Category Archives: Fruit

Festive Pomegranate Orange Quinoa Salad – Hassle-free & Healthy Holiday Side

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Deck your plate for the holidays with this festive quinoa salad featuring pomegranate and orange. it’s a beautiful, healthy, delicious recipe elegant enough for the season’s celebrations and simple enough for a simple weeknight dinner.

A simple creamy dressing made with a vinaigrette base along with Greek yogurt and date syrup adds even more flavor to this simple holiday quinoa salad that comes together with just a handful of healthy ingredients.

 

This pomegranate orange quinoa recipes makes 4 servings, each with 146 calories, 26g carbs, 3.1g fat and 4.8g protein.

 I pair this cold quinoa salad with a quality protein to make sure I’m hitting my 25-30g per meal goal. Tonight, I made cod that was simply seasoned and air-fried.

TIPS FOR FESTIVE QUINOA SALAD:

Quinoa: You can use any color quinoa (eg: white, red, black, mixed). Also, consider batch-cooking quinoa and keeping in the freezer in 1-cup portions. This makes creating quick recipes with this healthy whole grain (really a seed), even easier – you can read my quinoa prep post HERE.

Pomegranate & Oranges: Use fresh or pre-packaged, it really only comes down to your preference and time to prep. If using either from a jar, tub, or can, choose “no sugar added” and drain off the juice so the quinoa isn’t soggy later. However, do reserve about 1 tablespoon of pomegranate juice for the dressing (or if fresh, drain it from the bowl after getting the arils out).

Dressing: This recipe makes just enough for the salad, and I prefer underdressed salads. If you think it needs more, double the dressing recipe and pour it on a little at a time – going by taste. Also, if you’d like to turn this from a vegetarian quinoa recipe into a vegan quinoa recipe, then use a substitute for the Greek yogurt, such as a plant-based yogurt, tahini or a natural nut butter.

Optional Ideas: You can swap out the pistachios for a chopped nut of choice like almonds, pecans – or none at all. Also, I love to sprinkle mine with feta cheese for a salty contrast with the sweet.

Make Ahead & Storing: This recipe will get a little soggy if you make the day before. To save time, it’s best to prep the ingredients (cook quinoa, chop spinach, peel/seed fruit, etc) the day before. Then simply toss everything together and shake up the dressing – it will literally just take 2 minutes! You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Still tastes yummy, but the crunch of the nuts and crisp of the spinach will be gone.

This is one of my favorite creative quinoa salad ideas – for it’s flavor, fast-fixing, and festive appearance! Enjoy!

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Transform plain quinoa into something to celebrate for the holiday season! Pomegranate, orange segments and pistachios bejewel this quick, easy and nourishing vegetarian salad that is equally beautiful for a dinner party or quick lunch!
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Festive Holiday Pomegranate Orange Quinoa Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Transform plain quinoa into something to celebrate for theholiday season! Pomegranate, orange segments and pistachios bejewel this quick,easy and nourishing vegetarian salad that is equally beautiful for a dinnerparty or quick lunch!

Course: entree salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: holiday
Keyword: holiday, orange, pomegranate, quinoa
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 162 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach
  • ¾ cup pomegranate arils juice drained & reserved if packaged container
  • ¾ cup mandarin orange segments packed in water or juice or fresh
  • ¼ cup shelled pistachio kernels coarsely chopped
Dressing:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon juice reserved from pomegranate or orange segments
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon date syrup
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Add quinoa, spinach, pomegranate and orange segments (cut in half crosswise) into medium bowl.
  2. In small mason jar, shake together dressing ingredients until emulsified.
  3. Pour dressing over salad and gently stir.
  4. Before serving, stir in pistachios.
  5. Best eaten right after making to keep the texture of the lettuce and pistachios. But you can store leftovers in fridge for up to 3 days and it’s still good.
Recipe Notes

Pineapple Tart Cherry Bone & Joint Care Smoothie

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The weather is warming up, and so is my appetite for knocking out some intense outdoor workouts and refueling my efforts with a flavorful yet functional smoothie – my Pineapple Tart Cherry Ginger Smoothie for Joint and Bone Care is a favorite for a bevy of reasons.

This anti-inflammatory Pineapple Tart Cherry Ginger smoothie provides joint and bone care thanks to bevvy of functional foods and boosters! Pineapple and tart cherry are great foods for combating inflammation – plus, I’ve incorporated three key bone and joint care supplements from including collagen peptides, liquid hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin D-3 drops!

