Sunshine Salad Recipe (Perfect for Potlucks) - Simply Stacie (2024)

This Sunshine Salad is the best salad to serve up for a picnic in the park, potluck dish, or a treat for a hard day’s work. Fresh fruit paired with a sugar-freeJello to make it a Weight Watchers friendly salad. Believe it or not, this sunshine salad has just 2 WW Points Plus per one serving.

Sunshine Salad Recipe (Perfect for Potlucks) - Simply Stacie (1)

When I am trying to watch what I eat, I find I struggle when it comes to wanting to snack. I could be workingonethe computer and devour a whole bowl of chips before I realized I even ate them. If I am not careful I know, I can consume a lot of calories with the snacking I do.

I generally crave sweet when I want a snack. I wanted to create a fruit salad that I could just grab when I felt that sweet craving starting to rise within me. Let me tell you, this fresh fruit sunshine salad has been such a delicious snack but also help me choose smarter when it comes to my snacking.

Weight Watchers Sunshine Salad

I have lost 40 pounds on my Weight Watchers Plan, which is amazing. When I take the time to make dinners at home, prep snacks so I can grab and go, it saves me from making bad choices when I am out running errands. I no longer have the urge to run through a drive through, I can just grab a pre-made snack out of my purse.

This recipe here uses sugar-free vanilla pudding; it helps make it Weight Watcher friendly. Pairing the vanilla JELLO mix next to the mandarin oranges syrup gives it a sweet and creamy consistency that just hits the spot. Then add in your fresh pineapple and banana, and this tropical salad is fit for a crowd.

Sunshine Salad Recipe (Perfect for Potlucks) - Simply Stacie (2)

Potluck Sunshine Salad

So if you have plans for a picnic or heading to a potluck soon, this sunshine salad is going to be a perfect fit. If you are on the Weight Watchers, plan you have a tasty dessert that you know you can enjoy, and it is so quick to make. With minimal prep, you can have it ready to go in a hurry.

I have taken this to potlucks before, and if I know we are going to be outdoors, I just make an extra bowl with ice. I find a larger bowl and will the bottom with some ice. Then I sit the other bowl that has the fruit salad in it, on top, so the bowl is sitting on the ice. It will help keep it chilled as you are waiting to be served.

Sunshine Salad Recipe (Perfect for Potlucks) - Simply Stacie (3)

More Crave Worthy PotluckSalads

  • Rainbow Fruit Salad
  • Watermelon and Feta Salad
  • Creamy Fruit Salad

Tips for Making Sunshine Salad

MandarinOranges| Do not drain the juice from our oranges. This is what the Jello mix will work with to create a creamy syrup for the salad.

Pineapple| One tool I use is a pineapple corer. It takes just minutes to get the core out of the pineapple and makes cutting up fresh pineapple so much easier. They are pretty affordable, and most mass retailers have them, or you can buy one online if need be.

Bananas| I reach for a less ripe banana when I make this salad. I want it to still be mostly yellow with little to no brown spots. You will have a slightly firmer texture, and it will hold up nicely in the salad. When you use a browner (ripe) banana, they can break down a lot faster in the salad, giving you a more mushy texture.

Sunshine Salad Recipe (Perfect for Potlucks) - Simply Stacie (4)

Perfect Summer Salad

This indeed is an ideal summer salad. If you are not on the Weight Watchers, plan this is still an outstanding fruit salad recipe that I highly recommend serving up. My whole family loves this, and when I bring it to parties or a family gathering, it is always one of the first things that get cleaned up the fastest.

Give it a try the next time you are craving a fruit salad and see how you like it. If you are not a fan of sugar-free, you can always replace with regular vanilla pudding as well. It will taste just as good.

Sunshine Salad Recipe (Perfect for Potlucks) - Simply Stacie (5)

Try my Pineapple Cake.

Sunshine Salad Recipe (Perfect for Potlucks) - Simply Stacie (6)

Rate this Recipe

4.48 from 134 votes

Sunshine Salad

Created by Stacie Vaughan

Servings 6

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour

The brightest fruit salad filled with pineapple, bananas and mandarin oranges! This low-calorie option is perfect for summer with only 4 ingredients.

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Ingredients

  • 1 fresh pineapple cored and cut into chunks
  • 1 can Mandarin oranges in light syrup 15oz can
  • 2 bananas peeled and sliced
  • 1 box Jell-O sugar free vanilla instant pudding 4 serving size

Instructions

  • Do not drain the oranges. Cut thepineapple and banana into chunks. Combine the fruit in a large bowl.

  • Sprinkle the dry pudding mix (do NOT add milk) over the top of the fruit. Mix well.

  • Refrigerate, covered for at least one hour. Serving size is one cup.

Video

Notes

You can also use vanilla instant pudding (not the sugar free option).

