Puerto Rican Fruit Salad

 I’m loving this Puerto Rican Fruit Salad with all these fresh healthy fruits all mixed up. The taste is amazing!

Fresh fruit is a great snack for everyone, especially during summer. But of course, certain fruits can't be all year round depending on what is in season. All those nutrients in it, high in fiber, and rich in tropical flavors, will give you all the energy and health that you’ll need.

Some have been using canned fruit cocktails though. I am not against it. It is alright when the fruits you’ll need are not available or not in season.

I prefer fresh fruits as they are, well, fresh! And they have their natural flavors, too!

How Healthy is this Puerto Rican Fruit Salad?

As I said, if you are using fresh fruits, they can be healthier and tastier. Most of these fruits here are on a season together. So, it will not be too hard to look for them.

Kiwi

The full name is actually Kiwifruit. It’s a large berry in oval shape and around the size of a typical chicken egg. The skin is coated in a light fuzz, camel-colored, fibrous, and edible. The flesh of the kiwi is colored bright green with distinctive small black seeds that can be eaten. Kiwi is very tasty, sweet, and has a bit of sour tart flavor, it is a great choice to include in every meal and snack.

Kiwifruit is rich in vitamin C, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients that provide several health benefits. Such as:

• Boost immune system 
• Help treat Asthma
• Has proteolytic enzyme called actinidin that aids for better with digestion
• Helps lower and maintain blood pressure and improves heart health.
• Has Anti-cancer properties

Mango

Tropical fruit with oval, heart shape, or kidney shape. Depending on the variety, mango size and weight vary. The size can be from 5 – 20 cm. While the weight can be as much as 2 kg (4 – 5 lbs).

The most common color is yellow but other varieties have reddish and dull green in color. It is a juicy and fibrous fruit, with a “stone” (a single large seed) inside. The taste of ripe mangoes is sweet, and quite acid when still green.

Mango is packed with nutrients, specifically vitamin C, and rich in antioxidants. Some health benefits the mango can offer are:

• Good for digestion as it is rich in fiber, and digestive enzymes called amylases that break down large food molecules
• Supports heart because of potassium and magnesium.
• It has an antioxidant called mangiferin, that protect heart cells against inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis (controlled cell death)
• It has anti-cancer properties
• Boost immune system
• Good for eyes, skin, and hair.

Strawberries

Do you know that a strawberry is actually multiple fruits? It consists of many very small individual fruits embedded in a fleshy receptacle. The whitish dot that we thought to be the seeds are the true fruits. These are called achenes. These achenes are high in fiber. A half-cup of strawberries has more fiber than a slice of whole-wheat bread.

It also has more than 70% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. This fruit is well-liked for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. Perfect for any fruit salad, just like this Puerto Rican Fruit Salad. 

Besides being a good source of vitamin C and fiber, strawberries are packed with nutrients and loads of phytochemicals and antioxidants. Thus it provides many health benefits like:

• Cancer prevention
• Heart health like regulating blood pressure and cholesterol level
• Regulating blood sugar
• Good for digestion
• Aids in weight loss
• Boost immune system
• Great for eyes, skin, and hair
• Anti-inflammatory
• Helps promote prenatal health

Tangerines

Tangerine is a type of mandarine, which is also a type of orange. Tangerines are smaller and less rounded than regular oranges. The taste is less sour, a bit sweeter with a stronger flavor than the orange. Just perfect for any fruit salad.

The peel is thinner. When it is ripe, the tangerine is firm to tough, and sometimes slightly soft and orange in color.

Like other citrus fruits, tangerines are a great source of vitamin C, and folate, with a moderate amount of vitamin A and other nutrients. The peels also have health benefits as they contain tangerine, a super-flavanoid that effectively lowers cholesterol. Other health benefits include:

• Rich in antioxidants
• Great for skin with anti-aging benefits
• Rich in fiber that can aid to lose weight and for better digestion
• Boost immune system
• Anti-cancer properties
• Promotes heart health like regulating blood pressure and restricts cholesterol absorption
• With anti-inflammatory properties
• Promotes eye health
• Makes hair healthier
• Aids in weight loss
• Strengthen bones
• Regulates blood sugar
• Good for pregnant women and their baby

Banana

There are more than 1000 varieties of bananas that are subdivided into 50 groups. But the most common variety is the Cavendish variety, also called dessert banana. Its fruits grow in bunches of 10-20 and are first green and then become yellow when fully ripe.

It can be eaten fresh, fried, and mashed, It can also be used as flavors for cakes, muffins, and bread. This is the type of banana that we will include in our Puerto Rican fruit salad. 

A ripe banana contains about 22% of carbohydrate and is high in dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, and vitamins B6 and C, and many other nutrients. Just like any other fruit, banana has potential health benefits, too. Like:

• It has lectin which helps prevent leukemia
• Encourage digestive health for being high in fiber
• Has tryptophan, an amino acid that may help preserve the memory
• Manages blood pressure and supports heart health
• Boost immune system
• Maintains kidney health

Lemon

Although there is only a small amount to be used for the fruit salad, we will still talk about it. Surely there is more than a tablespoon of lemon juice when you squeeze a whole lemon. You can make lemonade from the unused juice. 

The fruit is oval in shape. The rind is yellow in color when ripe, and thick in other varieties. It has 8 to 10 segments inside, where the pulp is distinctly acidic. Like any other citrus fruits, lemon is rich in Vitamin C and plenty of other nutrients, thus, it offers potential health benefits, too. Such as:

• It is known to prevent kidney stones
• Can protect against anemia
• Supports heart health
• Aids in weight control
• Has anti-cancer properties
• Boost immune system
• Promotes better skin and hair health

Try lemon juice with this

Lemon strawberry smoothie

Coconut Flakes

Coconut flakes are made of coconut meat that is shredded or flaked and then dried. Sometimes it is called desiccated coconut. It is usually used for cakes and cookies, just like these Hazelnut Coconut Macaroon Cupcakes. As you can see, it can also be included in salads such as our Puerto Rican Fruit Salad.

Coconut meats (unsweetened) are known to have many benefits. Although it is also known to have high saturated fats, most of these are Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT):

• Boost heart health
• It supports weight loss
• Aids digestive health
• Promotes control of blood sugar
• Rich source of powerful antioxidants
• Provide good oral health for its anti microbial properties
• The meat has been a part of traditional medicine as it can ease inflammations, kill bacteria, counteract certain diseases and poison

Those are the reasons why I love this fruit salad.

How to make this amazing Puerto Rican Fruit Salad:

Making this salad is super easy. Basically, all you need is to peel, dice, and then throw them all together in a nice bowl.

But, you’ll need to gather those ingredients listed below first.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups kiwi, diced
• 1 1/2 cups mango, diced
• 1-1/2 cups strawberries, diced
• 1 1/2 cups tangerines, peeled
• 1/4Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup condensed milk
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups banana, sliced

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the kiwi, mango, strawberries, and tangerines. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl mix the lemon juice with the condensed milk and the coconut flakes. Pour over the fruit salad and stir to incorporate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Add the banana and stir to combine. Serve immediately with chopped mint.

Enjoy!

Here are other salads that I also enjoy. I’m sure you’ll like them, too.

• Vegetable Garden Salad
• Puerto rican Cabbage Salad
• Keto Broccoli Salad