My children love to have fruit salad as an after school snack. I often serve it to them with organic yogurt, adding a bit of vanilla and agave nectar to the yogurt.
It’s just about fruit season here in Colorado and everything is starting to look luscious. We have strawberries ripening on the plants in the front yard and peaches (still green) on our peach tree in the back. Right now however, even though I’m harvesting mountains of kale and various salad greens from our front and back yard, I am still relegated to purchasing my fruit at the grocery store. We’re not quite there yet. As in, summer.
To make your fruit salad more glamorous, splurge on fancy, expensive fruit, and use pineapple in place of the peaches for the recipe below. You also might like to add a bit of unsweetened shredded coconut, if you go tropical with your fruit salad.
I like to keep my fruit salads simple with 3 or 4 different fruits so that I can really taste each of the distinct flavors. Here’s one (well actually two) of my favorite fruit combos.
Simple Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 3 bananas, sliced
- 4 medium peaches or 1 medium pineapple, sliced
- 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 pint blueberries
Instructions
- Combine all of the fruit in a large bowl
- Refrigerate for 1 or 2 hours (not longer or the bananas might brown)
- Serve
Equipment
When I put together my post for a Mother’s Day Brunch, it was absolutely amazing to me, how dire the offerings were on the internet for a simple fruit salad. First, it was terribly difficult to find a fruit salad that did not have sugar added to it. I don’t know about you, however, I don’t actually eat a lot of fruit because it has so much sugar in it in the first place. Adding more sugar to all that sugar? Not a happy day for my body.
During my dissatisfying quest to find a simple fruit salad, I did find this simple fruit salad post on one of my favorite blogs, Mark’s Daily Apple. Funny, he discussed the exact issue that I was running into. It was nice to know I was not alone.
CoconutGal says
Simple is best anyway. I did a search a few months back for fruit salad recipes for a baby shower I was hosting and they all add gloppy pudding mixes and entire cups of sugar. eww!
My fav tropical combo: Pineapple, banana, lime, and coconut!
elana says
CoconutGal, I know! I found so much sugar and glop, it was kinda scary. Your tropical fruit salad sounds delightful, bet my boys would really like it.
Ali (Whole Life Nutrition) says
Yummy! Sometimes when we make fruit salad (or “fruit bowls” we call them) I add raw almonds which have been soaked overnight, shredded coconut, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Nice photo! -Ali :)
elana says
Ali, that sounds scrumptious. I really like the addition of soaked almonds!
Paulette says
Elana,
That looks delicious. I freeze a lot of fruit. I have one freezer just for fruit and one for veggies and my other one is for baked goods and flours etc. I sometimes take my fruit out of the freezer just before going to bed and add a bit of orange, apple or pineapple juice to the fruit (whatever I have on hand). The next morning it has thawed out and ready to eat. The juice adds that little touch to it. Love your site. Have a great weekend.
Love,
Paulette
elana says
Paulette, I love that you have 3 freezers! And also your thawed fruit salad with fruit juice; sounds delicious xoxo :-)
Z says
Great idea! I’ll have to try that. Perfect for the months of frozen berries…
carolyn says
I love any fruit salad that doesn’t have cantelope or honeydew melon in it.
elana says
That’s cute :-)
Meagan from Mutritious Nuffins says
I love the picture, Elana! It look so crisp and yummy!
elana says
Thanks Meagan!
abby says
dang! that looks sooo delish! what a good dessert to indulge in without the guilt!
elana says
Yup!
Christianne says
That looks delicious! Wonderful picture Elana!
Exactly how I like it :-) To add a green touch and some more nice flavour, I often add some mint leaves, cut in little strips.
Have a great summer you all!
elana says
Hello Dear Friend Christianne! I hope you are well over there. Love your idea to add mint to the fruit salad, what a classic touch.
gfe-gluten free easily says
Beautiful. I’ve found that if you cut “it” up and put it out, it disappears quickly. If I cut up an apple (my personal favorite) and have it out to snack on, it disappears … then I have to cut up another one–but not such a bad thing. :-)
I’ve been enjoying Mark’s blog since you recommended it before. Lots of good stuff there–thanks!
Shirley
elana says
Shirley, I like your apple story and glad you are enjoying Mark’s blog, it’s one of my favorite.
LK- healthy delicious says
oooh, that looks so beautifully juicy!
elana says
Thanks!
Hannah Marcotti says
It’s funny, I’m sitting here eating grapefruit with a teeny tiny bit of agave and vanilla. I put it in the freezer for a few minutes. I can’t tolerate too much fruit either. Elana thanks again.
elana says
Hannah, you’re very welcome and by the way, your grapefruit with agave and vanilla sounds DELICIOUS.
Z says
Why agave with grapefruit? Does it add something?