Obviously, this anti-inflammation pineapple smoothie going to taste great, naturally sweetened with fruit. It also is made with whole fruits/veggies rather than juice, to offer more nutrients like fiber. This anti-inflammatory smoothie is also “light” enough to be tolerated well (and only about 200 calories) if eating a lot after exercise is unappealing – yet offers carbs, protein and other nutrients needed to top off your tank and set workout recovery in motion. One of the biggest perks of this pineapple cherry smoothie is that it’s filled with functional foods (and supplements) that help support healthy bones and joints. 

Let me give you a run down on the beneficial foods in this anti-inflammatory shake that includes bone and joint supplements:

Pineapple: Pineapple adds natural sweetness and is known for the enzyme Bromelain which is found in the flesh and stem. Some research indicates bromelain may be helpful in the management of osteoarthritis and/or for muscle soreness and injury after exercise. It also helps break down proteins and aids in digestion.

Tart Cherries:  Tart cherries (also called Montmorency cherries) add tangy, sweet flavor and have been shown to minimize arthritis pain and postexercise muscle soreness by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. These benefits have been noted for both strength and endurance athlete, according to research.

Ginger: Ginger adds zing to any fruit or green smoothie and research shows may help lessen the stiffness and joint discomfort associated with arthritis. Ginger may also may reduce the amount and length of exercise-related  muscle soreness. Ginger is also an easy home remedy for nausea and digestion which can be perks for hard summer workouts.

Cucumbers: Blending cucumbers into smoothies is a smart way to boost hydration (95% water) and add low-carb “volume” to balance out the fruit sugars from pineapple and cherries.  Cucumbers are also a good source of Vitamins A, B and C; and contain phytonutrients that provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

Almond Milk: Just like its core ingredient, almond milk is laden with nutrients which are great for joint, bone and overall health – and helps avoid diary which may be an inflammation trigger for some.  Magnesium, one of the minerals found in almonds and almond milk, also plays a role in the structural development of bone.

save 10% Great Lakes Wellness collagen and products with code THEFITFORK10off
Save 10% Great Lakes Wellness collagen and products with code THEFITFORK10off

Collagen Peptides: Collagen peptides from types 1 and 3 bovine collagen are well-known for their roles in bone, joint and skin health. * As the most abundant protein in mammals, collagen makes up about 30% of the body’s protein. Studies indicate that hydrolyzed collagen may help to support strong bones and healthy joints as well as skin smoothness and hydration.*  I also like to include collagen in my post-workout smoothies because each serving gives me about 10g of additional protein I need in my day.

Hyaluronic Acid: Hyaluronic Acid is a joint-lubricating compound present in every tissue of the body, with the highest concentrations found in connective tissues such as skin and cartilage.* As a constituent of joint fluid, hyaluronic acid serves as a lubricant and plays a role in resisting compressive forces.* The liquid Hyaluronic Acid formula combines this critical joint component with Vitamin D and other important nutrients for the support of optimal joint health and is berry-flavored making it a yummy boost for this anti-inflammatory smoothie.

Vitamin D-3: NOW® Vitamin D-3 Extra Strength in liquid drop form is a quick and easy way to get this important nutrient that helps the body absorb calcium and maintain strong bones. Vitamin D also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties to support immune health, muscle function and brain cell activity. Many of us find ourselves low in Vitamin D due to purposefully-avoided sun exposure or diet challenges (Vitamin D isn’t naturally found in many foods), these extra-strength liquid format offers 1000 IU per drop!

This anti-inflammatory Pineapple Tart Cherry Ginger smoothie provides joint and bone care thanks to bevvy of functional foods and boosters! Pineapple and tart cherry are great foods for combating inflammation – plus, I’ve incorporated three key bone and joint care supplements from including collagen peptides, liquid hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin D-3 drops!
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PINEAPPLE TART CHERRY GINGER SMOOTHIE for Joint and Bone Health
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Keyword: inflammation, protein smoothie, workout
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 202 kcal
Ingredients
  • ½ cup chopped fresh pineapple
  • ½ cup frozen tart cherries
  • ½ cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  • 3 tablespoons collagen peptide powder, unsweetened
  • 1 tablespoon liquid hyaluronic acid from NOW Foods* or other brand
  • 2 to 5 drops Liquid Extra-Strength Vitamin D-3 from Now Foods* or other brand
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 5 to 15 drops liquid stevia or monk fruit drops to desired level of sweetness
  • Ices as needed
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to blender and process until smooth. Pour in tall glass and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

 

Watermelon Raspberry Quinoa Salad with Ginger Mint Dressing

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Summer is nearly here and this Watermelon, Raspberry, & Quinoa Salad with Ginger Mint Dressing is an easy-fix for upcoming pool parties, picnics and patio dining.

