Winter Fruit Salad

I think we can all agree that salads are a cinch to make in the summer, but definitely take a little more effort during the winter months when fresh fruit and vegetables aren’t quite as flawless and often bear an unreasonably high price tag. Fortunately, if you stick to eating what’s in season, some cold-weather produce available in the winter will work together to create sensational salads, even fruit ones, that are certain to liven up even the darkest days this month.

Winter Fruit Salad

Take this winter fruit salad, for example. Made with pineapple, kiwi, citrus and pomegranate, this colourful combination will surely entice the whole family to get excited about consuming some fresh fruit this month. I’ve been keeping a large bowl of it in the fridge and spooning it over bowls of creamy oatmeal, tucking it into small containers for the school and work lunchbox, and serving alongside baked cinnamon rolls and scones, in an effort to feel a little less guilty about the carbs we’re all craving in an effort to keep warm.

Endlessly adaptable, you can use this winter fruit salad recipe as a simple starting point, and tweak it to your own tastes. I usually add some sliced banana or chopped apples and pears as well, but have also tossed in dried cranberries when I ran out of pomegranate arils. The dressing adds a little something extra special to the bowl, but it isn’t essential, so if you’re not a fan of lime or honey you can just skip it altogether. To fancy it up a little, add some poppy seeds to the dressing (about a teaspoon) before drizzling it over the fruit. I like how the seeds freckled the salad and offered just the tiniest extra layer of crunch.

This is a great dish for older kids to make, and you can even assign them the task of making the family fruit salad every few days. Studies show that kids who cook are more likely to eat what they make, so if you have a few picky eaters in the house this might be an easy way to get them to try a few new fruits.