Fruit Salads That Will Add a Spring To Your Step

I don’t know about you, but I love a good hearty soup in the fall and the winter. My favorite for summer nights is a nice cold margarita. What about spring, you say? Well, in the spring I’m ready to shed my sweaters and break out something light and breezy. For me a nice fruit-filled, fluffy, cool salad has spring written all over it!

There are hundreds (probably thousands) of fruit salad recipes and I have to be honest, I haven’t met one yet that I didn’t like. My daughter is not a huge veggie lover, but boy does she love fruit! Anytime I feel like a meal needs a little boost of something healthy, I turn to my favorite fruit salad recipes because I know she (and my husband too) will gobble them down.

I like to make some tried and true salads that I grew up on with recipes that both of my grandmas and my mom always used. Sometimes it’s nice though to make something new and different, which is how I found both of my new go-to salads.

When I was planning my daughter’s third birthday party, I decided to add a salad to the spread of food we were having. It was a family party and we were having dinner as part of the celebration. My daughter had requested a pink birthday party, so I thought, why not try and find a healthy salad that would also add some pink to the table? I ended up finding a recipe that is pretty, delicious, and healthy. I have made it several times over the past year and every time I get asked for the recipe. We like to call it Berry Cool salad (sorry about the pun), but it really doesn’t have a name, so call it whatever you want!

Berry Cool Salad

Ingredients

Frozen mixed berries- 2 small bags or 1 big bag
1 tub of Cool Whip- can also make your own using whipping cream
1 large container/tub of vanilla yogurt
1 small package of cheesecake pudding mix

Directions

1. Thaw the berries in the fridge overnight or by giving them a quick nuke in the microwave. Pour the berries (juices and all) into a large bowl.
2. Gently fold in the tub of Cool Whip or your own homemade whipped cream to the berries.
3. Next add the container of yogurt and again gently fold it all together.
4. Finally, sprinkle the dry pudding mix over the top and stir until everything is evenly combined.
5. Chill in your fridge for at least one hour before serving.

At a neighborhood potluck last summer, I had people ask me if it was a salad or a fruit dip. It’s so good that it could be either, so you can try eating it either way. Delicious, and you don’t have to feel guilty while eating it!

Another great spring salad that is popular at our house is one we plainly call Fruit Salad. I know, boring right? I think we definitely need a better name for it because it’s super easy and fast to make, but yet is delicious! Kids and adults love this salad and people will definitely ask you, “What’s in the sauce?” When you read the recipe below, you will quickly figure out what the sauce is created with and why people love this salad so much!

Fruit Salad

Ingredients

1 29 oz. can of peach slices, undrained
1 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks, undrained
1 box dry vanilla instant pudding mix
1 lb. of strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1 banana, sliced
1 bunch grapes- red or green
½ pint of blueberries
1 Tbsp. sugar- optional

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, gently combine the can of peaches, the can of pineapple, and the dry vanilla pudding mix. Don’t forget to include the juice from both of the cans! Mix well until the pudding mix is dissolved.
2. Stir in the strawberries, banana slices, blueberries, grapes, and sugar if you are using it.
3. Once combined, chill it in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.

This recipe could really include any of your family’s favorite fruits. At our house we have added other fruits and substituted different fresh fruits depending on what is in season. Make sure you don’t get too busy with guests or your family because you don’t want to miss out on this yummy healthy treat! You might just turn around only to look back and see that it’s all gone!

I hope you have a chance soon to try out these spring salads. They are such a great side dish to any grilled dinner and are so quick to prep. Hopefully you enjoy them as much as my family does and I hope you have a happy, happy spring!