Hunger pangs in between meals area common among one and all, irrespective of age and unhealthy snacking is what we normally prefer. Instead of opting for nuts, fruits or juice, we happily snack on chocolates, fries or carbonated drinks. We usually do that because we find healthy snacks to be too bland for our taste and not exciting enough. We know what fries and chips do to our bodies, but still we give in to the temptation. But there are many ways to make regular healthy food like fruits exciting to our taste buds. Fruits can be consumed in the forms of snacks, salads and deserts. One such recipe is the Sunshine Fruit Salad.
Recipe: Sunshine Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
1.Mango — peeled and cubed: 1cup
2.Musk melon —- peeled and cubed: 2cups
3.Banana ——- peeled and cubed:1 cup
4.Pineapple —– peeled and cubed: 1cup
5.Orange Marmalade — sugar free: 1 and a halfcups
6.Water —– 1 and a half cups
Serves: 8 persons
Method:
Step 1: Melt the marmalade with the water over a low flame
Step 2: Cool and chill the mixture in the refrigerator
Step 3: Peel and cube the fruits as mentioned in the ingredients
Step 4: Toss the mix the fruits in the chilled marmalade solution
Step 5: Serve chilled
Note: This recipe can be treated both as a snack and a desert. The dish doesnot contain sugar but is sweet due to the marmalade, mangoes and bananas. It is not recommended for diabetic people.
Variations: There can be several variations to this dish. For example:
- Instead of the water and marmalade solution, half a cup of flavored or plain yogurt can be used. If yogurt is used, a teaspoon of sugar needs to be added. All the ingredients, except the banana, can be simply mixed or tossed in a bowl and then refrigerated for 30 minutes. Add the sliced bananas just before serving.
- Personal choice of fruits can be used like kiwifruit, apples, grapes, berries, peaches and oranges. But this dish is incomplete without bananas. If you do not like bananas, you can do without them.
- Canned fruits like pineapple and mandarin oranges, either drained or along with the juices.
Nutritional Facts:1 serving contains–
- Fat — 1g
- Calories –116
- Cholesterol — 1mg
- Sodium — 13mg
- Carbohydrate — 27g
- Fiber — 3g
- Protein — 2 g
Fruits are great snacks with high nutritional value. With their inherent nutrients like vitamins and minerals, every fruit has a role to play in our bodies. Plus they are beneficial for people of any age. Fruits help in losing weight, improving health, regulating blood circulation and digestion. Fruits are a natural remedy against several diseases and are great antioxidants that prevent cell damage. Given so many benefits of fruits, do not shy away from them. Instead, benefit from the various tasty recipes and ways of consuming fruits. So bid adieu to unhealthy snacking and welcome sunshine to your health with a dash of fruits.
Natasha'z Points To Ponder 