Power Pasta Salad. A must make for summer! Loaded with fresh greens, tomatoes, oranges, carrots, shredded red cabbage, pasta and more! My kids love this pasta salad!
It’s funny. As we end another school year I’m already thinking about the next one.
My youngest will be starting kindergarten and my girls will be at the same school. Finally! I am so excited for them, I can hardly contain myself. I remember when my oldest, Phoebe, was starting her new school here in Wisconsin.
I visited her for lunch one day. It was the first day she was buying her lunch and I wanted to see what the set-up was like in the cafeteria, what it would be like and, of course, what food they would be serving and if they had a salad bar. Because, as a mother, it’s important to me.
Because I pretty much decide what they eat for breakfast and dinner, I let my oldest buy her lunch at school. It’s important for me to teach my girls how to make good choices when it comes to food and I want to give Phoebe the opportunity to actually make choices for herself at lunch time; but I had to make sure that there were healthy options there.
And a salad bar.
Not all schools have fresh, healthy choices and I hope that changes in the very near future. Today, I am teaming up with 
The United Fresh Start Foundation is focused exclusively on increasing children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables and inspiring the next generation to “choose fresh” whenever, and wherever, eating their next snack or meal. Working with the produce industry, local non-profits and allied businesses, the United Fresh Start Foundation is committed to helping today’s youth to achieve the public health goal of making half their plate fruits and vegetables in order to live longer and healthier lives. For a short video about the benefits of school salad bars and how you can get involved, click here.
You can also visit ProduceforKids.com/SaladBars and stay up-to-date with news in the Facebook group.
And remember, in order to ensure your kids actually make the right healthy choices at school during lunch time, they have to be eating healthy foods at home too. Whether you are giving your children raw veggies with ranch dressing, or roasting vegetables or whatever, give them fresh fruits and vegetables. At every meal.
It’s summer and we can’t do summer without pasta salad. It’s quick and easy and makes for a great lunch, dinner or side dish at your next cookout or potluck!
I started with some fresh greens from Organic Girl for this Power Pasta Salad. I love Organic Girl because they have such a great variety of greens. They have everything from baby kale, to baby spinach to this super greens blend!
And then, I simply mix in fresh produce like cherry tomatoes, carrots, shredded red cabbage and oranges. I’m a big believer that kids (and adults) eat with their eyes so make it colorful, fresh and pretty! This Power Pasta Salad is definitely all of the above.
Looking for more pasta salad recipes? Try my Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad, or my Italian Zucchini Pasta Salad!
Power Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. rotini pasta
- 2 cups blend of Organic Girl super greens and baby spring mix
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/3 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/2 cup chopped oranges
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced lengthwise
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Extra virgin olive oil and vinegar or your fave salad dressing
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to package directions (I like to cook to al dente). Drain, rinse and set aside to cool.
- Using a large mixing bowl, combine the salad greens, carrots, red cabbage, oranges, cherry tomatoes and cooked rotini pasta. Sprinkle on the sliced almonds and drizzle with salad dressing. Lightly toss together one more time and serve immediately.
- If serving this at a picnic or cookout, add the almonds and dressing right before serving.
And remember, if you’re here in the Midwest, the next time you are out shopping, be sure to stop into your local Copps, Metro Market or Pick ‘n Save stores and buy any of the brands you see above.
You’ll be helping children to get better, healthier choices at lunchtime in their schools. My daughters and I thank you!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Produce For Kids. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting me in partnering with the organizations and campaigns that I believe in.
I need a quality salad bar in my place of work. Kids need it, too! Our students eat such garbage from the cafeteria, like neon blue slushies. Why do they need that?
This salad looks so incredible. I need that for my lunch today!
And your kids are just so delicious!
Mir, are you serious?! you don’t have one currently? I remember when I was a kid, we had like 3 different lunch lines and a salad bar! Every school in American needs a quality salad bar. . doesn’t even have to be fancy. just have fresh produce! Well, I’m hoping that we can all strive to make changes that help!!!! that’s why I seriously love campaigns like this! Thank you for the comment, Mir!
Your kids are adorable! This pasta salad is such a rainbow of colors- love it 🙂
Thanks so much, Medha!
First of all I love the name of this post! And there’s such a wonderful combination of colourful and healthy ingredients…just what I love. Fresh and guilt free! Your kids are super cute, Alice! It’s so awesome that they will be going to the same school together. Have a great upcoming weekend 🙂
Your daughters are just the cutest, Alice! I am so glad that they have a salad bar and healthier options at their school. Sounds like they are on the right track of making positive eating choices. This salad is just gorgeous! I love the pretty colors and fresh flavors. Just perfect for this time of year!
your little one is the cutest! You keep posting her pictures and I just keep smiling looking at them. Adorbs! Love this pasta salad, packed with so much goodness!
I agree that every school needs a fresh salad bar! Thanks for this salad recipe for such a great cause!
Your daughters are so cute!
I’ve been out of New Jersey public schools for a bit of time now, but we never had the option of a salad bar. To be honest, the lunch options were pretty deplorable so I would always bring my own lunch from home. This pasta salad looks so darn fabulous and healthy – I would’ve killed to have this as a lunch option in school!
Jessica, that makes me so sad to hear. . I really do hope that campaigns like this start happening all over the country. This is really a huge problem and we need to be able to give children and teens everywhere a decent, healthy and fresh meal option at school. Thank you so much for the comment!
Awesome pictures Alice. Great vibrant colors and subject material. Make me want to try this recipe. Happy Summer!!!!
Your kids are super smart and I am sure they make the best choices. This is so amazing. Love simple power pasta mealslike this. So good for summer weather.
xx
Thank you so much Asha! And ha, I’d like to think so. . I’d love to see what they do when I’m not around .. but all I can do is feed them at home and hope that rubs off on them! 🙂
Your daughters are so cute!
This salad would definitely give me super powers, or at least lots of energy. It’s packed full of the good stuff.
Such a magnificent salad! And hooray for both girls in one school—that’s life changing! Most of the time, I had 3 kids in 3 schools—boy was that challenging!!
Ooohh! I’m loving this pasta, Alice! It’s so bright and colorful.
Your kids are so cute and this pasta salad looks great! I don’t see too many healthy pasta salad recipes out there.
Thank you so much!!!!
Gorgeous salad, Alice! The colors signal healthy eating, and you’ve got to know I go this way to counteract the cake in my house. 😉 My kids schools have been staggered for two years, but the fall will bring the same campus like yours. BTW, your girls…adorable!
Thank you so much, Brooks!
I could live on this pasta salad all summer long! So perfect for picnics and BBQs!
very clear and good article easy to understand. Thank you