 Fully-loaded, this watermelon salad won’t leave you hunger a few minutes later. It’s actually quite hearty with quinoa, sunflower seeds, feta cheese, loads of greens, juicy watermelon and raspberries.

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Why I love this watermelon salad, other that the amazing taste: Fresh ingredients to fuel my adventures, no cooking, stunning as a side dish but hearty enough for a main course (especially if you add some shrimp or salmon!).

I love how watermelon is a refreshing and delicious addition to salads, providing a burst of sweetness, hydration and nutrients.  It’s also a smart way to use up leftover watermelon, if you purchased a big one! By the way, check out this post on how to efficiently cut up a jumbo-sized watermelon fast.

Ginger Mint Dressing, so fresh and fragrant!

Let’s talk about the fresh, invigorating, and aromatic dressing. Ginger Mint Dressing is so simple to make with just a quick blast in a personal-sized blender. It’s also a smart way to tackle mint that likes to take over gardens this time of year. Now and then, I pull out my juice to make Ginger Juice (and store in small portions in my freezer). Check out my tips on Juicing Ginger Root. However, if I’m “out of stock,’ for convenience I just rely on bottled ginger juice or the little ginger juice shots you can buy in the fresh juice section of the produce department. 

This Ginger Mint Dressing also makes an amazing marinade for fish and shrimp.

Enjoy!

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

5 from 5 votes
Hydrate and invigorate with this juicy fresh salad featuring watermelon, raspberries and quinoa! The zingy ginger mint dressing is amazing. It’s a stunningly colorful side dish or add shrimp or salmon for a main dish.
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Watermelon, Raspberry & Quinoa Salad with Ginger Mint Dressing.
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Hydrate and invigorate with this juicy fresh salad featuringwatermelon, raspberries and quinoa! The zingy ginger mint dressing is amazing.It’s a stunningly colorful side dish or add shrimp or salmon for a main dish.

Course: entree salad
Keyword: ginger, mint, quinoa, raspberries, summer, watermelon
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 1 cup microgreens of choice
  • 2 cups chopped watermelon
  • ½ cup fresh raspberries
  • 1 cup prepared quinoa
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Dressing
  • 1 2- oz bottle ginger juice like Suja
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbs lemon juice
  • ¼ cup mint leaves
Instructions
  1. Add salad ingredients to bowl. Then add all dressing ingredients to small blender and process until mostly smooth. If you don’t have ginger juice, you can sub watermelon juice (from the watermelon prep run off) and a ½ teaspoon of finely grated ginger. Pour dressing over salad and gently toss. Best eaten same day as dressed – serves 4 as a side.

WATERMELON FIT | EXERCISE IDEAS & WELLNESS TIPS FOR EVERY SEASON

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This post sponsored by Watermelon.org.

Happy 2023! A new year is a great reminder that watermelon can be incorporated into a fit and active lifestyle year-round! I’m sharing some fun ways to use watermelon to fuel workouts and even be part of your fitness routine during every month this year. Let’s get watermelon fit in 2023!

You might be wondering, “Is watermelon only a summer fruit?” No! The good news is that these days, a ripe watermelon is always nearby in any season – spring, summer, winter and fall. More than 30 states in the U.S. boast watermelon crops and the harvest timing starts on the East coast and rolls westward. When the U.S. season is finally over (it’s very long here in Texas, lucky me!), farmers in Mexico and other parts south of the border can deliver fresh watermelon plucked just a few days from the field. Also available markets are watermelon juice, watermelon seeds, and even frozen chunked watermelon flesh can be found in most stores on the freezer aisle. Read more about the Watermelon Year ‘Round story HERE!

WINTER WATERMELON FIT TIPS

This easy-to-make warm punch featuring watermelon juice is naturally sweet and delicious, bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices. Brandy optional! Perfect for holiday entertaining, including brunches, open houses, cocktail parties and more!

