A simple fruit salad of cashews, bananas, and coconut chips packs a sweet, yet filling punch. This Monkey Salad is perfect for breakfast next to an egg or two.
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First up. No, this salad does not contain monkeys. That would be gross. It contains ingredients that I imagine a monkey would like to eat. If it makes you feel better, you may call it Salad for Monkeys. Either way, make it.
Second, this is a simple, simple recipe. It’s basically a non-recipe. But, it’s super good and a daily part of my breakfast. Yes, really.
As you know already, I’m eating a weird diet that has me abstaining from sugar, grain, dairy, soy, and alcohol. With all the hidden fillers and additives in foods, it’s actually harder than the simple obvious reasons. Did you know most canned tuna contained soy?
I say weird with my tongue in cheek. I feel so good and not exhausted like I’ve been for the last three months. It’s not weird at all. It’s amazing.
Anyway, once I find something I like that has foods I can eat, I’m going with it, people. Like skillet eggs? Yep, having them every day. (Except when we’ve run out of greens.)
Monkey salad? Totally. Black coffee with coconut milk? Works for me.
In my former life, I drank my coffee with TWO teaspoons of sugar and about TWO tablespoons of cream. You can imagine the change, can’t you? Since I like sweet with my coffee, I eat this salad alongside. The bananas and cashews both have a little sweet to them that offsets the bitterness of the coffee quite nicely.
Now, a word about bananas. I am very picky about bananas. I do not like banana-flavored anything. That’s as gross as a salad made of monkey meat.
I like banana bread. I like fresh bananas. I like bananas in smoothies. I like fresh bananas whole, not sliced. I like things the way I like them.
And I most definitely do not like sliced bananas in things, especially not fruit salad. It gets all slimy. Have you noticed that?
But, when I started this diet I realized that I was going to need to get creative, bust out of the old, and find some new favorites. I decided that I could not add other fruit to this. That would increase the slime factor.
I also committed to eating it rather quickly before it could brown, or you know, slimy.
The end result? This fabulous and filling and altogether EASY salad to make. Prepare individual bowls to keep things nice and dry. Promise?
PS I find the coconut chips, or unsweetened flaked coconut at my local Sprouts, a health-foodish kind of store. If you store doesn’t have them, you can order them from Amazon. I’ve done that also.
Monkey Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ripe bananas peeled and sliced
- 1 handful roasted and unsalted cashews
- 1 handful coconut chips
Instructions
- Layer ingredients in a bowl. Do not stir. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
How do YOU like bananas?
Updated April 22, 2017.
Shelda
That was really yummy! I’m thinking a little squeeze of lime juice would be nice too. Thanks for the recipe and the pretty photo.
Kerri
Amen on the banana hang-ups, right there with you! If you changed your “soy” to all legumes, you would have the diet I am supposed to eat for allergies. I don’t do very well at it and just stumbled on your website through pinterest so look forward to going back through it- thanks.
Jessica
I did a full month of that diet, and it did exclude legumes. Here’s what I ate: https://goodcheapeats.com/my-whole-30-eating-plan/ and here’s my over all experience: https://goodcheapeats.com/2013/03/what-i-learned-from-the-whole-30/
Cheri A
I finally tried this Monkey Salad for breakfast yesterday. Oh, wow! Thank you so much! It was wonderful. 🙂
Jessica
@Cheri A, I cannot keep the ingredients in the house long enough! We are always running out.
Cheri A
@Jessica, I can see why you can’t keep it in stock. I’ve been eating it nearly every morning this week, and I can’t believe how satisfied I am all morning and not hungry again at 10:30 a.m. or so. The only problem is that I’m eating this illegally due to my dd’s nut allergy. I’m eating breakfast after she leaves and storing them in the garage. And I started buying organic bananas a few months ago at Aldis. Wow. What a difference in taste. My family is going through at least 4 pounds of bananas a week, among other fruits. 🙂
Jessica
@Cheri A, it’s so funny how wildly popular such a simple salad is becoming. One reader told me on Facebook that her husband takes it to work every day and now his co-workers are eating it, too!
Glad you’re enjoying it.
Jane
I’m on day 16 of my first Whole30. I agree, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done! I get Thai Kitchen coconut milk i(no light for me!) n my black coffee, now. I was a cream and sugar girl, too. I didn’t know you were W30 when I clicked on the link to this posted by Kutchen Stewardship this morning. I’m glad I did. I am looking for other W30 people who have good, nutritious and easy ideas!
