Healthy eating is all the rage these days. That is why I decided to share my GO TO recipe for a fruit salad that is healthy and, so good you will not believe it can be made so quick. There are many things about this recipe that make it my all time favorite to dress up any meal or as a meal in itself. Let me explain why.

First off, the salad is easy to make because all you have to do is chop up your favorite fruits and add a few special, healthy, extras to make it one of the best dishes you have ever eaten. The second reason it is so good is because, it is so good for you. It is always a big hit for any dining occasion and that is a third reason why this homemade fruit salad is wonderful. I almost always make this recipe for special occasions such as a dinner party, holiday gathering or when you have to attend that pot luck dinner and you want to make a big hit with those who will be attending. Kid's also love this healthy fruit salad and you don't have to force them to eat it. So, let me get to the apples and oranges of this remarkable taste treat so you can try it for your self.

I would start by saying that this recipe can be made in so many variations that the only thing to worry over is what you like to eat in the way of fruit. I like almost every fruit so that leaves my fresh fruit salads wide open for experimentation. This being the case for me I do try to follow just a few simple guide lines when I make this dish. I try very hard to use FRESH fruit instead of canned. That does not mean I have never used canned fruit because I have. Sometimes you don't have a lot of options and you have to make do. I just would rather go with the fresh produce as often as possible.

That being said, I would also like to mention a few things about variation. I use this dish to carry to those pot luck dinners and during holidays when bringing a dish is required. There are some great things that you can do to spark up that special occasion with this dish. I will add those hints and suggestions after the main recipe. Now let's take a look at what you will need.

Basic Ingredients

• a large sweet crisp apple
• a large orange
• 1 cup seedless grapes, red or green
• 1 cup fresh berries
• 4 oz. vanilla yogurt
  

Wash and peel all the fruits. Make sure you do not leave any seeds. The apple can be left with the peel on but, that will depend on individual taste preferences. I make it both with or without, depending on who I am making it for. I have found that some folks have trouble digesting the apple peels so, if I know in advance, I will take time to peel the apple.

Cut the fruit in to bite sized pieces and put it in an adequate sized mixing bowl that will allow you to stir the yogurt into the fruit. I use a rubber spatula or a large serving spoon and more or less fold the yogurt in to the fruit. When the entire mixture is consistently coated with the yogurt, carefully press the fruit down in to the dish. Do not smash it but rather pack it. Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

Make It The Best Fruit Salad On The Planet

1. Use the kind of fruits that your family or friends like the best.
2. Use a flavored yogurt such as vanilla, or a fruit flavor that complements the fresh ingredients. I like to use strawberry yogurt with fresh strawberries. I also like peach yogurt when we have fresh peaches in season. Use your own imagination here.
3. Make a large fresh fruit salad by doubling or tripling the ingredients. In the summer time I will do a 4th of July Salad and use three kinds of yogurt. I put the salad in a clear bowl and add 1/3 of the cut up fruit to each kind of yogurt. I then add the mixtures in to a clear bowl in the three distinct layers to get a red white and blue dish. I will use blue berries and blueberry yogurt, strawberries and strawberry yogurt and vanilla and banana for the white layer.
4. Winter meals make it fun to add coconut across the top for a snowy affect. I also like to use pomegranate to garnish and it adds lots of color.
5. Nuts chopped large enough to be bite sized will add taste and healthy benefits as well as variety and color.

Here are a few suggestions

Bananas and melons do not take kindly to being tossed around in a stirring fashion. I rarely use them but if I do I use them either as a garnish across the top and or I add them just before serving. The reason is that the bananas will turn dark and become mushy and melons become too watery. You can use them but take the extra care to add them right before time to serve the dish.

You can garnish the top of the finished dish with berries that are more pricey when purchased. That is to say that because the cost of raspberries might not allow for those to be a substantial ingredient, you can still purchase a small amount to spruce up your fresh fruit salad.

You can also add nuts to the top instead of mixing them throughout the dish. This would allow some people to be able to avoid the nuts when serving as some people may need to do that.

A sprinkle of cinnamon, all spice or other spice such as nutmeg makes for a great taste blast to please your taste buds.

For plain yogurt you might like to add a splash of honey just to give the dish a little sweetness but that is optional as is all my other suggestions.

Just Two More Suggestions

Do Not Tell the kids or those finicky eaters that they are eating yogurt. They will never know it. I get that one all the time, Oh Yuck! will never be heard from this great dish.

By rare chance if you have any left over, this makes the best smoothie. All you have to do is add your favorite beverage such as orange juice or some ice cream and a splash of milk and you have the makings of a wonderful smoothie. Blend it all together and you are good to go. ENJOY!