Having a fruit salad at the end of the meal is quite a delightful experience. People belonging to all age groups would love to enjoy fruit salad either as an appetiser or a dessert. I know that you would be interested to know the health benefits of fruit salad and also the preparation of a healthy fruit salad.
Fruit salad causes no harm to your health if it is consumed in the right quantity and at the right time. Frequent intake of fruit salad would enhance the supply of vitamins, antioxidants and fibre in your body.
Moreover, it offers several health benefits including weight management, proper digestion, controlling blood pressure levels and so on.
The right choice of fruits in preparing fruit salad also has a vital role in intensifying the nutritious content of the dish. You may choose any of the fruits available in your locale for making a healthy fruit salad. Regular intake of fruit salad is highly beneficial for you in several ways.
Table of Contents
Benefits Of Eating Fruit Salad Daily
Do you have the habit of eating fruit salad daily? If yes, then you are getting essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins in abundance which are highly required for the wellness of your body.
Irrespective of age we all should cultivate the habit of taking fruits either in the form of juice or salad.
Now let’s check the major benefits of consuming fruit salad daily.
Keeps you hydrated
Fruits such as watermelon, strawberry, cantaloupe, peaches and oranges contain plenty of water and salads prepared using these fruits will obviously aid in hydrating your body.
According to the US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, women and men should drink 2.7 and 3.7litres of water a day respectively in order to prevent dehydration. Those who are not so fond of drinking that much amount of water a day can rely on other fluids and food to meet the water requirement of the body. Undoubtedly, fruits can always be the healthiest choice to keep yourself hydrated.
Supplies folic acid
As we all know that folic acid promotes the healthy growth of the foetus and is also required for the functioning of red blood cells in the human body. In addition, folate or folic acid controls the risk caused by birth defects. Therefore, doctors recommend the intake of folic acid supplements for the well-being of pregnant ladies.
In fact, during pregnancy, every woman should take a bowl of fruit salad daily to ensure the safe development of their baby. Fruits are excellent sources of folic acid.
According to NIH, an adult should take 400 mcg of folate( also known as Vitamin B9) per day to prevent folic acid deficiency. Fruit salad made with citrus fruits such as grapes, oranges and lemons is highly rich in folate.
Keeps you energetic and prevents damage to body cells
Fruit salad enhances the energy level of human beings and always makes us feel fresh.
On top of that, fruits contain antioxidants that may cause damage to free radicals in the human body. The presence of free radicals results in the destruction of body cells, which ultimately leads to cancer and other fatal diseases. Consuming different fruits in the form of salad would not only satiate your appetite but also safeguard your health.
Ensures proper digestion
The fibrous content in fruits speeds up the digestion of food and enhances the functioning of the digestive system. Those people who face difficulties related to digestion can depend on fruit salad to ease off the process of digestion.
Makes your hair strong and skin glow
Are you tired of looking for the best beauty enhancers in the market? Then, you have the solution at your home. A cup of fruit salad will work wonders in your skin and hair.
Fruits such as apple, pineapple, banana, papaya, lemons and peach carry the ability to clean up your skin and hair; also they provide necessary vitamins for the betterment of your natural beauty.
A healthy choice to heart
Fruit salad would not increase the cholesterol level as it contains only low cholesterol. Thus, its daily intake will be favourable to the heart and for its performance.
Boosts Immunity of body and prevents anaemia
The iron, potassium and vitamin B6 content in the fruit salad elevates the blood circulation and generation of red blood cells in the body. This would probably put a stop to the occurrence of anaemia. Thus makes individuals strong and healthy throughout the day and also develops the immune capacity of the body.
How Much Fruit Salad Should I Eat Daily?
As per the recommendation of USDA, an adult female should consume 1.5 to 2 cups of fruits and a male should take 2 to 2.5 cups a day. This amount may vary in accordance with their height, sex, age and physical and health conditions. Henceforth, it is advisable to eat fruit salad regularly as mentioned above to improve health.
Unfortunately, most people do not eat the right amount of fruits owing to which they face a lot of health issues in their day to day life. In some people, overconsumption of fruit salad may cause diarrhea as it is a rich combination of water and fibers.
Related Read: https://couchpotatodelivery.com/what-is-the-mediterranean-diet/
Is Fruit Salad Good For Weight Loss?
Being less in calories and containing only negligible amounts of cholesterol and fat, fruit salad would not add extra kilos to your weight. Those who are striving hard to manage body weight must include fruit salad to their diet.
Our body tends to gain weight when there is a remarkable increase in our calorie intake. The highly Nutri dense fruit salad makes you feel full and stops the body’s urge to eat more, thus helping us to manage body weight by consuming limited amounts of calories. Replacing high-calorie food with fruits is the best option for losing weight in a healthy way.
