Fruit and Veggie Salad

March is National Nutrition Month and what better way to celebrate than with a medley of fun and festive fruits and veggies!  We all know that fruits and veggies are good for us, but if you're like me it's easy to get stuck in a rut.  Lately I find myself eating the same fruits and veggies prepared the same way day after day.  Once in a while I add raisins, blueberries or grapes to my otherwise veggie salad, but today I went all out.  I grabbed almost every fruit and veggie I have on hand and I tossed them into a delicious salad.  I found myself using some canned fruits I forgot I had.  You can use any of your favorite fruits and veggies or try new ones.  Here is what I came up with.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup canned pineapple chunks (do not drain)
1/2 cup canned pears, diced (do not drain)
1/2 medium cucumber diced
Handful of red grapes
1 medium carrot, diced
1 cup raw cabbage, chopped
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Juice from 1/4 of a lime

DIRECTIONS
Just toss it all together and enjoy!

Usually salads do not fill me up, but this one did.  I did not need to eat anything else with it.  The cheese not only adds calcium, but also protein.  It also adds a touch of salt.  There is no need to add dressing because the juice from the canned fruits and the lime juice are enough.  I tasted this salad just prior to adding the lime juice.  I can say with certainty that the lime juice significantly enhanced the flavor for me.  It made a huge difference.  There is also something I love about having everything cut up into little bite-sized pieces.  You can get so many flavors all in one spoonful that way, and yes I ate this scrumptious salad with a spoon.

So go ahead and play with your food!  Get crafty with it and create something unique for yourself!  Afterall, this is also National Craft Month!