onion Tomato Cucumber Apple Salad greens Low-fat

cheese

Fresh herbs

(optional)

Directions

Wash your hands. Wash the ingredients. Dice the apple

and tomato.

Make the vinaigrette. Enjoy the salad!

Peel an

the cuc

d slice

umber.

1 2 3

5 6

Mix salad with

vinaigrette dressing.

Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 2 
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 3 

 

Salad With Vinaigrette 

Dressing

Eat this as a side, or add some chicken and grains to make it a MyPlate meal.

Total Time: 30 minutes • Hands-on Time: 30 minutes • Yield: 6 servings • Serving Size: Vinaigrette: 2 teaspoons,

Salad: 2 cups

VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon of finely chopped

onion or shallot*

2 tablespoons (1⁄8 cup) oil

1 tablespoon of vinegar**

1⁄2 teaspoon of mustard

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1 pinch of black pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon of honey

1 tablespoon herbs (e.g., chives) 

(optional)

SALAD

INGREDIENTS

8 cups of mixed greens

1 tomato, cored and diced

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 apple, scrubbed well, cored,

and diced

1⁄4 cup shredded or crumbled

low-fat cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash your hands with soap and

water, then gather your kitchen

tools and ingredients and put

them on a clean counter or other

cooking surface.

2. Wash the tomato, cucumber,

apple, herbs (if using), and salad

greens. If using prewashed salad

greens, you do not need to rinse

them.

3. Peel and slice the cucumber.

4. Dice the apple and tomato.

5. Make the vinaigrette: mix

ingredients listed above in a bowl

and whisk until well-blended. Or,

put ingredients in a jar, put the lid

on the jar, and shake until

well-blended.

6. Mix the salad with vinaigrette

dressing.

7. Serve and enjoy!

SHOPPING LIST

Produce Section

 8 cups of mixed greens

 1 tomato

 1 cucumber

 1 apple

 1 bunch fresh herbs

(e.g., chives) (optional)

Dairy Section

 1⁄4 cup or 2 ounces shredded

or crumbled low-fat cheese

(such as cheddar, feta, or

blue cheese)

Staples from Your Pantry

 salt

 black pepper

 oil

 vinegar

 honey

 mustard

Vinaigrette Dressing

Amount per serving: Calories: 43; Total Fat: 5 g;

Saturated fat: 1 g; Sodium: 99 g; Total Carbohydrate: 1 g;

Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 0.5 g; Protein: 0 g; Vitamin A: 0 IU (1

RAE); Vitamin C: 0 mg; Calcium: 1 mg; Iron: 0 mg.

Salad

Amount per serving: Calories: 42; Total Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat:

0 g; Sodium: 48 mg; Sodium: 48 mg; Potassium: 154 mg; Total

Carbohydrate: 8 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 1 g; Protein: 2 g;

Vitamin A: 5679 IU; Vitamin C: 8 mg; Calcium: 49 mg; Iron: 1 mg.

*If onions or shallots are not available, then replace with 1⁄4 teaspoon of onion powder.

**If using white vinegar, increase honey to 3⁄4 teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon of water.
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

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How to Wash Your Hands

Washing our hands helps keep foods safe and prevents germs from spreading. Everyone must wash

his or her hands before any tasting or cooking begins. Remind your child to keep his or her clean hands

away from his or her mouth, nose, face, or other places on the body.

1. Take off all jewelry on your arms and hands.

2. Wet your hands with clean, running water and apply soap.

3. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the

soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, your

palms, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.

4. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer?

Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end

twice.

5. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

6. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air-dry them.

7. Turn off the faucet with a paper towel, not your bare

hands. 
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 5 

Skills We Used Today

During the activity, your child learned about and might have practiced some of the skills that follow.

Encourage him or her to show you these skills and to help out in the kitchen. Depending on the age of

your child, he or she may need help and supervision when practicing these skills. You can use these skills

when making other recipes as well. As a reminder, you and your child should wash your hands and wipe

down surfaces before cooking or practicing cooking skills.

How to Rinse Salad Greens and Fresh Herbs

Rinsing salad greens removes dirt and germs.

These are the steps your child followed in this activity:

 

1. Fill a large bowl three-quarters full with cold water. You can also use a sink that has been cleaned and sanitized

for this purpose.

2. If your greens are held together with a twist tie or rubber band, take it off. Put the greens in the bowl or sink filled

with cold water and swish them around.

3. Look at the greens. Sometimes they will just need a good swishing around; other times, each leaf will need to be

rubbed by hand to get rid of all sand and dirt.

