Why is "healthy" fruit salad always so disappointing?

Is it just me, or has the quality of pre-packaged fruit completely tanked lately? I stopped buying those little plastic tubs from the grocery store or the grab-and-go bins at deli counters months ago. It’s always the same sad experience: either the melon is flavorless and crunchy because it’s not ripe, or everything is just sitting in a pool of sugary syrup that makes the whole thing feel heavy and cloying.

I feel like we’ve lost the art of actually treating fruit like a real ingredient. When I was a kid, a fruit salad felt like a special event, something fresh and bright. Now, it just feels like a cheap way for fast-food places to pretend they have a "healthy option" on the menu.

I’ve started trying to experiment a bit more at home lately—adding things like fresh herbs, a little bit of citrus zest, or even a tiny pinch of something spicy to break up the sweetness. It makes a massive difference, but it’s definitely more effort than just grabbing a cup on the way to work.

Does anyone else have a "secret ingredient" they use to make fruit actually taste interesting, or am I just overthinking a side dish?