A mother of nine wanted her kids to eat a more balanced diet, so naturally, she installed a professional salad bar in her home kitchen.
“I am a little extra,” Melanie Cade, 37, of Alabama, tells TODAY.com.
Cade and her husband share nine children: Anita, 19, TJ, 17, Nathaniel 14, twins Mason and Madison, 12, Zachary 8, Jacob 5, Noah-James, 4, and Charity, 10 months.
Almost two years ago, the couple bought a $1,300 salad bar from a restaurant supply store, hoping their children would eat better and be more self-sufficient in the kitchen. Now a home highlight, Cade shares videos of the salad bar on social media, with other hacks she uses to run her large family.
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A recent video, in which Cade shows how she restocks her salad bar, has more than 5 million views on Instagram.
“I run a tight ship,” says Cade, who homeschools her children. “My kids eat cookies and chips but during the pandemic, I saw an unhealthy dependency on pre-packaged snacks because they were readily available.”
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Cade adds, “I saw my kids developing bad habits that were convenient and easy for both them and myself.”
The refrigerated salad bar holds seasonal vegetables and healthy fats, like shredded cheese, hard boiled eggs and sliced turkey or chicken.
The bottom of the salad bar, which is also refrigerated, stores bagels, cream cheese, whole fruit, juice boxes and salad dressing.
Cade spends $100 per week on seasonal fruit and vegetables and whole cuts of meat (she owns a deli slicer, too) which she says is cheaper.
Making food look pretty is the trick, says the mom.
“I’ve learned that kids eat with their eyes so making food aesthetically pleasing feels, ‘Wow,’ to my children,” says Cade. “They see the beautiful colors and textures and the variety to choose from.”
Cade says the salad bar teaches her kids to eyeball their own portions and serve themselves, knowing that if anyone is hungrier, “We can always go back for more.”
The salad bar isn’t the only star of Cade’s kitchen. She also owns a slush machine to make frozen drinks on family movie nights.
Cade knows her set-up isn’t realistic for all families, but she says it's more attainable than people may think. Her salad bar started in her refrigerator produce drawer with ingredients sectioned out into individual containers.
“My whole purpose is to help other people realize ... their potential,” says Cade. “That’s all I want to do.”
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