Tropical Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pineapple

Nothing quite says summer like the flavorful blend of mango, coconut, and pineapple. Summer picnics and backyard barbeques call for fresh salads to help hydrate and cool off guests, especially in contrast to popular main dishes like grilled burgers or sausages.  

But many fruit salads available for purchase at the grocery store are too sweet for a range of palates and coated in extensive added sugars, overriding the other health benefits the fruits can provide. Not this fruit salad—it won’t perpetuate that addictive sugar craving to keep coming back for more. The added honey is diluted in water so that it mostly extracts the healthy compounds in the spices used, rather than acting as a sweetener. 

With the added freshness of mint and the comforting flavor and warmth of vanilla, this tropical fruit salad is refreshing and balanced for a wider range of ages. The fruit is chopped small, and coconut is shredded to suit eaters who may struggle with larger bites or harsh textures, too. The near-searing effect of sauteing the surface of the pineapple first, then baking it, breaks down the firmness and allows a softer-to-chew bite. 

You can eat this tropical fruit salad while the pineapple is still warm or refrigerate to allow the flavors to marinate before serving chilled. Compound the freshness of this fruit salad with a non-alcoholic electrolyte beverage such as coconut water or water with lime. 

TIP: Coconut could be sprinkled on top for the last 5 minutes of baking the pineapple if you desire a more toasted coconut flavor and texture. 

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