Looking for a refreshing and healthy way to cool off on a hot summer’s day? Try these quick and easy Healthy Summer Salads with Fruit - Perfect idea for a picnic, BBQ, brunch, or shower. Serve these fruity salads alongside our Green Chicken Kababs, Bacon Wrapped Sausage Stuffed Pork Tenderloin or our many other Summer Grilling and Chilling Recipes for a perfect summer dinner plan.
Not only are these fruity salads packed with nutrients, but they are refined sugar free - delicious clean eats. We’ve included helpful hacks on how to keep fruit fresher longer, a "Fruit Flavor Pairing Chart" and numerous fresh fruit salads recipes for all your summer gatherings.
Jump to:
- What’s to Love
- Grow Together – Stay Together
- The Basics!
- How to make a Fruit Salad Taste Better?
- Why does Fruit Turn Brown?
- How do you keep fruit from browning in a salad?
- What to Serve With?
- Try these Recipes
- Tomato = Vegetable or Fruit?
- Dressings and Vinaigrettes
- Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
- More Delicious Salads
What’s to Love
If you’ve been craving a bright and colorful fruit salad with a homemade zippy dressing, we have just what you’ve been looking for. Don’t worry! Theses healthy salads do NOT contain mayonnaise, ambrosia marshmallows, or whipped topping, (or any of those weird creamy questionable things) so they are less likely to spoil at a picnic.
Many of these salads can be made in advance allowing you extra time to fire up the grill and entertain your guests. Elegant fruit cocktails are always a crowd pleaser at a potluck and add a splash of color to your dining table. Let’s explore what fruit salad options might be best for your menu plan.
Grow Together – Stay Together
Did you know that things that grow together are delicious in a recipe together? It’s nature’s delicious and easy way of helping us with menu planning. That’s convenient, right?
If you walked through a farmer’s market right now, you’d find items that have been grown locally. These items may differ from state to state or country to country, but the concept remains the same.
What grows together – stays together!
Here is a very simple example… In mid-August, you might be able to find freshest tomatoes and basil in the Midwest. Caprese Salad on a Stick is extra delicious because the ingredients are in peak season and pair wonderfully together.
The Basics!
- There are no set rules for what can or can’t go in a fruit salad. However, paying attention to what grows together – stays together is an easy way to decide what to include.
- Choose the base for your healthy summer salad (leafy greens, grains, main fruits, or other vegetables).
- Add in your favorite seasonal fruits
- Select fresh herbs and spices
- Drizzle with your favorite light and bright sweet fruit salad dressing
- Try adding in fun textures like nuts, seeds, crispy tortillas, etc.
- Add in grilled protein of choice like grilled chicken, Marinated Grilled Flank Steaks, Grilled Halloumi Cheese, etc.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
How to make a Fruit Salad Taste Better?
- For a healthy fruit salad recipe, try these seasonal fruit, vegetable, spice, and herb combinations for a pop of flavor.
If you wish to use this handy Fruit Salad Pairing Chart on your website, just copy and paste the HTML code below. Please give credit to Healthy World Cuisine and link to our website. Thanks!
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- Drizzle on a zippy dressing or vinaigrette with orange, lemon, or other citrus fruits. The sweet and sour balance is key.
- Add some texture like toasted nuts, seeds, crunch tortilla strips and crispy lettuces.
Why does Fruit Turn Brown?
Excuse us while we get a little food science nerdy for a moment…
Do you remember this from science class? All fruits have enzymes that are release when they are cut and exposed to air. These enzymes start to break down the fruit. This process is known as oxidation or enzymatic browning.
Polyphenol Oxidase (enzyme) +O2 (oxygen) = Melanin (brown color /pigment)
I bet you wondering if it is safe to eat that apple you just cut up because it is starting to brown? Right? Of course, you can but it is not very aesthetically pleasing. Is it?
How do you keep fruit from browning in a salad?
Try these easy hacks!
