Let’s just say I was in a summer sort of mood.
Florida is ripe with produce, whether at your local grocery store or at farmer market stands roadside.

Ah, fruit salad. The color, the nutrients, the sweetness, the crunch!

“You are what you eat.”

“Eat the rainbow.”

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
― Hippocrates

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“FRUIT SALAD… YUMMY YUMMY.”  -THE WIGGLES
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1. Ante-up’d fruit salad.

As Bob Ross would say, “here’s where you can start to have a little fun.”

The specific fruits used here are Mandarin oranges, grapes, and strawberries. These were on sale, they were in season. Score. Vegan on a budget. You aren’t restricted to just the three fruits I used here, though — Get creative! The more color, the better. You can use green grapes. Or no grapes! Sub in peach for the oranges. Or add blackberries and blueberries for a more berry-themed array. Nature, as a vegan, is your (respectful) play thing; you can do few wrongs when it comes to pairing fruit.
For extra flare and crunch, I added coconut flakes and roasted sunflower seeds on top, which add a savory aspect over the sweet, and is a great source of protein with about 7g per 1/4 cup serving.

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NEXT WE HAVE:
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2. Smoothie.

Good ol’ fruit smoothie. Nothing like the ease of utilizing fresh fruit for a smooth drink on-the-go.

It’s absolutely user discretion here how hefty you wanna make your smoothie — either you can  keep it plain with some ice, water, and leave it au naturel, or mix in your favorite plant-based milk and some vanilla protein powder for a thicker and heartier milkshake-esque bevvy. I guess it depends on your mood, and whether this is post-gym snack, or regular afternoon delight. Up to you.
Here’s one sample recipe for an awesome protein fruit shake: Click Me  🙂

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LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST:
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3. Protein Parfait w/ pureed fruit.

Oh, yes. Save the best for last, unless it’s dessert, and in that case eat it first. Simple enough: vegan yogurt base (I have the coconut milk variety), and slice up some banana on top of the yogurt. Next, take some of your fruit salad and toss it into the blender (or bullet, whatever you have handy) and splash in a small amount of non-dairy milk (again coconut here, though any will do; soy, hemp, hazelnut, oat, almond, cashew…) that will *eyeball on the fly* help just barely get the finely whipped fruit into a thick-pouring consistency, and a half serving of plant protein for your protein kick (I used my Purely Inspired Organic Protein, see below*). Pour atop your yogurt/banana bowl, top with your favorite granola (I used raspberry chia seed here, see below*), and if you’re feeling like a fruity daredevil, plop another serving spoonful of fruit salad. Because redundant. Because delicious. Because, vegan.

Happy Snacking!

So there you have it. 3 Ways to Utilize Fruit Salad. If you’re interested in the type of products I’m specifically using, here they are for your reference: