By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

FESTIVE FRUIT SALADS A NUTRITIOUS HOLIDAY TREAT

My predecessor, John C. Wolf, D.O., a number of years ago established a precedent of devoting one column each year at Christmastime to a holiday recipe. I’m proud once again to continue that tradition. Today, I won’t talk about a human ailment or other health-care concern. Instead, this column is devoted to good – and, yes, nutritious -- holiday eating!

One of my favorite holiday side dishes is a Waldorf Salad. This apple salad was first served at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in the late 1890’s. The history of this recipe is interesting, especially since it was not developed by a Waldorf chef but by the maitre d'hotel -- a Russian emigrant named Oscar Michel Tschirky (1866-1950). In his time he was very famous and was known throughout the nation simple as “Oscar of the Waldorf." On one occasion, Oscar was introduced to one of the most important railroad men of the time, who later said, "I had rather meet that man than nine out of 10 of your so-called big men either here or in Washington."

Oscar’s original salad was made of apples, celery and mayonnaise and served on a bed of lettuce. This tasty and nutritious salad has stood the test of time and is a regular at many holiday tables. My mother made this at Christmas every year.

For the last hundred years, this was probably served because it was colorful, being made of apples. It is also full of nutrients that can only be obtained from fresh fruit. The recipe for the classic Waldorf salad is:

1 cup tart apples chopped (e.g., Granny Smith)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (keeps apples from turning brown)
1 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Sprinkle apples with lemon juice after they are cut.
Add all other ingredients.
Toss to coat all pieces with mayonnaise.
My mother added about a 1/4 cup each of green and red seedless grapes, sliced in half, and walnuts, chopped. Some people add raisins, too. I saw a recipe with kiwi and pineapple as well.
While the Waldorf salad is frequently a side dish, it can be a main dish if you add meat strips, like turkey, ham, chicken or even flaked fish.

You can keep the fat content down by using equal parts of low-fat yogurt mixed with low-fat mayonnaise for dressing.

This is a very versatile salad and is high in fiber, generally low in calories per serving, and should easily count for at least one of your daily fruit servings.
Another quick, tasty, colorful and nutritious holiday fruit salad is called Ambrosia. It is quickly assembled with

2 cans of mandarin oranges, drained
1 can pineapple tidbits
2 cups of coconut flakes
2 couple of cups of fat-free whipped topping (e.g., Cool Whip Free®).

I strongly recommend the fat-free whipped toping, because it has no calories from fat and only a total of 15 calories per two tablespoon serving. Made this way, Ambrosia fruit salad retains all of its nutrition and has very few calories. You want to refrigerate this before serving, but in a pinch it could go straight to the table.

Happy Holidays!

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701. Medical information in this column is provided as an educational service only. It does not replace the judgment of your personal physician, who should be relied on to diagnosis and recommend treatment for any medical conditions. Past columns are available online at http://www.FamilyMedicineNews.org.