We got invited to a 4th of July picnic this afternoon and our host is diabetic, so I scrambled to come up with something that is both yummy, pretty diabetic-friendly, and doesn’t require me to turn on the oven. (We’re having a heat wave here in the northwest and, without air conditioning, it’s about 89 degrees in the house.)

I love ambrosia salad and, with a few modifications, I made it relatively diabetic-friendly.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz plain greek yogurt
• 1.5 cups fat free whipped topping
• 1 can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 cup small marshmallows
• 1/4 cup crushed nuts
• 2 packets Stevia sweetener

Directions: Mix up the yogurt and whipped topping, then fold in the Stevia. Add in the fruit and marshmallows, and finally add the nuts to taste.  Mix everything well, pop into a pan, and chill for at least an hour or two.  I topped mine with a few fresh lemon balm leaves.

Note – Ambrosia salad usually calls for sweetened coconut, but I didn’t want to add any more sugar to the recipe (plus, the hubby hates coconut!)

I tested it out, of course, and I love how mild the sweetness is.  I’ve started substituting plain greek yogurt for sour cream and butter and just about everything else, and it’s really a great addition to this recipe, too!