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I’m sharing 10 fruit salad recipes for Christmas that will add fresh flavor and nutrition to your holiday meals.
My mom always has fruit salad at the holidays!
Mom also used to make us Orange Crush Smoothies with ice for a casual dinner night growing up – I think she has a thing for fruit 🙂
It’s the time of year for cinnamon rolls, cookies galore, casseroles, and comfort food.
But, in my opinion, a sweet sticky bun or Mom’s cream-cheese frosted cinnamon roll go best with a side of fresh fruit.
Fruit salads are an easy way to get healthy fruit on the table as a side dish to most any holiday meal, whether it’s a special brunch, potluck, or fancy feast.
And I might add that there is no more kid-friendly dish out there!
I find that simple fruit salads, where the tart juicy flavors shine through, really help balance out all the other rich and heavy dishes that are typically a part of holiday spreads. Plus, they’re typically easy to prepare and are great as leftovers to serve for breakfast in the morning!
Winter Fruits in Season
- Apples
- Clementines
- Grapefruit
- Kiwis
- Kumquats
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Tangerines
Fruit Salad Tips
- When making a fruit salad for Christmas, I recommend using some seasonal produce. You’ll notice that the grocery store (or farmer’s market) has different fruit come fall and winter. If you shop the sales, you’re probably shopping the best fruit of the season.
- I also suggest using only fresh fruit and saving your frozen fruits (also healthy!) for delicious pies and tarts… and, of course, oatmeal and smoothies.
- Use a glass bowl to serve your fruit salad to add vibrant color to your table!
- Dressing your fruit with lemon juice or lime juice will help the fruit from oxidizing (turning brown).
I’m sharing a roundup of fruit salad recipes to make this holiday season (with red and green fruit, obviously!). I’ve included a few nutritional information tidbits, too, because fruit is as nutritious as it is refreshing.
10 Fruit Salad Recipes For Christmas
1. Winter Fruit Salad
This fruit salad with citrus and kiwi is a great way to eat fresh fruit during the colder months. The poppy seed dressing just perfectly sweet. It makes a healthy addition to any holiday table.
- Kiwis: Did you know, despite its fuzzy covering, the kiwi’s skin is edible and tart!? I stopped peeling my kiwis when I discovered this. Teach your kids to eat it from the start.
2. Christmas Fruit Salad
This festive and colorful holiday fruit salad is filled with green apples, pears, persimmons and pomegranate seeds, all tossed in a spiced syrup.
- Persimmons: Persimmons are high in soluble dietary fiber, which slows the digestion of carbohydrates, preventing spikes in blood sugar.
3. Honey Lime Rainbow Fruit Salad
This rainbow fruit salad has a delicious honey lime dressing! It’s an incredibly refreshing, must-have side dish that’s made with a beautiful blend of delicious fruits and a simple dressing to compliment it. Always sure to be a crowd favorite!
- Grapes: Grapes, grape juice, and wine (yay!) have antioxidants that help the cardiovascular system. These antioxidants, called flavonoids or polyphenols, can relax blood vessels and reduce inflammation. They also reduce the clotting function of platelets much as aspirin does. (WedMD)
4. Easy Winter Fruit Salad
This easy fruit salad (no red apples here if those aren’t your favorite) is made with a few simple, seasonal ingredients, is naturally vegan and gluten-free, looks beautiful on the table, and tastes wonderfully sweet and delicious!
- Pears: Pears are a low-glycemic index food, mostly because they’re high in fiber. One small pear has about 7 grams of it. That’s as much as 20% of the fiber you need each day!
5. Healthy Fruit Salad
This fruit salad is a kaleidoscope of colors! Juicy pomegranate, sweet berries and crunchy pecans are just a few of the goodies packed into this fruit salad recipe. The light and tangy lemon-honey vinaigrette compliments all the sweet flavors in this healthy fruit salad.
Pomegranates: Pomegranates can have up to three times more antioxidants than green tea or red wine.
6. Layered Fruit Salad
This beautifully layered fruit salad is incredibly festive with its red fruits! It features holiday favorites like pomegranates, dried cranberries and pistachios, along with apples and grapes, plus a delicious dressing and crunchy topping. This looks so pretty served in a glass trifle bowl.
7. Elegant Fruit Salad
This elegant fruit salad with in-season fruits such as clementines, pomegranate arils, apples, kiwis and pears, is tossed in a simple lemon-poppy seed dressing. It’s sure to impress your guests!
Do you have a favorite fruit salad recipe?
Happy (healthy) holidays!
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