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.
Karen J
I’m doing a modified whole 30 (well, actually just not eating sugar) Anyway, at Grocery Outlet I found dark chocolate coconut chips. The only ingredients are coconut, coconut nectar, cocoa powder and salt. They are delicious in monkey salad! The brand is Blue Monkey. I’m stocking up, plus they were cheap. I love finding new foods that are tasty and healthy.
Jessica Fisher
That sounds amazing! And it actually sounds like it would technically work for Whole 30!
Karen J
And I found them online if my source runs out. Yeah!
http://www.londondrugs.com/blue-monkey-coconut-chips—dark-chocolate—40g/L8695124.html
Jessica Fisher
I found some at Thrive Market. Thanks for the tip!
Sandy C
I thought bananas were not whole 30 compliant? I know I did the whole 30 then they said to start adding things and with the holidays I am not eating right all the time. Will be doing another Whole 30 after the first of the year but won’t be adding anything back in. I will continue to eat that way except maybe on occasion. Did you find anything after your whole 30 that you could add back in without negative consequences?
Jessica Fisher
My complete whole 30 was 2013, so it’s been awhile. Bananas were compliant at the time, just in limited quantities. I am considering doing another in January. I’m struggling with some autoimmune thyroid issues and contemplating it.
Kami
THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! For sharing this simple yummy salad.. It has been my life saver with just starting out on the whole30.. So thankful for coming across your website.. Hugs Kami
Jessica Fisher
So glad you like it! It’s a favorite here, too. Just watch that you’re not having too much fruit. The Whole30 police would warn against that. 😉
Margie
For the best coconut cream, go to an Asian food store (Ranch 99) or an Indian food store. The best kind comes in a small carton that looks like a juice box (can’t think of the actual name). There will be Chinese writing on one side and “kara UHT NATURAL COCNUT CREAM” on the other. It’s a small white carton with a picture of a coconut. It is far better than the coconut cream or milk from TJs. It is actually thick and fatty and is as close as I think you will get to real cream for your coffee. Brand is Kara. Website is http://www.kara.com.sg It is a product of Indonesia, but I believe it is produced/packaged in Singapore. All coconut cream and milk is NOT created equal!
Amy
Add a small bit of coconut milk and it sort of brings it all together, like a salad dressing. Also, use frozen banana, blend it until smooth (frozen bananas are magic!) and then add the cashews and coconut. It’s monkey ice cream!
Jessica Fisher
Sounds great!
Linda
I was just typing in cashews and bananas. I have a small banana every morning at work and a hand full of salted cashews. This has been my breakfast for quite a while, I just wanted to know if anyone else did it. Have Coconut oil in my coffee, so it all works out. Thanks for your original post,
I do make some granola type bars with coconut, cashews and flax with honey and a bit of sunflower seeds.
no banana in it. but they hit the spot for a snack.
Vida
What a simple appealing recipe! I am doing this for today breakfast. I am also eating sort of Paleo and I am constantly looking for new recipes and I am soooo happy when I find something really easy to make, filling my stomach well and full of taste! Btw cashew nuts are not cheap in Germany but I can not eat each morning oat puree for a year, right? 😉
Jessica Fisher
You can use other nuts if you like.
Laila
I really really loooovvveee thisssss <3 I've never thought of eating coconut flakes raw like that(I always toasted them before) I've been eating this almost every morning on my whole30 with an egg and some veggies 🙂 I also add about half a cup of unsweetened almond milk and it makes it taste so mch better.. Along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger powder, just delish.
Jessica Fisher
Sounds yummy! It’s one of my comfort foods now.
David Do
I like to put a bit of 100% cocoa powder. The powder gives it a chocolatey taste!
Jessica Fisher
Great tip! Thanks. Cinnamon is good as well.
Darcy
Loved your idea for Monkey Salad. I was missing some warm oatmeal on a cold day and I made a twist to it. I sliced the bananas and heated them up in a non stick pan. They caramelized and were so sweet and yummy. Thanks for the non egg breakfast idea!
Amy C
Oh YUMMM. I loved this! I am officially off the whole 30, but I keep to a lot of the rules for my daily eating habits. I tend towards the “eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince, and dinner like a Pauper” rule, and so having a big bowl of this along with my eggs really keeps me very full and protein-packed and ready to greet the day. Thanks so much for this idea!
Zoe King
I am in love with Monkey Salad!!! I’m on day 2 of my first Whole30 and I have been eating milk and cereal everyday for breakfast since I was about 5 years old. And THAT is a really hard habit to break! I love monkey salad because it’s similar to eating cereal or yoghurt, and it tastes amazing! I am going to try and add strawberries tomorrow, but just the plain banana-coconut-almond slivers was amazing too. Thanks Jessica!!!
