Pineapple Pear Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Thanks to Dole® Packaged Foods and Latina Bloggers Connect for making this recipe possible. As always, my comments, opinions and love for fruit are my own.

Ever since I was a little girl, my mom told me a balanced diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables in all colors would help me grow strong and healthy. I still hear her voice when passing the same wisdom to my kids.

Fruit is an important part of our diet and we include it daily. What I like most about preparing fruit, besides its sweetness, is its versatility. I can add it to sweet dishes, savory dishes, beverages and obviously in desserts. And one of my favorite ways to offer it to my kids is as a snack or merienda (an evening snack).

And this is exactly what I have for you today, a sweet, crunchy pineapple-pear salad with a light yogurt dressing. It's perfect as a snack after school, as a side dish at dinner, or as an evening snack.

You're not going to believe how fast and easy it is to make. I just peeked into my pantry and fridge and made it in a snap!

As you know, it always helps to have foods available for preparing something quickly for the kids, especially for those busy days we moms know all too well. Nuts, raisins and fruit bowls are great for this. Dole Packaged Foods makes tasty fruit bowls, have you seen them? They're handy and save me time. The fruit is already chopped and they don't have sugar added since they come in natural fruit juice. They're the perfect size for lunch boxes or for carrying them in my purse when we go out.

I recommend having your kids help you prepare this salad and, while preparing it together, talking about a memory from your childhood or of your family. We can share so much in just a few minutes together in the kitchen.

Makes 3 cups

Prep time: 5 minutes

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 Dole® Pineapple tidbits in 100% fruit juice fruit bowls
2 Dole® Diced Pears in 100% fruit juice fruit bowls
1 cup shredded carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons raisins
1 1/2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped pecans
4 tablespoons vanilla yogurt

Drain juice from pineapple fruit bowls but keep it for a little later. Drain juice from pear fruit bowls, we won't use the juice in this recipe. Save for later or drink it!
Mix pineapple, pears, carrots, raisins, pecans and set aside.
Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pineapple juice from the bowls into the yogurt.
Dress the salad and serve.

If you are not going to serve it immediately, put it in a sealed container and store in the fridge.

Another fun idea is to decorate the empty fruit bowls and use them to serve the salad. You just need permanent markers in several colors. Ask your kids to make their own.

For more recipes, handcrafts and inspiration, visit the Dole Packaged Foods website. It's fun!

¡Viva la fruta!

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Silvia Martinez

Silvia started bilingual website Mama Latina Tips in 2009 to connect and share her stories, recipes and culture with readers. Silvia loves dancing, cooking, watching movies, reading, throwing Mexican parties and spending time with family and friends. Silvia is the winner of The Great American Recipe.

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