Finding Watermelon in Winter: If your market doesn’t have fresh watermelon, check the freezer aisle for chunks (usually next to the frozen berries), or packaged watermelon seeds, or watermelon juice. If you have the planning gene, you can also meal prep all this watermelon goodness for the freezer when it is more abundant.

Good-for-you Watermelon Drinks: Make a mocktail for winter celebrations using watermelon juice, citrus juice and fresh ginger – or my recipe for Mulled Watermelon Cider is always welcomed with a crowd. Or, take the chill off cold days (or blustery outside runs) with warmed watermelon juice with a squeeze of lemon, fresh ginger and pinch of Himalayan Sea salt – it’s a homemade hot sports drink! My recipe for Hot Watermelon Lemonade is also a unique sports recovery drink.

Vitamin C: Not only is watermelon hydrating (over 92% water), it’s also high in vitamin C that may help you get through the winter season well.

Indoor Home Workouts: Stay inside and work toward your fitness goals. No weights? No worries, you can use a watermelon (from a few pounds to 20+ pounds) as your exercise equipment! I’ve shared lots of fun watermelon home workouts, here’s a watermelon workout to try this winter – WATERMELON HOME WORKOUT!

SPRING WATERMELON FIT TIPS

Spring Salads: Take advantage of watermelon benefits and toss chunks into your grain bowls and salads, heck – throw on an entire wedge! Adding watermelon is a great way to dress up boring salads with some unexpected color and sweetness. Check out a few of my favorite watermelon salad recipe I’ve come up with over the years:

Watermelon Holds for Fitness: This season, if you want to add a watermelon to your workout, try a static hold to complement your runs, walks or dynamic strength training sessions. Static holds are isometric exercises that hold the body in one position for a duration of time. This means your muscles don’t contract and change length as in dynamic exercises, but you still benefit from the “time under tension.”  Here are some static holds to try: most variations of planks, v-sit (boat pose), squat hold (or wall sits), overhead hold, front hold, and glute bridge hold.

How to Pick a Ripe Watermelon: Look for the “field spot” where the watermelon was resting while it grew. The more yellow, even almost yellow-orange, the riper – quite white means not ripe! Also, this takes a bit of intuition, but if the watermelon feels “heavy” for its size, this typically means it will be juicer and sweeter. Some also say rounder watermelons are sweeter than elongated watermelons, but I’m not so sure of that! I’ve had great watermelons of every shape. Also, you can look for “sugar webbing” (the coarse, brown web texture on some watermelons)/

SUMMER WATERMELON FIT TIPS

Watermelon Floats: Yes, watermelon floats! This makes the fruit a fun item not just to eat in the summer but to play pool games with at a party. My kids always loved to stand on paddle boards and toss the watermelon back and forth to see who would fall off first! The buoyancy of watermelon also makes it useful for pool workouts by adding resistance when you push or pull it under watermelon.

Grilling Watermelon: Many of us are outside, grilling all the things in the warm weather months. Why not grill watermelon?! Grilling watermelon lends a smokey, savory vibe to the light sweetness that is oh-so magnificently summery. Check out my recipes for Grilled Watermelon with Cherry Balsamic Salsa and Spicy Sweet Watermelon Shrimp Kebobs for summer meals with watermelon inspiration.

Watermelon Juice: Quench your thirst this summer with watermelon juice. I simply collect the juice from a watermelon while cutting it up. It’s easiest to do this if you cut it in a big rimmed baking sheet (so juices to spill out onto counter) and then pour juice out one corner of pan into mesh strainer over glass jar to remove any seeds and excess pulp. I also collect the juice that seeps out of cut watermelon and collects in my plastic storage container. This raw juice stays fresh for up to 72 hours in the fridge or can be frozen for several months. Learn more watermelon juice benefits at my post, Watermelon Juice – How to Prep, Store and More.

FALL WATERMELON FIT TIPS

Watermelon Ruck: Rucking is a big fitness trend right now, but it’s actually ages old and really simple. A ruck is just a walk, hike, run, or other similar workout with a weight on your back. In simple terms, you wear a rucksack (aka backpack) and walk! Rucking and watermelon are a natural fit. Stick the watermelon in your backpack for weight to carry, and when you’re done, slice it open and enjoy as a refreshing, way to refuel.