Original recipe from Confessions of an Overworked Mom.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.1g | Protein: 1.4g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 34.3mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 15g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course Salads

Cuisine American

Keyword fruit salad, sunshine salad, weight watchers

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FAQs

What can I put in a salad to make it more interesting? ›

Add spices and flavours such as paprika, chilli flakes, curry powder, harissa or parmesan. Add acidity or sourness with vinegar, lemon juice or pomegranate molasses to transform your salad.

How do you make salad less boring? ›

7 Ways to Spice Up Your Boring Salad
  1. 1) Get Creative with Dressings. Salad dressings can really make or break a salad. ...
  2. 2) Top It Off With Something Crunchy. ...
  3. 3) Throw in Some Fruit. ...
  4. 4) Mix in Some Grains. ...
  5. 5) Experiment with Different Proteins. ...
  6. 6) Try Some Different Veggies. ...
  7. 7) Add Some Cheese. ...
  8. The Bottom Line.
Feb 21, 2023

How to make a salad better? ›

Insider's Viewpoint: An Easier Way to Build a Better Salad for...
  1. Choose a base. There are many different leafy greens that can serve as the base for your salad. ...
  2. Add more veggies. This is a salad, after all! ...
  3. Give it some crunch. ...
  4. Pile on the protein. ...
  5. Toss on a little something extra. ...
  6. Dress it up.

What are 5 components of a satisfying salad? ›

5 Steps to a More Satisfying Salad
  • Use fresh ingredients. ...
  • Use ingredients that add different textures. ...
  • Create balanced flavors. ...
  • Skip the greens. ...
  • Include protein to make salad more filling.
May 1, 2019

What is the key to a good salad? ›

The secret to a good salad
  1. Be gentle with lettuce. Balsamic dressing. ...
  2. Serve up perfect avocado. Forget lemon juice or cold water – the only way to stop an avocado going brown in a salad is to peel and chop them right before serving. ...
  3. Say goodbye to onion tears. ...
  4. Adore your dressing. ...
  5. Sprinkle in some protein.

What are the seven things that you should not do when preparing the salad? ›

Common Salad Mistakes
  1. Here are seven things you should NOT do when making salads: Too much dressing. ...
  2. Pouring on the dressing. ...
  3. Wet salad leaves. ...
  4. Not seasoning it. ...
  5. Subpar salad dressings. ...
  6. Uncreative toppings. ...
  7. Served in a bowl.
May 13, 2013

How do restaurants keep salads so cold? ›

The Keys to Crisp Lettuce

Lettuce actually needs a good amount of airflow, in addition to a bit of moisture (but not too much!), in order to stay crisp. That's why restaurants store their lettuce in special perforated bins that allow for air circulation while it's held in the fridge.

What are the three keys to a quality salad? ›

The three keys to ensuring a quality salad are:
  • The freshness of ingredients.
  • Having all the ingredients blend together in harmony.
  • Making sure the salad is appealing to the eye.

What to eat with salad to get full? ›

Add a Lean Protein

Protein is the most filling macronutrient because it reduces hunger hormones and boosts hormones that make you feel full. While there are different ways to get protein, like peanut butter and beans, chicken is one of the best options.

What carbs to put in salad? ›

The good carbs listed below provide you with energy, fibre, vitamins and minerals – and they serve as excellent salad bases:
  1. leafy greens such as romaine, arugula, kale and spinach.
  2. whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice and bulgur.
  3. chopped or shredded vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, cabbage, and beets.

What kind of nuts to put in a salad? ›

Nuts and seeds — such as pistachios, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts and chia seeds — are highly nutritious salad toppings. For example, 1 ounce (28 grams) of pumpkin seeds has 5 grams of protein and close to 20% of the Daily Value (DV) for zinc.

Do you wash salad with hot or cold water? ›

At the restaurant, that meant filling 10-gallon sinks with cold water to soak 20 heads of lettuce at a time. At home, just fill a large bowl or your kitchen sink. Separate the greens and add them to that large quantity of cold water. Vigorously swirl the water and agitate the greens.

What to do if you don't like salad? ›

Try veggies with hummus, salad dressing or yogurt-based dips. Add diced veggies such as mushrooms, onions, peppers or carrots to meatloaf or meatballs. Add vegetables as a topping on your pizza. Make a quick lettuce-free salad by adding salad dressing to matchstick carrots or sliced cucumbers.

How do you start eating salad when you hate it? ›

Start with small steps. If someone is really averse to vegetables, don't try to force them to eat a big bowl of salad all at once. Start by adding a few vegetables to their favorite sandwich or wrap. You can also try adding vegetables to smoothies or soups.

How to make salad fun to eat? ›

Try topping your salads with these combinations:

Chicken, berries, feta cheese, almonds or walnuts, poppyseed dressing. Tuna fish, strawberries, avocado, lime, salt, and pepper. Chicken or bacon, red grapes, shaved parmesan cheese, candied walnuts, white balsamic dressing.

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