If any of you have never checked out Whole30, please do! I have gotten off my nightly Ambien, one antidepressant and am weaning off the other. I’ve gone down a pants size and have never felt better. It WILL change your life! And you can enjoy guilt-free monkey salad!!!!
Jane
@Jane, I have some type-O’s, sorry! I don’t always hit the right keys on my phone.
Patti Patti
My family recently started the SCD diet. We were able to jump straight into eating nuts right from the get go without any adverse affects. I found your recipe and we LOVE it at our house. I use sliced bananas, any combo of mixed nuts, coconut flakes and a drizzle of honey. They gobble it down. It makes for a nice egg free breakfast.
Natasha Pickard
I remembered this as I say your daughter eating the Monkey Salad. I’ve been experimenting with clean eating concept. Too my surprise my kids loved steel cut oats with strawberries and blueberries and Blue Agave. They couldn’t believe I didn’t add brown sugar/sugar! Yay for me
MaryBeth
I’m having trouble finding coconut chips in the grocery stores near me. Do you have to order them online or are they in specialty type stores only?
Jessica
They are also labeled as shaved or flaked coconut. It’s basically largish shreds of unsweetened coconut. I have seen it on Amazon. Bobs red mill is a good price right now. http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Coconut-Unsweetened/dp/B002YR97BU/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1362764970&sr=1-1&keywords=flaked+coconut+unsweetened
Amy Barclay
Try the organic section at your store. Bobs Red Mill is frequently there in ours.
Jessica
I added some strawberries to my monkey salad this morning. Yummy! It’s strawberry season here in Korea, so they’re getting cheaper. Yay!! They make the salad really pretty too. 🙂
Heidi
Would sugar free coffee creamer work for the diet? And use only 1 TBSP? I’ve been trying to signficantly cut down on sugar and that’s what I’m doing. Wonder if that was ok on your diet?
Jessica
@Heidi, nope. Coffee creamer has all kinds of things you can’t pronounce. Those are a big no-no on the Whole30. I actually am doing fine with just coconut milk. I’m weaning my taste buds I guess.
Brandi
Yum! Finally had this today, I have been wanting it since you posted a picture. My store was out of unsalted cashews so I used salted. Really tasty!!
Stacy
I had this for my snack today w/ salted cashews and it was yummy!
Kristy
Your pics this week inspired me to try this. I used sliced almonds because I didn’t have cashews. It was delicious!! I love how Whole 30 encourages you to try new things (or things you thought you didn’t like). My aversion used to always be bell peppers of any kind. Now, I really like them! It’s awesome that you’re getting your energy back and feel great.
Jessica
@Kristy, yes, I’m definitely busting out and trying new foods.
Lari
You made me laugh w/ your banana thing…I’m that way with apples. I like crisp apples. I’m not even a huge fan of apple pie because hello…mushy apples. My husband just rolls his eyes at me. Your Monkey Salad sounds yummy. I do like bananas if they’re ripe enough. The ones in the US though are not near as yummy as the ones I grew up eating in Brasil.
KimH
I love banana anything. The texture of slimy bananas or okra for that matter dont bother me.. Your Monkey salad looks and sounds wonderful. Im going to have to get myself some of those coconut chips.. I get unsweetened coconut at the Amish bulk store but I’ll have to look for those at TJs.
Once up on a time, I was a 2 T sugar 2 T cream coffee drinker.. today I drink it black. Every once in a while if Im sick, I’ll crave a sickly sweet creamy coffee, and I’ll indulge.. but get the thickest grossest mouth feel afterwards that I have to run brush my teeth.. I dont drink it that way much anymore..
Olivia McGarvey
I started reading up on the Whole30 program because of different posts I have read on your blog. Does the coconut milk in your coffee align with the “diet”? I am a big coffee drinker and am interested in trying this out because I consistently have low energy levels.
Jessica
@Olivia McGarvey, yes, it’s a legal way to add “cream”. I previously was a 2t sugar/2 T cream kind of person. Now I drink my coffee guilt free.
Tara
What type of coconut milk and coffee are you using? I’ve tried this and feel like my coffee tastes like dirty water. Oh, how I miss coffee so far!
Jessica
@Tara, coffee is Peets or Starbucks dark roasts. Coconut milk is canned, light, Trader Joe’s.