How to Ruck-Cut a Watermelon: If you’re out on a ruck, then simple slices or wedges of watermelon with the rind on will be the easiest to prep and also to eat. You’ll want to carry a camping knife in a protective sheath for safety. If it’s a personal-sized watermelon, just whack it in half and dig the flesh out with a spoon (or an implement from your Swiss army knife).  Also, it’s a smart idea to stash a big zip-top bag in your rucksack in case you need to carry leftovers home!  If you’re not cutting the watermelon until you get home, check out my favorite way to cut and store a big watermelon in 5 minutes.

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Watermelon Cutting Made Quick & Easy for the Win in Any Season

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This post is sponsored by Watermelon.org.

We are well into the busy fall season and I just scored a big seedless watermelon at my local market, they were parked right next to the pumpkins outside and more inside! My day was MADE bringing this watermelon home – the sun was shining on me, literally and figuratively.

It felt like I was squeezing out extra summer from the year with my produce department find but actually watermelon is becoming more and more prevalent in grocery stores well outside warm-weather months.  In hindsight, I can’t believe I almost didn’t buy the watermelon – thinking I didn’t have the TIME to cut it up and store it away during the weekend’s whirlwind of activities.

But after I checked out the fresh cut watermelon in the produce department (the slices on Styrofoam trays and chunks in plastic tubs), I decided that my budget this month was more “cut it yourself” than “sheer convenience.” So, made a beeline back to the whole watermelon bins and picked out a beautiful looking 16-pound watermelon that felt nice and heavy and had that ripeness-telling creamy yellow spot on the bottom.

Check out how quick and easy it is to cut watermelon!

When my hubby saw me hauling the watermelon into the house (a great workout by the way), he was super excited that we’d be taking it along as great pre- and post-race snack for our obstacle course race this weekend.  He knows, from my years of gushing over watermelon and its frequent appearance on our family menu, that watermelon is fabulous for athletes – hydrating, has good carbs to provide energy, and a source of many important vitamins and minerals that we need.

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Didn’t have lot of time to spare before we headed out on our weekend excursion. I was wondering how long does it take to cut watermelon, exactly. I’ve done it countless times, but never really paid any attention – I do know my feeling is that “it’s easier than people think.” so, I decided to give this watermelon cutting session a timer – not to rush through, but to legitimately see how long it took using one of my favorite watermelon cutting methods.

Just a little over 5 minutes to cut up my watermelon!

The result: My 16-pound watermelon* took 5 minutes and 16 seconds to cut and toss into storage containers. I wasn’t racing, but I wasn’t lollygagging or taking a ton of my usual watermelon snacking breaks – I was pretty focused on the task.  so, boom — 5 minutes — I have just overcome the time objection that I hear from some of you about getting the “big” watermelon. as, for storing a watermelon, which can sometimes be unwieldy to fit in a fridge whole, chunking it up and sealing in stackable storage containers can help you optimize valuable fridge real estate.

*The average seedless watermelon is 8- to 12-pounds. My cutting demo watermelon was 16-pounds and in Texas I’ve purchased seedless watermelon much, much larger (30+ pounds).

MY GO-TO QUICK & EASY WAY TO CUT WATEMELON

  1. Wash exterior of rind to prevent contaminants from dragging into flesh with each knife slice. I do this as soon as I bring home from store, so it’s not reflected in my 5-minute cutting time.
  2. Lay watermelon on side and slice off just enough of each end, sparing as much watermelon flesh as possible, so that it will stand stable when rotating upright.
  3. Stand watermelon upright and take large knife (I prefer a really large serrated knife), and make vertical cuts down the melon in one long motion, top to bottom, curving gently with the shape of watermelon. This is about 8 total cuts, more or less, depending on watermelon size
  4. While it’s still “standing up,” slice de-rinded watermelon lengthwise through the center, top to bottom, and lay one half down on the cutting board with the curved side up.
  5. If you desire “chunks”, make about 2 to 3 horizontal slices through the center of the half, depending on the largeness of your watermelon.  then slice top to bottom in in approximate 1” rows going each direction. if you want “sticks,” just skip the first horizontal cut mentioned in this step.
  6. Package up in air-tight containers and store in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
  7. Compost the watermelon rinds, or use in a recipe – check out my Churro Watermelon Rind Fries in the Air Fryer.

Watermelon.org shows a very similar cutting method on their website.