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The juicy, colorful fruit in Rainbow Fruit Salad is a thirst-quenching plunge right into summer! It’s a healthy way to make fruit look appetizing and fun - your whole family will love it.
Sometimes you need to create a perfect side dish that’s not only delicious but also beautiful. If you need something to bring to a summer barbecue or a potluck, the bright colors in this fruit salad are a great addition anywhere you place it. And that can be at a buffet table, dinner table, breakfast table, or even a lunchbox.
Arranging the fruit in rainbow order is such an easy way to make an eye-catching display. You don’t necessarily need a printed recipe for this fruit salad (but I do have that too). You really only need to see pictures of how it's done, plus a list of possible fruit choices - coming right up!
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What to Serve with Rainbow Fruit Salad
- Bring this to backyard barbecues where it fits in nicely with any side dish or grilled food, like this Ham and Cheese Macaroni salad, or Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwiches.
- Add a colorful contrast to casseroles, like Shepherds Pie with Cauliflower Crust, Gluten Free Tuna Casserole, Low Carb Cheese Enchiladas, or Chili Mac.
- Have it for breakfast with an egg mug, muffins, or low carb breakfast sandwiches.
- Healthy snack that’s sweet but without sugar. Our kids, grandkids, and cousins all love it! More healthy snacks ideas here: Healthy snacks 200 Calories or Less.
What’s in This Fresh Fruit Salad?
There are so many different fruits that you can use in this delicious rainbow fruit salad! Look through the chart below to choose your favorite fruits. Then scroll down to see the nutrition info in the recipe card - it has less calories and carbs than you might think!
Fruit in All the Colors of the Rainbow
There is such a wide variety of colorful fresh fruit to choose from! I decided to list all the different colors of the fruit I could think of in their rainbow order.
Red: watermelon, fresh strawberries, raspberries, cherries, red grapes
Orange: cantaloupe, canned mandarin oranges, peaches, apricots
Yellow: fresh pineapple ( canned is okay, if you can’t get fresh), mango
Green: kiwi fruits, green grapes, green apples or pears (with peel), honeydew melon
Blue: blueberries, blackberries
Purple: purple grapes, plums (with peel)
How to Make this Easy Fruit Salad
Once you have chosen your rainbow of fruit, preparation couldn’t be easier. I’ll show you 3 of my favorite ways to arrange this fruit salad that will best display the beautiful rainbow colors:
First, wash and cut up the fruit. I've got a fruit washing recipe below 👇
To serve a crowd, toss most of the fruit together in a large bowl.
Then, arrange the rest of the fruit on top in rainbow order - this will save you a lot of time 🙂
Or, arrange a single layer of fruit in rainbow order in a tray or shallow dish, if you're serving less people (or you have a very large tray).
Can I meal prep this salad for lunches?
You can still see the beautiful rainbow colors of this fruit salad by layering them in individual clear cups with lids. These can be added to lunchboxes or just sit in your refrigerator looking beautiful and inviting all who see them to eat something healthy.
Equipment You Might Need
You just need basic tools to make this - a sharp knife that can cut through melons, cutting board, and possibly a peeler if you choose peaches, mangos, apples or pears.
And if you want to get the clear cups with lids that I used in the photos, you can get them here. BTW, I wash and reuse these several times if they’re in good condition. No need to toss them out after one use!
Great for Meal Prep
Buy Now → How to Wash Fruit for a Fresh Fruit Salad
Any fruit that you will not be removing the peel or the rind can be cleaned in this fruit wash, such as berries, grapes, cherries, apricots, etc.
Recipe for a fruit wash:
- 1 part vinegar
- 8 parts water
For example, 1 cup vinegar to 8 cups water; or ½ cup vinegar to 4 cups water.
- Add water and vinegar to the sink or a large bowl.
- Drop the fruit in and let them soak for about 15 minutes.
- Drain and pat dry. There’s no need to rinse. The fruit will not taste like vinegar since it’s so diluted with the water.
- The little bit of vinegar is an antibacterial agent which will keep the fruit fresh a little longer than if you washed the fruit in just water.
- You can also include a small spoonful of baking soda to the soaking solution, which can help remove waxy coating or other debris on the surface of fruit.
Roundup! 🤠
You’ll find this recipe and more sugar free and low sugar recipes in my Delicious Recipes with No Sugar roundup.
Print
Healthy Rainbow Fruit Salad
The juicy, colorful fruit in Rainbow Fruit Salad is a thirst-quenching plunge right into summer! It’s a healthy way to make fruit look appetizing and fun - your whole family will love it.
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries, stems removed
- 1 cup watermelon, cubed
- 1 cup cantaloupe, cubed
- 1 cup pineapple, diced
- 1 cup honeydew melon, cubed
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup purple grapes, stems removed
Instructions
- Wash all fruit, remove stems and rinds, and cut into bite sized pieces.
- Add most of the fruit to a bowl, reserving some to decorate the top. Toss to combine.
- Arrange the reserved fruit in lines of colors in rainbow order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.
- Another option is to arrange all the fruit in rainbow order on a large, shallow tray to make a rainbow fruit platter.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
Fruit wash - 1 part white vinegar to 8 parts water. Let fruit such as strawberries, grapes, and blueberries soak in the fruit wash for about 15 minutes then drain. The fruit will not taste like vinegar because it's so diluted with water.
Serve this fruit salad on a platter, casserole dish, or a bowl. Or make individual portions in clear cups with lids.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Diet: Low Calorie
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ portion
- Calories: 81
- Sugar: 16.5 g
- Sodium: 11.4 mg
- Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.6 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer to use 1 part vinegar to 8 parts water.
Dry it as well as you can by letting it air dry, or patting it dry with towels. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container.
Strawberries and other berries are prone to mold and bacteria, so they benefit from soaking in a solution of vinegar diluted with water (as described above).
You can still see the beautiful rainbow colors of this fruit salad by layering them in clear cups with lids. These can be added to lunchboxes or just sit in your refrigerator looking beautiful and inviting all who see them to eat something healthy.
