Fruit Salad for Kids
Forget boring fruit bowls! This kid-friendly fruit salad combines fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits for a sweet, colourful dish little eaters will love. Whether you're serving it as a snack, side dish, or dessert, this fruit salad for kids is an easy way to make fruit more fun.
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"Really love the added hemp hearts in this fruit salad!" - Kathlyn
Both of my boys (Jess here!) were born fruit-obsessed. Like, next-level fruit lovers. My oldest once crushed eight bananas in one go. Eight! People are usually half impressed, half concerned.
And let's not forget that time when he was a toddler and I made the rookie mistake of letting him go to town on watermelon just before putting him down for a nap. He woke up absolutely drenched- there was no way his diaper could contain all that fluid! If that sounds like your child, then you'll want to bookmark our other fruit forward recipes like chia berry compote or this papaya banana smoothie.
Now, don't get me wrong - fruit is fabulous. Full of fibre, vitamins, and fluid. But if that's all they're eating? Well, they're missing out on a few other MVPs like iron, protein, and healthy fats.
So I decided to lean into their fruity devotion and create a fruit salad that's not just delicious, but also packs a bit more balance.
This isn't your average fruit salad. It's a nutrition upgrade, and your fruit-loving crew won't even notice the difference. We love to serve it up with these fun animal crackers or toddler friendly energy oat balls to balance things out and keep our kids full.
What makes this kids fruit salad dietitian-approved?
🕒 No cook time
🥭 Exposes your child to a wide range of fruit that is either fresh, frozen, canned or dried
🔄 Easily customizable - use what fruits you have at home
🍅 Once prepared, this fruit salad will (generally) keep well for 2 to 3 days
🙌 Full of antioxidants, vitamin C and fibre
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Jump to:
- What makes this kids fruit salad dietitian-approved?
- Wait... isn't fresh fruit the best for a "fruit salad"?
- Key ingredients
- Allergen information & substitutions
- How to serve fruit salad at each baby & toddler stage
- Recipe FAQ
- Play + books that match this recipe
- Other recommended fruity recipes
- Fruit Salad for Kids
Wait... isn't fresh fruit the best for a "fruit salad"?
Thanks to the internet (and a whole lot of fear-mongering), canned, frozen, and dried fruit have gotten a bit of a bad rap. You've probably heard things like:
"Canned fruit is just sugar in disguise."
"Frozen fruit loses all its nutrients."
"Dried fruit? Basically candy."
Let us set the record straight: that's just not true. Fruit isn't just sugar and it's not the type of sugar we're worried about when it comes to health outcomes.
Here's the real deal:
- Canned fruit is actually a nutritious and budget-friendly option - especially when fresh fruit is out of season or priced like it flew in first class. Just look for varieties packed in water or 100% juice (skip the syrupy stuff when you can). If you live in Canada you can you may want to get familiar with the new Front of Package labels to help you compare products.
- Frozen fruit often wins the nutrient game. Take Vitamin C, for example - it's a bit of a diva. Sensitive to light, time, and heat, it can lose its sparkle by the time your "fresh" fruit travels from the tropics to your fridge. Freezing locks in those nutrients at peak ripeness, helping preserve the good stuff. And besides- it's already cut up for you so it's such a time saver and it's a great way to save money when feeding your family.
- Dried fruit? Yes, it concentrates sugars - but it also concentrates all the other nutrients. Think iron, fibre, and more. And since many kids (and adults!) don't get enough iron, a handful of dried apricots or raisins can be a smart way to help fill that gap. We love adding it to recipes like this Moroccan Stew when your bub is ready for it!
Bottom line? Fruit comes in many forms - and they all deserve a spot at the table. We're all about making healthy eating easy and realistic for your family--and no, the influencer who told you fruit is the "bad" sugar is wrong. In fact, the sugar found in fruit is not to be feared, it's nutritious.
Key ingredients
Pineapple
For this specific recipe, we opted to use frozen pineapple but you can use fresh or frozen as you wish!
Peaches
Fresh peaches can be so tricky to come by, especially through all the seasons so for this recipe we opted to use canned peaches.
Mango
Frozen mango for the win, again!
Cantaloupe
We went through alllll the fun work of slicing mango and creating fun little shapes for our kids. You could also use honeydew instead or another melon variety.
Dried apricots
We chopped the apricots into tiny little pieces so we could toss it throughout the salad. You could also use dried currants, raisins, pears or even dates instead.
Juice
If you're using a canned fruit, save the juice! It acts as the "dressing". If you don't have canned fruit use any juice you have at home--and yes, juice can absolutely be a part of your child's healthy diet.
Allergen information & substitutions
Since this kid friendly fruit salad is free from the top food allergens in Canada and the top dietary allergens in the United States, it makes a great dish to bring to pot lucks and gatherings because most folks can enjoy it without any issues!
For the most recent step-by-step recommendations for introducing food allergens to infants, visit our video lesson in Start Solids Confidently, your go-to resource for feeding babies.
How to serve fruit salad at each baby & toddler stage
If you're planning to make this for your baby, you have a few options depending on their ability and how far along you are in the starting solids journey.
