How to Use 5 Ingredients to Make 3 Simple Salads

Get creative about eating healthy, distinct recipes on one grocery trip! These three fruit and nut salad recipes all use the same core ingredients: pears, berries, oranges, walnuts and orange juice. But they taste different with simple swaps, including spices and herbs. Spices and herbs offer a calorie-free, salt-free way to jazz up your meals and add variety to your diet. They not only add flavor, but can also power up the nutrients on your plate.

Recipe 1: Fruit With Honey and Mint

Ingredients:

15 oz canned pears in light syrup or in its own juice
1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup raspberries
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp honey*
3 Tbsp mint leaves, chopped*

Preparation:

1. Drain pears. Put orange juice into a saucepan; add honey and half the mint leaves. Add pears, berries and orange pieces. Heat on medium-low for 10 minutes.
2. Serve in individual dishes; garnish with remaining mint leaves and chopped walnuts.

Recipe 2: Fruit With Cinnamon and Orange

Ingredients:

15 oz canned pears in light syrup or in its own juice
1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup raspberries
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup chopped walnuts
½ tsp orange zest*
½ tsp ground cinnamon*

Preparation:

1. Drain pears. Put orange juice into a saucepan; add cinnamon and orange zest. Add pears, berries and orange pieces. Heat on medium-low for 10 minutes.
2. Serve in individual dishes; garnish with chopped walnuts.

Recipe 3: Fruit With Lime and Ginger

Ingredients:

15 oz canned pears in light syrup or in its own juice
1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup raspberries
¼ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp lime juice*
1 tsp lime zest*
2 tsp freshly grated ginger*

Preparation:

1. Drain pears. Put orange juice into a saucepan; add ginger, lime juice and lime zest. Add pears, berries and orange pieces. Heat on medium-low for 10 minutes.
2. Serve in individual dishes; garnish with chopped walnuts.

*added to the recipe’s 5 core ingredients

Nutritional information

Fruit with honey and mint (per serving)

Makes 4 servings

Calories: 170
Total fat: 5g
Saturated fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Total fiber: 5g
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 33g

Fruit with cinnamon and orange (per serving)

Makes 4 servings

Calories: 190
Total fat: 5g
Saturated fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Total fiber: 5g
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 36g

Fruit with lime and ginger (per serving)

Makes 4 servings

Calories: 170
Total fat: 5g
Saturated fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Total fiber: 5g
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 32g

Contributors: Digestive Disease Health Team Dietitians