4. Pull the greens out of the water and check to see if there is dirt at the bottom of the bowl or sink. If so, drain the

sink or pour the water out of the bowl, and repeat steps 1 through 3 until there is no longer dirt at the bottom.

5. Put rinsed greens in a colander or salad spinner.

6. Dry greens well in a salad spinner or shake them in the colander and then blot them dry with a clean paper towel. 

TIP: You can also use prerinsed salad greens. Prerinsed greens will not need to be rinsed before eating.

How to Use a Salad Spinner

(Optional)

While your child is still learning, he or she

might need help making sure the salad

greens are fully dry.

These are the steps your child followed

in this activity:

1. Remove the strainer (the plastic part in

the center) from the salad spinner.

2. Place clean, rinsed greens in the

strainer, and put the strainer in the

spinner.

3. Put the lid on the spinner.

4. Hold the spinner steady with one hand

and press down on the top part or pull

the ripcord with your other hand. Keep

spinning about 15 seconds.

5. Pat the greens to see if they are dry.

Spin greens again if needed.
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

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How to Rinse Cucumbers, Apples, and Tomatoes

It is important to rinse cucumbers, apples, and tomatoes even if you are not eating the peel. Rinsing removes dirt

and prevents it from traveling from the peel to the inside of the fruit or vegetable when slicing it with a knife.

These are the steps your child followed in this activity:

1. Rinse the cucumber, tomato, and apple under cold, running tap water. (Optional) Scrub the peel gently with a

clean vegetable brush while rinsing the produce. There is no need to use soap or a produce wash.

2. Make sure to rinse and scrub the whole fruit or vegetable on all sides.

3. Dry with a paper towel.

How to Peel

While your child is still learning, he or she might move

slowly and struggle to get long pieces of peel off. That’s

okay! You or another adult can help if your child has too

much trouble. Remind your child that a peeler is sharp

and to avoid touching the blade.

These are the steps your child followed in this activity:

1. Rinse all produce before peeling.

2. Peel the cucumber over a clean cutting board, bowl,

or sink. Do not peel over the garbage can in case the

cucumber is dropped!

3. Keep your hand on the handle at the bottom part of

the peeler, and avoid the blade.

4. Peel in strips, working around the cucumber until the

entire peel is gone.

5. Throw away or compost the peel.

SAFETY TIP: A peeler is sharp. Avoid touching

the blade!

BRIGHT IDEA: If you want to keep the nutrients

 by leaving the peel on but still want to give your child

 practice with this skill, have him or her practice

peeling just one part of the cucumber . Leave strips of

peel in between to create alternating strips of gr een

and white.
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

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How to Slice

Your child can use a butter knife to slice and dice

(below). Butter knives are safe for children to use

because they are not too sharp but will still cut

through many fruits and vegetables. You may need

to use a chef's knife to cut the cucumber in half

lengthwise, and the apple and tomato into quarters

or smaller pieces for your child to practice slicing,

dicing, and chopping.

These are the steps your child followed in this

activity:

1. Hold the knife in the hand you use to write with,

and grip it firmly around the handle.

2. Use your other hand to keep the cucumber steady

by keeping your fingers curled under, away from

the knife. Pay attention to where the knife is; as it

moves forward, your fingers holding the cucumber 

should move backward. The distance between the

knife and your hand holding the cucumber should

always stay the same.

SAFETY TIP: Remind your child to take his or her

time and keep his or her eyes on the knife at all

times. Always use a cutting board to avoid

damaging the counter, and to use a non-slip

cutting board for safety. 

How to Dice and Chop

“Dicing” means cutting foods into small, dice-shaped

cubes.

These are the steps your child followed in this activity:

1. Hold the knife in the hand you use to write with, and

grip it firmly around the handle.

2. Dice one apple or tomato slice at a time by placing

the flat side on the counter. This way the apple or

tomato will not roll when you cut it.

3. Use your other hand to steady the apple or tomato

slice, keeping your fingers curled under, away from

the knife, so only your knuckles show. Pay attention

to where the knife is; as it moves forward, your hand

holding the food should move backward, exposing

more of the food. The distance between the knife and

the hand holding the apple or tomato should always

stay the same.

4. Cut the apple or tomato into pieces the size of dice,

first slicing in one direction, then turning the slices a

quarter-turn and slicing them again. 
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

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How to Measure

It is important to measure correctly when following a recipe. While your child is still learning, he or she may need

some help cleaning up spills or making sure the measurements are correct. Help your child double-check his or

her measurements before putting the ingredients in a recipe.

The measuring tools your child learned about today are measuring cups and measuring spoons.

• Measuring cups are used for larger amounts and measuring spoons are used for smaller amounts. 

