Healthier Meals? Bring Back The Relish Tray!
My great grandmother, Mama Reed, always had a relish tray at every meal. My mother remembers it being filled with homemade pickles, pickled beats, and fresh vegetables from her own garden according to season. It was the perfect accompaniment to every meal. Folks could pass it around and use the contents to add variety and customization to their dinner. Picky kids could always use the relish tray to round out their plates as well (not that kids were really all that picky back in the old days!).
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 peanut butter celery (a favorite of my kids).
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.
Oh, I forgot, that doesn’t work outside of my children. ~hangs her head and sighs~. Honestly, it doesn’t work that well for my children, either.
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.
They don’t like pickles but they love cucumbers, which we all know are just premature pickles anyway.
See? It all comes out in the wash.
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!
Speaking of watchful eyes, my kids were watching me like a bunch of rabid dogs as I photographed this, waiting for me to be done so they could dig in. So soon as I took that last picture, I stepped back and they descended.
Katy already had a stool to stand on and I would have moved the plate to the table but I was afraid I might lose a hand…
This is my relish tray about five minutes later.
I swear I feed my kids, honest. Sometimes they just descend on things like locusts.
When my kids get the munchies and start wanting something, they have to come ask me if they can have whatever it is they are wanting. I do this to keep them from eating junk all day. Most times, if they are asking for a snack cake or pop tart ~sighs~ I give them other options. “No, you can’t have that but you can have a banana or an apple or…”.
BUT, at my house, the rule is, if its on the relish tray, you don’t have to ask if you can have it. This is why they LOVE the relish tray! They enjoy the independence it gives them and I enjoy their eyes getting big as dollars as they look over their snacking feast.
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. 🙂
Have A Grateful Memorial Day!
One that my Granny gave me when I was pregnant with my one and only child.
“Baby, be sure you raise him so that everyone can and will love him, not just you.”
From Southern Plate Reader, Angie. To submit your quote, please click here.
Print out my handy dandy Casserole Chart for easy supper creativity!
If you enjoy Southern Plate, please tell a friend!
LOVE AND MISS THE RELISH TRAY — GREAT POST, GREAT IDEAS —
THANKS, C!
Hi Christy.
I’m fascinated by the current use of “picky eater” to describe both children and adults. It seems to be a compliment today, somewhat like saying my child/husband is soooo particular. When I grew up, no one would have thought that a compliment. In fact, no mother that I knew would have admitted it about her family. Maybe it’s because we all had relish trays?
Excellent points, Mary! Picky eater has never been a compliment in my book. But since this is a family oriented site, its better than what I really think when I say that! From the standpoint of the person who does all of the cooking and grocery shopping, my actual thoughts are pain in the…ear. 🙂
Relish trays just might have been the way folks kept this hidden, you’re right!
Your reply really made me laugh. I wasn’t really thinking about your post on introducing children to a variety of good foods — which is a brilliant idea, as evidenced by the before/after pics of the relish tray. I really had in mind recipe sites where ratings of recipes frequently begin with an evaluation of how the writer’s “whole family of picky eaters” like the recipe. Imagine shopping and cooking for such a family! As Angie’s grandmother says, “Baby, be sure you raise him so that everyone can and will love him, not just you.” =0)
“Picky eater” was definitely not a compliment to my grandmother either! 🙂 I think I was her favorite granddaughter because I was a “good eater!” The others were picky! That was probably because no one cooked special for me when I was a kid. I ate what was being served or I went hungry! The only time I might have gotten special cooking of my favorite things was when it was my birthday or I got a good report card!
Your relish tray would match my kitchen I have grapes in my kitchen so it go really well…lol…That is a good idea I’ll have to try it once my son gets about ur kids age he’s only 16 months. My hubby and I will have to do this kind of as an appitizer before dinner! I have a the perfect tray I got for a wedding gift 3 years ago. I haven’t opened yet. I love the tray I just don’t do things like this very often. Thanks Christy! I hope ur Memorial Day went well.
God Bless,
Vickie
What a great idea! I have two “Picky” eaters (ages 4 and 6) and this may be just the thing to get them eating healthy veggies. Just went shopping today, so I have lots of produce to try.
And my kids will just love the name “relish tray”. Here in the Northeast we usually call it a vegetable platter. So, a new name is a good thing!
My son just loves your comeback sauce. Eats it on lots of things, including pasta.
Thanks for your great ideas.
I had to google Jicama. I have no idea what that is?!
For dips, you could perhaps make your own healthier dips? My friend’s mum makes an avocado dip (similar to guacamole) and she just roughly mashes the avocado so it’s still a little chunky and adds a small amount of diced tomato and red onion.
I love pesto as well, although I’ve never made it myself. But I could just eat it all day with some little bread sticks. 😉
My son and I have fruit tray with every meal he lovees the dip I make to go with it
Fruit Dip
3 cups plain yogurt
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp. cinnamon
Fold pudding mix into yogurt. Add cinnamon. Let chill one hour. Sprinkle top with cinnamon to serve.
If you try it I hope you like it.
Hello Christy!
You are a well spring of wonderful ideas! A relish tray- I never would have thought of it!
Thank you! Now my children won’t spend all summer eating chips, gorp, and fruit rolls! Not to mention that since I don’t have an antique relish tray (or any relish tray) it will be fun looking for one!
Your casserole chart is fantastic and so very helpful! Thank you for including it today! My family and I will think of you each time I recreate one of your yummy dishes!
Maralee,
If your presence in this world brightens other people’s lives half as much as it does mine, we better get ready for an eternal sunshine!!
Thank you so much! Can’t wait til your visit to the Rocket City!!
Gratefully,
Christy