A Lighter "Side" of Memorial Day: Fruit Salad with Poppyseed Dressing!

Memorial Day is all about the grill--about breaking out the hamburgers and hot dogs, and welcoming those lazy and luscious smells and tastes of summer back again. But, that shouldn't mean loading up on the fun foods at the expense of healthy eating.

So, while you're planning your holiday menu, skip the sugar-rich sweet salads from the deli, and instead serve this light and nutritious Fruit Salad With Poppyseed dressing as a delicious side dish.

FRUIT SALAD WITH POPPYSEED DRESSING (4 servings)

Ingredients

4 cups torn lettuce leaves
1 cup red seedless grapes
1 cup grapefruit sections (fresh or canned)
1 cup orange sections
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup fruit juice
1 Tbsp. rice wine or other mild vinegar
1 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
2 tsps. honey
2 tsps. poppy seeds
1 tsp. mustard

Directions

Divide the lettuce, grapes, orange sections and strawberries among four salad plates. To make the dressing, in a small bowl, combine fruit juice, vinegar, oil, honey, poppy seeds, and mustard, then whisk to blend.

Pour dressing over salad, and served chilled. Double the recipe if needed.

You may substitute sliced pears for the grapefruit, and tangerine sections for the orange. This salad can also be turned into an entree by adding pre-cooked pieces of chicken.

Nutritional Values (without adding chicken)

Calories per serving: 144
Protein: 2.3 g.
Sodium: 23 mg.