• Measuring cups are divided into fractions of cups—usually 1 cup, 1⁄2 cup, 1⁄3 cup, 1⁄4 cup.

• There are two different kinds of measuring cups: one for measuring liquids and one for dry ingredients.

p Liquid measuring cups are usually made of clear glass or plastic and sometimes have a pour spout. They are

filled even with the measurement line on the side of the cup.

p Dry measuring cups (usually shorter and not transparent) are meant to be filled to the top and then leveled off

using the straight edge of a knife or fork. “Leveled off” means that the dry ingredients are even with the top of

the measuring cup so that the measurement is accurate. 

• Measuring spoons are divided into fractions of tablespoons and teaspoons — usually 1⁄4 teaspoon,

1⁄2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, and 1 tablespoon. Sometimes 1⁄8 teaspoon and 1⁄2 tablespoon are included.

• Tablespoons are abbreviated “TBSP” on the spoon and are bigger than teaspoons. Teaspoons are abbreviated

“TSP” on the spoon.

• Measuring spoons can be used for dry or liquid measurements. Level off dry ingredients on a measuring spoon

the same way you would on a measuring cup.

These are the steps your child followed in this activity:

How to Measure Salad Greens

1. Place the 1-cup dry measuring cup on a flat surface

2. Fill the measuring cup with the greens and pack

down tightly.

3. Repeat eight times.

How to Measure Cheese

1. Place the 1⁄4-cup dry measuring cup on a flat surface

2. Fill the measuring cup.

3. Level off using a straight edge.

How to Measure Oil

1. Pour the oil into the 1-tablespoon measuring spoon.

2. Repeat once.

How to Measure Vinegar

1. Pour the vinegar into the 1-tablespoon measuring

spoon.

How to Measure Diced Onions or Herbs

1. Fill the 1-tablespoon measuring spoon with diced

onions and pack down tightly.

2. If using herbs, wash and dry the 1-tablespoon before

measuring herbs, or use a clean tablespoon. Fill

tablespoon with chopped herbs and pack down

tightly.

How to Measure Honey or Mustard

1. Fill the 1⁄2-teaspoon measuring spoon with honey or

mustard.

2. Level off using a straight edge.

How to Measure Salt

1. Pour the salt into the 1⁄4-teaspoon measuring spoon.

2. Level off using a straight edge.
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 9 

How to Whisk

Whisking means beating or stirring quickly

to mix ingredients.

These are the steps your child followed

in this activity:

1. Put the ingredients for the vinaigrette

into the bowl.

2. Use your wrist to move the fork or

whisk quickly in a circular motion.

3. Stop whisking when the ingredients are

blended together.

4. Make sure not to whisk too fast, so that

the ingredients do not spill over the side.

How to Use a Jar to Mix the

Dressing (Optional)

1. Put all of the vinaigrette ingredients in

the jar.

2. Screw on the lid and shake until the

vinaigrette looks blended.

If the vinaigrette sits for a while, make sure

to mix it again before serving.

How to Mix a Salad

Mixing the salad helps make sure the ingredients from the bottom

and sides of the salad bowl, including the dressing, are spread

evenly.

These are the steps your child followed in this activity:

1. Put all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl.

2. Drizzle the vinaigrette onto the salad.

3. Use tongs or salad servers to gently mix the salad and

make sure the ingredients are mixed and evenly coated with

vinaigrette.

If the salad sits for a while, make sure to mix it again before serving.
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 10 

How to Set a Table

While your child is still learning, he or she might get the place settings a little confused and need some help. 

Set up a sample place setting for your child to follow. After showing the correct place setting, give your child 

the necessary supplies and have him or her set the table.

These are the steps your child followed in this activity:

1. Put the napkin and fork on the left side of the plate. The fork should lie on top of the napkin.

2. Place the knife next to the plate on the right side. The blade should face the plate.

3. The spoon belongs on the right side of the knife.

4. The cup goes above the knife and spoon.

How to Serve Family Style

Food is usually not cooked in individual servings. Instead, most dishes are made in a large batch and then divided

into portions when served. When a large serving dish is passed around the table from which diners can help

themselves, this is called “family style.”

When serving family style:

• Make sure to use clean serving utensils that no one has eaten from or cooked with.

• Remind your child that he or she should eat from his or her own plate, and never directly from the serving dish,

to avoid spreading germs. No one should touch the food with his or her fingers when serving or holding

the serving dish.

• Everyone will have his or her own plate and eating utensil.

• Uneaten food should never get returned to the serving dish. 
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

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My Salad Story

Fill in the blanks and bring this home to share with your family.

