I mostly relied on fruit juices to include the fruit component in my diet for many years. This became an absolute no-no when I realized the value of the fiber content in the actual fruit. Also, since I am big on taking care of my skin, I am always looking for the word anti oxidants on the labels of all the skin care products that I use. It then of course not a surprise to discover that along with fiber, many fruits are rich in anti oxidants and can make a wonderful contribution to my skin care if I included them in my eating regime. Since then the berries which are most rich in anti oxidants have been my friends. Blueberries and strawberries form a major proportion of all the fruit content that I consume.

The latest change that I made to gather more positive energy in my body was to turn vegetarian. It was recommended by some of the people I trust most in my life so I had to do it. I am most definitely not against eating meat but this was something I wanted to try on my own rather than simply rely on what others have experienced. So, a healthy diet that is vegetarian and rich in anti oxidants, I do not think you can come up with a better option other than a fruity quinoa salad recipe. Oh! Simply writing about it excites my taste buds to get some right now.

I have had many kinds of fruit salads on this new path but this one remains my absolute favorite. There are a huge variety of recipes available but I am going to share the quinoa salad recipe that I use. I have it every week and it works wonder for both my skin and digestive system. It is like a power pack that I can carry with me throughout the day and nimble on whenever I am feeling a little low on energy. I have shared it with many friends who have been intrigued and ended up asking if I have added nuts to it but it is just the natural flavor of quinoa. The best was when I tricked one of my cousins into thinking that I had fed her nuts.

It was like a prank since she is allergic to nuts. She was searching in the bowl to find out which nuts I was talking about but when I broke out laughing, she understood that I was just taking the mickey out of her. The best thing about this recipe is that it is just so flexible. You can add any fruit into this mix and its flavor will simply be accentuated by the addition of quinoa.

I am not a person who is on the heavy side of dressing so I like to keep it simple. A simple mixture of honey and lime works amazing for my taste but I would not ask you to limit to it. If you have been successful with some other dressings on fruit salads before, feel free to try them on this one. So, here we go.

Let us embark on this delicious journey:

1. Either pressure cook or cook the quinoa on the stove. Either way, cook until it is soft and fluffed with all the water that you add.
   
2. To prepare the dressing, mix and whisk the honey with the lime juice and mint. Mix until lime is complete invisible in the honey.
3. Add both the quinoa and fruit (diced or sliced – make it the way you like it) into a large bowl. Sprinkle on the dressing and mix well until it is absorbed thoroughly by the mixture. Your fruity goodness in the form of a salad is ready to be served.

I like to have and serve this quinoa salad recipe at the room temperature. If you like your salads chilled, refrigerate it.