- Chopped apples and pears will last longer if you place them in “salted water” overnight. This is a cheap method we learned whilst living in Japan making bento boxes. Just drain and rinse the apples or pears before putting them in a salad or a packed lunch box.
- Toss your fruit in a citrus juice like lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, or pomelo. The acid in citrus juice inactivates the enzyme, polyphenol oxidase, when it is exposed to air.
- Along those same lines, tossing cut fruit with acidic fruits like oranges, grapefruits or pineapples can also help prevent browning.
- Soak your fruit like apples and pear in a bath of 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 cup of water for just a minute or two before adding it to your summer salads.
What to Serve With?
Are you looking for some healthy dinner meal plan ideas? These healthy summer salads with fruits can be served as a main or as a side dish. Try these ideas!
Pork is always more delicious with something a little sweet on the side. Don’t you think? Thai Pork Basil Skewers are delicious with our zesty Prik Nam Pla Dipping sauce and a side of our Thai Shrimp Mango Salad.
Chicken gets a whole new flavorful profile with our Peking Style Beer Butt Chicken and Layered high Sesame Asian Salad.
Fish that tastes like steak always gets a thumbs up with our family. Grilled Swordfish with Crab Salsa is delicious with a fresh garden salad with a Lemon White Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Beef - Grilled Flank Steak with Thai Style Chimichurri complements the naturally sweet, tangy, sour and spicy Grilled Watermelon Salad.
Vegan options include a Super Easy Grilled Asian Eggplant with a hearty Easy Summer Millet Salad because tomatoes are a fruit too.
Try these Recipes
Tomato = Vegetable or Fruit?
You are correct! Tomatoes are both a fruit and vegetable. I know, confusing, right?
From the botanical classification, tomatoes are fruits because it has seeds that grows from the ovary of a flowering plant.
On the other hand, from the culinary classification tomatoes are vegetables because of their flavor profile and the edible part of the plant is usually eaten as part of a meal.
Give these chopped fruit salads with tomatoes a try at your next barbeque.
Dressings and Vinaigrettes
What’s a salad without a fruity salad dressing? Right? It’s Just a boring fruit cocktail or cut up fruit. Make your summer salads with fruits come alive with these bright and zippy dressings.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
The best way to keep a fruit salad crisp is to keep it stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container with a lid. Choose whole fruits like blueberries and grapes. Pineapple also lasts a long time in the refrigerator without getting soggy. Melons, like watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew, tend to get soggy quicker than other fruits. Bananas should only be cut right before serving summer salads with fruit.
Fruit salads are best enjoyed in the first 24 hours prepared. However, if stored properly, they can last 3 to 5 days.
More Delicious Salads
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shashi at runninsrilankan says
Bobbi - now ALL i wanna eat is salad - for lunch, dinner and breakfast!!! These are some wonderful salads and wow -the pictures are mind blowing!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hiya Shashi! A girl needs more than just salads alone but it certainly is a good place to start and maybe we could end it with one of your healthy strawberry oatmeal banana breakfast cookies for something just delicately sweet. Have a super weekend!
allthatsjas says
Is it weird that I just licked my screen? LOL These look wonderful! XO
Healthy World Cuisine says
I think that is totally normal! LOL I think I do that every time I am reading one of your recipes too.
Judy @Savoring Today says
Beautiful, colorful salads just in time to celebrate the warmer weather here in CO. Thanks for including our Fried Goat Cheese & Grilled Beet Salad in such a great line-up. 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
You are most welcome Judy! We love your delicious Fried Goat Cheese & Grilled Beet Salad as I love all the textures in the salad, it has it all going on. Love that!
Norma Chang says
All lovely and beautifully presented, if only spring would hurry-up and come to my area so I can get into my garden to plant my greens and other crops..
Healthy World Cuisine says
These are an awesome group of bloggers with some amazing photography skills, please stop off and give them a visit. I bet you could make an awesome salad with your root vegetables, don't you think? I am sure we will all be jealous of all of your beautiful harvest soon. I promise spring is coming... ignore that white stuff on the ground that is just Easter fluff.