WORD BANK: fruit, jar with a lid, leaves, roots, Vegetables, spoons, cups, dry, liquid, salad with vinaigrette dressing, 

fruits, stems, whisk, kitchen tools, salad greens, roots, ingredients, flowers, leaves, whisk, seeds

Today, we made ( _____________________________________ ). The main ingredient is ( _________________ ),

which belongs in the ( _________________ ) section of MyPlate.

We learned to measure and used two different kinds of tools. One was measuring ( _________________ )

and the other was measuring ( _________________ ). We also learned that there are two kinds of measuring cups—

one to measure ( _________________ ) ingredients and one to measure ( _________________ ) ingredients.

We learned some things about different parts of plants. The six different parts of a plant are

( _________________ ), ( _________________ ), ( _________________ ), ( _________________ ),

( _________________ ), and ( _________________ ). I learned that when I eat lettuce, I am eating

( _________________ ); when I eat a tomato, I am eating ( _________________ ); and when I eat potatoes,

I am eating ( _________________ ).

 We also learned how to read a recipe. It’s important to read it all of the way through so you know what

( _________________ ) and ( _________________ ) you will need, what all of the steps are, and how much time it will

take.

When we made the salad, we learned to use new tools. Some of these tools were a ( _________________ ),

which is used for mixing the vinaigrette. We can also use a fork if we don’t have a ( _________________ )

at home. We can also use a ( _________________ ) and shake up the dressing inside.

I also practiced dicing, mixing, setting the table, and serving. After the salad was done, we ate it. It was delicious!
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 12 

Kitchen Tools

em all?

These are the tools we need to make a salad with

vinaigrette dressing. Can you name th

WORD BANK: jar with lid, whisk, salad bowl, fork, cutting board, peeler, dry

measuring cups, butter knife, liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Hando

PAGE 1

ut 

3 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plant

Parts

Have you ever eaten a flower

How about a seed? What about

a root? These are three different

examples of plant parts that you

have probably eaten, even if you

did not know it.

All fruits and vegetables come

from plants. Can you label the

six parts on this plant: seed,

stem, root, fruit, leaf, and

flower?

Which part of the plant do

we eat? Circle all the correct

answers.

a. stem

b. leaf

c. fruit

d. seed

e. flower

f. root 

Eating the Different Parts of the Plant

What part of the plant are we eating when we eat:

Onions

Brussels sprouts

Celery

Lettuce

Bell pepper

Eggplant

Spinach 

Asparagus

Carrot

Tomato

Cucumber

Broccoli

Potato

Kale

Beans

Peas 

Corn

Avocado
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 14 

Plant

Parts

in Your

Kitchen

At home with your family,

look in your kitchen and find

some fruits and vegetables.

Write them down in the first

column and then identify

what plant part each is in

the second column.

Name of Fruit or Vegetable Plant Part
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 15 

MyPlate Scavenger Hunt

Your child learned about MyPlate today. To remind us of how to eat healthfully, the United States Department

of Agriculture created MyPlate. Keep MyPlate in mind when you are feeding your family so you end up with a

balanced meal.

It is important to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables,

and salad is a great way to do that. Salad greens fit into the

Vegetables section of MyPlate. Vary your vegetable choices

to get a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Here is an activity you can do to talk about MyPlate

at home:

With your child, look through a supermarket circular (the

weekly advertisements for grocery stores) and identify salad

greens (vegetables) for your salad. Then search for foods

that fit into the Protein, Grains, Dairy, and Fruits sections

of MyPlate. Think about what you could add to your salad

greens to create a tasty and balanced meal or snack and fill 

in the chart below. You can also do this activity at the

grocery store or by looking in your refrigerator or pantry.

A few examples have been filled in below to get you started.

Vegetables

We Found

For Our

Salad

kale

spinach

Grain

Protein

Fruit

Dairy

Grain

Protein

Fruit

Dairy

Grain

Protein

Fruit

Dairy

What We Can Add to

Create a Balanced

Meal or Snack

quinoa

sliced chicken

sliced strawberries

low-fat feta cheese

bulgur

chopped walnuts

diced apple

low-fat mozzarella cheese

Vegetables

We Found

For Our

Salad

What We Can Add to

Create a Balanced

Meal or Snack

Grain

Protein

Fruit

Dairy

Grain

Protein

Fruit

Dairy

Grain

Protein

Fruit

Dairy
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 16 

Notes
Team Nutrition Cooks! Salad With Vinaigrette Dressing Family Handout 

PAGE 17 

Notes
United States Department of Agriculture – Food and Nutrition Service – August 2018 • FNS-515

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.