Is Fruit Salad Good For Diabetic Patients?
It is an undeniable fact that fruits contain natural sugars, however, there are no restrictions for diabetic people in consuming fruit salad. They can also take fruit salad on a daily basis, as the sugar in whole fruit will not cause any harm as other sugars do.
As per the records in an article published in the American Journal of Clinical nutrition, the fructose contained in fruits does not make any noticeable change in the level of insulin or blood sugar in diabetic people. Interestingly, fruits are free of free sugars, which may cause an increase in blood sugar levels.
Apart from that, the nutrients contained in fruits salad will be helpful for the betterment of the health of diabetic patients.
According to the records of USDA, watermelon and ripe bananas are considered to have high amounts of sugar. Yet, people who have variations in blood sugar levels can take in these fruits along with fruit salad in a moderate quantity. Diabetic patients can make use of fruits with lower glycemic index and dried fruits to prepare a healthy fruit salad.
Do Not Mix These Fruits Together In Fruit Salad
We cannot combine all kinds of fruits together while preparing a fruit salad. There are many factors to be considered while fusing different fruits in making a healthy fruit salad.
The primary concern is that the digestion time of each category of fruits varies depending on the nature of the fruit. The fruits should be categorized into sweet, acid and neutral while choosing it for fruit salad.
Be careful not to blend acid and sub-acid fruits with sweet fruits. For instance, when you are preparing fruit salad, acid fruits such as lemons, grapes, blueberries, plums and oranges as well as sub-acid fruits like apple, apricots and mangoes should not be mixed along with bananas or raisins which are regarded as sweet in nature in order to ensure easy digestion.
Not only fruits, but we should also be cautious not to combine vegetables with fruits in the salad as the permutation will not be healthy and may cause several issues in the long run. The sugar content in fruits may slow down the assimilation of nutrients in vegetables.
Besides, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, broccoli and spinach should not be taken along with high protein fruits like guava, raisins and so on.
It is also recommended not to include melons in fruit salad as they are supposed to be consumed by themselves, as they would not get digested properly along with other fruits.
Fruit salad can also be used as party snack or just at night while watching you favorite show on tv.
How To Make Fruit Salad?
Let’s make a perfect fruit salad which is going to soothe you in summer. Ingredients for making fruit salad and its sauce
| Ingredients | Measures |
|---|---|
| Orange juice | 3 oz |
| Lemon juice | 1.5 oz |
| Brown sugar | 45 g |
| Orange zest | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Lemon zest | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Vanilla extract | 3/4 teaspoon |
| Blueberries | 250 grams |
| Seedless grapes | 125 grams |
| Oranges | 2 |
| Apple | 2 |
| Kiwi fruit | 3 |
| Strawberry | 250 grams(sliced) |
| Pineapple | 250 grams(diced) |
Preparation
- In a saucepan, mix orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, lemon zest and brown sugar and bring it to a boil on medium flame.
- Now lower the flame and stir the mixture until it gets thickened.
- Remove from flame and add vanilla extract. Then keep it for cooling.
- In a large glass bowl layer the fruits – pineapple, strawberry, kiwi, apple, orange, grapes and blueberries( please follow the same order while layering the fruits).
- Now pour the sauce or dressing over the fruit mix.
Keep in the refrigerator for 3 hours. After 3 hours of cooling the salad is ready to serve.
Recipe of healthy fruit salad
| Ingredients | Measure |
|---|---|
| Pomegranate | 2 |
| Apple | 2 |
| Orange | 2 |
| Banana | 4 |
| Strawberry | 150 grams |
| Almond | 85 grams |
| Walnut | 85 grams |
| Chopped dates | 85 grams |
| Lemon | 1 |
| Honey | 4 tablespoon |
| Mint leaves | As needed |
| Black Pepper | As needed |
| Black salt | As needed |
Preparation
- Wash all the fruits and cut them into cubes except pomegranate.
- Cut almonds and walnuts into small pieces.
- Take a glass bowl and mix all the fruits along with pomegranate seeds dates, walnuts and almonds.
- Now add honey and lemon juice into the mix.
- Now add black pepper, salt and mint leaves.
The healthy and tasty fruit salad is ready to serve.
Is Fruit Salad Healthy? – My Conclusion
More than a refreshing dessert, fruit salad is a perfect health pack that can be included along with a balanced diet. It’s high time for us to understand the importance of including fruits in our daily diet.
When you are considering ordering pre-made meals online it might be good to see if they also have fresh fruits available.
There are many people who start their day by taking a glass of fresh juice on an empty stomach. Similarly, eating fruit salad on a regular basis can also bring miraculous changes in your life.