Sandy Kelly
Hi , l found your boards after you pinned one of my pins. I’m delighted to have found you. Is the monkey salad eaten dry or with milk? If not, what do you recommend as l don’t like anything too dry. I suffer with chronic fatigue as well as a chemical imbalance which can cause a horrible form of depression that l battle with from time to time. I still do what l have to do . Thank God He brings me through each time it raises it’s head. So, for this reason l try to eat well. However l know l can do better, and l look forward to following you. IF you know or think of any food or juice etc.in particular that may be of help to me, l’d be happy to hear about it. Thanks from Sandy bye for now!
Jessica Fisher
It doesn’t taste dry to me because the bananas are moist. I suppose you could add milk though. When I was eating it regularly, I was off dairy so it never crossed my mind.
Christie
My kids actually love it with coconut milk. I don’t like dry things, though, and I quite like this. It’s pretty similar to what we used to make when we lived in Nigeria, only we would add milk to it and cinnamon.
Deb
I started my Whole30 today but have been reading your site, and many others, for the past week for ideas. I can’t say thank you enough! So many great recipes and ideas for keeping me going. I was super skeptical about the monkey salad but SO glad I tried it. Yummy, simple, and filling! Thank you!
Jessica Fisher
It is yummy, isn’t it? And I don’t like sliced bananas! Ha!
Erica
I know this is an old post, but I’m trying Whole30; did well for about 10 days and then a busy week at work tanked my progress. I also lost almost 10 lbs in one week which was too much for my small 5’3″ frame. I have a question for you about the coffee. I tried canned coconut milk in my coffee and it was awful! It only made my coffee disgustingly oily. What coconut milk do you use?
Thanks!!
E
Jessica Fisher
I use the canned light coconut milk from Trader Joe’s. It’s really different than other canned brands I’ve bought.
Nina
Like the idea of the salad. I didn’t think we were supposed to have a whole banana at a time on whole30. But as far as not losing weight…if i ate cashews, coconut and a whole banana every day that is pretty high calorie. Even though it is good fat. I have not been worried about that just careful to get the thumb size fat at each meal and not over do that. I backed off a lot of fruit.d We were doing a fruit smoothie with isolate pea protein powder(full spectrum aminos and probiotics, no added sweetener of any kind) every am. lots of fruit and at the wrong time. Post workout. taking that out and adding a post workout right at my locker, kept me from running to the sweet fructose that did nothing to replace the glycogen depleted in muscle worked. we are on day 30. my hubby lost about 18 pounds, and i will weigh myself tmrw. I have lost inches but still have some fat pockets to delete. I have used fruit sparingly, here and there. chopped apples, blueberries or raspberries on a salad. I miss my am smoothie more than my dark chocolate addiction. For years I have carried around a blender bottle like a baby sucking down green powder with tons of fruit (or drinking homemade juiced greens. Eatiing all protein has been a challenge. We stopped eating meat 4 years ago due to my hubbys cholesterol levels. He never lost his belly fat and numbers changed some but not all that much. Im learning it has more to do with timing of carbohydrates and what kind along with triglycerides that make more of a difference. We are looking fwd to seeing results there. Hoping HDL has risen. Even though we’ve added meat, fish, eggs and chicken. All this protein has constipated me . I drank smooth move tea and had a day and a half of results and then shut down again when that was over. We are going to continue to eat clean. My husband wants his cream in coffee. coconut millk, or oils didnt cut it for him. It is hard, almost impossible, to find 100% grass fed creamer. The closest is 100% grass fed whipping cream that comes in a big glass milk bottle. Way too much at a time and pricey. He will go back to organic pastured half and half since that will be the only dairy he gets. He is not intolerant at all. Well gave more history than Intended. This has definitely set us on a path of very intentional eating. I believe it has kept me from bingeing and I am very satisfied between meals (making sure my foods are crunchy and take a while to eat.) After tasing the blended fruit i made for grandkids, I could tell I was not ready. Took me down a path I didn’t want to go!! Take care and please feel free to comment. They help us out. Blessings Nina
Daniela
I made this and added Strawberries & fresh almond butter. Sooooo delicious and satisfying!
Courtney O'Brien
I am doing the whole 30 and just made your monkey salad! It was so delicious! Thank you!
Kimber
Where did you get the coconut chips from?
Jessica Fisher
I’ve bought them at Sprouts and ordered them from Amazon. Bob’s Red Mill sells them.
lindsay
I will be trying this monkey salad tomo!! 🙂