Purée: you can easily purée this in a blender - note - it may be quite watery, so you can thicken with something like baby cereal--and yes, we're the dietitians who are very much into baby cereal!
Baby led weaning: many fruits can be sliced to support this style of feeding. You'll want to make sure all the fruit is soft to ensure it's a safe texture for your baby and avoid all dried fruit.
In our top selling Start Solids Confidently ecourse we walk you through how to serve *almost* every fruit there is-you even get access to bonus videos where we demonstrate how foods, fruits and veggies included, can be offered to your baby!
Otherwise, if you've got a toddler you'll just want to slice the fruit in bite size pieces including the dried apricots. Additionally, ensure the dried apricots have time to soften up by soaking up some of the fruit juice.
For the rest of the family: Follow the recipe exactly as suggested!
Recipe FAQ
Yes! In fact, we find this fruit salad tastes even better the next day as the fruit "marinades" in the canned juices! And again- giving it some time to sit will allow the dried fruit to soften to a safe toddler-friendly texture!
Of course, certain fruits may not hold up as well as time goes on such as delicate strawberries but we really encourage you to use your own judgement. Besides, a fruit salad this good isn't going to last long if you're feeding a crowd!
As mentioned above, it really depends on the fruit you decide to pair it with. We'd say you've got about 24 to 48 hours for peak freshness.
Here are some ingredient swap suggestions!
- Instead of canned peaches, try canned pears, lychees, or fruit cocktail which is usually a mix of fruit.
- Instead of cantaloupe, try another melon such as honeydew or watermelon. - Instead of frozen mango and pineapple, you can use their fresh counterparts or swap in almost any fruit you're willing to slice up! There are a few fruits that might be…well, tricky and these include: bananas and apples because they'll oxidize aka get brown quite rapidly. Passion fruit would be lovely but it's not a fruit that will "hold up". We also think:
- Instead of dried apricots, try raisins.
- Instead of hemp hearts, try chia seeds.
In addition to these swaps, we also like to sometimes squeeze some fresh lime juice into the salad or chop up some mint when it's summer and growing in our gardens!
This is a fair question, but to be honest there isn't anything you need to completely avoid. We just want you to be extra mindful of grapes. Simply quarter for your young child. Additionally, apples are quite hard so if you're including them in your salad, slice into small thin slices.
Otherwise, if you have a toddler who is still learning to chew, stick to soft fruit. You'll know it's soft if the piece of fruit squishes between your two fingers with a bit of pressure.
Hemp hearts are the soft, tiny, edible seeds of the hemp plant. They have a mild, nutty flavor.
Yes, hemp is safe for children and can be a nutritious addition to meals and snacks. They contain protein, healthy fats, fibre, iron, magnesium and some zinc. We prefer to store ours in the fridge so it keeps fresh.
Make it fun for kids by getting them involved in the kitchen--plus, it will build their own self esteem! They can wash, stir, or choose the fruits that go into the bowl to increase their interest and buy-in. You can also boost the fun factor by serving fruit salad in a colourful cup instead of a bowl, adding playful food picks, or using cookie cutters to create fun fruit shapes.
This fruit salad on its own isn't quite a complete meal, since it lacks enough protein and healthy fats for balance. To turn it into a more nourishing meal, pair it with other food groups like yogurt and granola, a muffin with cheese, or fruit alongside toast and a protein such as pepperoni or eggs. This helps keep kids fuller for longer while still enjoying the fun of fruit salad.
Play + books that match this recipe
When kids get the chance to interact with "food " during playtime, they become more comfortable with the food, and are more likely to want to eat it at mealtimes! This also includes reading--yes, reading helps kids learn to eat! Here are some fun options to include pasta during play and story time.
If you tried this fruit salad for kids or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Fruit salad is one of those feel-good (and pretty) recipes that brings colour, flavour, and nutrition to the table-all in one bowl. Whether you're offering it to your baby, toddler, or making a big batch for the whole family, it's an easy way to include a variety of fruits (and even add in extras like hemp hearts for a little nutrient boost).
Again, we encourage you to make it your own with what's in season or what's already in your kitchen. Even better? Get your child to help develop your family fruit salad recipe.
People around the world have been tossing fruit together since time eternal. In India, families enjoy chaat masala with tamarind chutney, bananas, and black pepper. In the Philippines, fruit gets tossed with condensed milk. Mennonite traditions enjoy a cold plum and dried fruit soup called Plumi Moos!
HOT TIP
Blend leftover fruit salad and pour into popsicle molds for a refreshing frozen snack!
Fruit Salad for Kids
Ingredients
- 1 can 798 ml/ 28 oz of sliced peaches
- 2 cups of diced cantaloupe *see note below
- 2 cups of diced frozen or fresh mangoes
- 2 cups of diced frozen or fresh pineapple
- 1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
- 2 tablespoon to ¼ cup hemp hearts
Instructions
- Place the canned peaches in a large bowl. Using kitchen scissors cut the peaches into bite sized pieces.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes to soften the dried apricots.
What a brilliant idea to add hemp hearts!
I've never tried a fruit salad with dried fruit in it until this recipe and I'm a big fan!!
Glad to hear that. It's just another fun way to expose kiddos (and adults) to produce!
Really love the added hemp hearts in this fruit salad!