Karen
No banana flavored anything. Not in anything, including banana bread. No brown freckles on the peel, just a slight touch of green at either end. Peel it and eat it, breaking pieces off, not slicing it, because I don’t like that slick texture. So I have about a two day window with bananas. I wonder where my kids got their pickiness….
kelly d
ok..i am such a nerd!!i am trying to eat healthier and decided to try out this plan..the nerdy part comes in that i am copying your menu..haha, i like tohave a plan layed out for me so i dont have to think too much..lol!!so today i started with skillet eggs(had kale and shallots on hand…yum!!)and then made some monkey salad(with almonds)also yum..only problem..i didnt have any coconut chips..only shredded..i am off to Amazon to order some!i am trying to drink lots of water in anticipation for headaches that are gonna come when my body finds out i dont have diet coke to fall back on!!lol thanks jess!!
Jessica
@kelly d, haha! Copy away.
I’m sure that shredded coconut would work fine, just a slightly different texture.
Jane
@kelly d, I went through a Diet Coke detox, too. How’d you fare? It was tough the first week for me. I did drink some unsweetened tea and coffee to help with the caffeine headaches a bit. I’m better now. It’s crazy the hold some things had on me!!!!
Dianna @ The Kennedy Adventures
Oh — I’d love to hear how you liked almonds in the monkey salad. I’m not a fan of cashews. 🙁
Jessica Fisher
It’s very good with almonds and dark chocolate. Tastes like an almond joy. 😉
Carla
Looks good–will give it a try when I’m able. Cashews are my favorite nut so they are dangerous to have on hand. That and we have to be real careful due to a nut allergy in the house. Yes to banana bread, pancakes, cut up in cereal. I can eat a whole banana but it’s one of those “I need something bland yet filling quick thing to eat” items. My tween loves them as long as they are not brown. My teen refuses to eat them unless in baked goods or smoothies—except for a fruit pie I make. That was fun with him trying to find extra potassium sources due to all his leg cramps. No, “Just eat a banana” for him. 😉
Amy Barclay
My chiropractor said to eat regular yellow mustard for leg cramps. It really works. She said there is more potassium than in a banana, which surprised me, and recommended I keep a few packets from the fast food restaurant in my car and at work, and when you get a cramp, one packet should do the trick.
Carla
@Amy Barclay, That sounds horrible—LOL. But it’s worth a try!
Amy Barclay
Yes, I was skeptical too, but had bad leg cramps one night and did it, and they were totally gone within 15 minutes, and they usually lasted hours.
Rachel W.
This sounds delicious. Except I hate coconut. I love coconut-scented things but not the taste or texture of actual coconut. (Almost the reverse of your banana issue.) I love bananas sliced up in my morning oatmeal. I don’t know if it is because we tend to buy them more green than yellow but the slices have yet to brown in the time it takes me to eat my oatmeal. Ugh. Slimy, brown bananas are nasty.
Have you ever tried egg/banana pancakes? I recently stumbled upon the recipe on a YouTube channel (Blogilates, if you were wondering). I plan to try making them tomorrow. See if they are tasty. :]
Jessica
@Rachel W., I’ve heard of those pancakes, but they don’t really sound appealing to me. And on the Whole 30 they say not to recreate your “illegal” favorites because they might trigger cravings.
Nik
@Jessica, I love them but I don’t like regular pancakes, so maybe that makes them less of a trigger.
Jessica
Then I say go for it. 😉
Sandi
Do you think using the salted cashews would work? I wasn’t sure if the sweet/salty combo would complement or detract from the overall taste.
Yes, bananas get brown and slimy when chopped up and mixed into things. Blech. Like you, I can do banana in baked goods or raw and fresh out of the peel. I can put them in cereal, but only if they are just peeled and I eat it right away. Otherwise, I’m probably not overly interested. Banana-flavored anything is easily passed up. They do seem to go well with coconut, though. I guess it is that from-the-islands cohesion.
Jessica
@Sandi, I don’t know about salted. Try it and let me know.
Lisa
are these coconut chips dehydrated and sweetened coconut? Or is it unsweetened coconut?
Janel Piersma
Because this is a recipe that Jessica made when she was on the Whole 30 diet, they are unsweetened coconut chips. I’ve used unsweetened shredded coconut since I couldn’t find unsweetened chips. It was yummy that way too.
Nia
@Sandi, Did you try this with the salted cashews? I thought it was delicious. Against the coconut I couldn’t really taste that the cashews were salted.