keep your diet real

I’m not ashamed to admit that my love for fruit is somewhat obscene…

I’m told that this love began long before I ever even tasted fruit. When my mom was pregnant with me, she could eat fruit all day and never feel satisfied. She craved it, which means I probably did too.

When it comes to fruit, I don’t discriminate. It would be hard for me to choose a favorite. In my opinion, all fruits are created equal. I’d be just as content with a Bartlett pear as a bowl of mango.

Fruit reminds me of summer. Since summer is wrapping up, I decided to stock up on the last of the fresh strawberries, cantaloupe, and grapes and make a giant fruit salad.

I added cottage cheese for extra protein but you could also substitute Greek or plain yogurt.

Ingredients

• ¼ large cantaloupe (diced small)
• 8 strawberries (sliced in quarters)
• 1 banana (sliced)
• ½ cup green grapes (cut in half)
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 ounce sliced almonds
• 2 teaspoons wheat germ
• 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. Wash and dice all fruit. Place into one large bowl and toss.
2. Scoop cottage cheese into a serving bowl (that holds about 2 cups of food)
3. Add raisins, wheat germ, honey, and oats
4. Add mixed fruit
5. Sprinkle with almonds
6. Enjoy! Makes two, 1 ½ cup servings

What’s in your fruit salad?