Norma Chang says
I will be stopping off to visit the bloggers in your post, yes, they are an awesome group. Looking forward to showing off my harvest in the not too distant future.
Amy (Savory Moments) says
This is a lovely collection of salads - perfect for springtime eating!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Amy, wishing you a super weekend!
Juliana says
Thanks for the links...the salads look fabulous Bobbi...hope you are enjoying your week 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Juliana, wishing you an amazing weekend!
Culinary Flavors says
All the salads look amazing Bobbi! I don't know which one to choose!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Katerina, it was so much fun doing this round up and hope that you visit this great team of bloggers and say hello. BTW your apple pie recipe was amazing. I made 2 this weekend and all but one slice is left. I best hide that under the broccoli for myself for later on...
Eha says
Sugar: WordPress is still arguing with me! Send #2!! Terrific collection of which I love your bean one and Nami's cabbage . . . the others will be tried in turn with heaps of thanks - my 'style' of cooking as you know!! Have already subscribed to 'Vitamin Sunshine' which is right up my alley and the rest are pleasurable homework at the end of the proper work day 🙂 ! Thinking of you . . . .
Healthy World Cuisine says
Dear Eha, I am sorry wordpress is being such a bother. Do you think you are having internet connectivity issues or just wordpress issues? The 2nd one went through. Nami-san's quick cabbage is really delicious and you are going to love Michelle from Vitamin Sunshine, she always has bright and fresh dishes on her menu. Have a super weekend.
Eha says
Fantastic! Definitely one for filing! And looking up blogs so far unfamiliar: have already subscribed to 'Vitamin Sunshine' which seems right up my alley 🙂 ! Have loved your bean salad and made Nami's beautiful cabbage one. The others are there for future trying!! Thinking of you 🙂 !
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hiya Eha, I found your first comment in my spam inbox so I have unspammed you (lol sounds funny) maybe now that wordpress knows you maybe there will be no more issues with akismet acting out and putting you in my spam box. sorry that happened dear...
wok with ray says
These salads really look amazing and delicious too! 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you Ray! I hope you will stop by and give these amazing bloggers a visit. Have a super weekend!
dianeskitchentable says
Wow, what a great selection to choose from but of course that first one in the wonton wrappers really caught my eye. At first I was thinking that it was crab meat which now that I think of it could also work out.
Healthy World Cuisine says
I bet the Thai salad wonton cups would be awesome with crab meat. Great idea! Have a delightful weekend.
kitchenriffs says
What a great roundup of recipes! We're craving salads, and you've given me some great ideas. And thanks for including one of mine! BTW, I've stir-fried romaine in the past, but hadn't done it for ages. When you posted your recipe a few weeks ago, you've inspired me to begin stir-frying it again. Really good stuff! Thanks.
Healthy World Cuisine says
It was my pleasure to include you, John! You always have amazing tried and true recipes with great photos and I quite like the added bonus of rice and beans in your salad, I have to fill up my boys some way. Take Care
Gerlinde @ sunnycovechef says
I just love all those different salads. I'm looking at several ones to make to celebrate skinny Spring. Thank you.
Healthy World Cuisine says
I am right there with you. Spring and summer are the times of the year that these is always a potluck or some kind of gathering and it is nice to have a list of go to salads to bring all in one place.
Robyn says
Wow, Bobbi, thanks for including me in such a gorgeous round-up! As much as I love comfort food, I'm definitely done and ready for fresh Spring produce. I can't wait to explore! Thanks again 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
My pleasure Robyn. I am really ready for the fresh and lighter flavors and dishes that spring has to offer. Thanks so much for updating your post so that I could use it in the round up. Take Care
thecompletebook says
Definitely all amazing Bam. Hard to choose a favourite.
Have a beautiful day.
🙂 Mandy xo
Healthy World Cuisine says
I think we should just one of each. There is no way I could choose either!