TikTok mom goes viral for re-creating restaurant-style salad and sandwich bar at home

Melanie Cade found an innovative way to get her nine children to eat fruits and vegetables — and curb their desire to eat out.
“We got [insert fast food restaurant name] at home!” is an age-old saying almost every adult can recall their parents exclaiming at some point during their childhood. While most parents employ the phrase to encourage better spending habits or healthier choices, one Alabama mom actually means it when she says, “We got Subway at home.” 
Melanie Cade (@raisingcades10) went viral on TikTok after sharing a video of her restaurant-style, at-home salad bar and sandwich station. Cade garnered over eight million views on her video, in which she explains to those fascinated by her innovative system how she replenishes her family’s salad/sandwich bar. Depending on the household’s schedule, Cade says, she replenishes the salad/sandwich station once or twice a week, which costs her approximately $100 at the grocery store.  
Consistently stocked with fresh lettuce, fruits, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, turkey breasts, and more, the standalone bar is completely refrigerated, the mother of nine explains, allowing her to store a variety of food options. While the top compartment is primarily reserved for salad toppings, the bottom level of the family’s station contains sandwich goods, fruits, extra toppings, dressings, and juice boxes. However, unlike restaurants that often throw away a lot of produce at the end of the day, Cade explains how the family avoids food waste with their sandwich/salad system. 
“Before any leftover ingredients go bad, I’ll either pull them out and freeze for recipes or use them in something I’m cooking [like] spaghetti, omelets [and] pizza,” she told People magazine. 
Kay Wicker
Haniyah Philogene
Haniyah Philogene
Kay Wicker
Kay Wicker
Haniyah Philogene
Kay Wicker
Haniyah Philogene
Ultimately, Cade and her husband decided to invest in the $1,300 salad bar to improve their children’s eating habits and promote independence in the kitchen. 
“My kids eat cookies and chips, but during the pandemic, I saw an unhealthy dependency on pre-packaged snacks because they were readily available,” Cade told Today.com. “I saw my kids developing bad habits that were convenient and easy for both them and myself.”
Before upgrading to a restaurant-grade salad bar, Cade first “incorporated the same concept in a drawer in [the family’s] fridge using plastic containers from Walmart,” which she admits is more accessible but requires a bit of creativity depending on space and budget. 
For the Cade household, the salad/sandwich station offers a “quick meal option because the salad bar is always stocked and open.” Similarly, she says it’s also an easy resolution whenever one of her children doesn’t care for what she’s planned for lunch or dinner, as they can just go to the salad bar. 
“My children are more likely to choose fresh produce if it’s already prepped and ready to eat,” she explained in the video. 
“I’ve learned that kids eat with their eyes, so making food aesthetically pleasing feels, ‘Wow,’ to my children,” she added in an interview with Today.com. “They see the beautiful colors and textures and the variety to choose from.”
Just as her kids love the salad/sandwich bar, social media users do too. 
“Your children?! I, a 35-year-old adult, am more likely to eat fresh produce if it’s already prepared for me,” one TikTok user commented. 
Others jokingly asked if Cade’s salad/sandwich station offered a drive-thru service. “So I see that window in your kitchen. Is that drive-thru accessible? 😂 I’ll swing by and get one to go, please 😂.” 
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