5 Favorite finger foods

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Fruits

Fruit is plentiful, varied and fresh during the warmer months, so take advantage of them! After washing and cutting, experiment with different serving arrangements.

Fruit rainbow

Arrange strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries and purple grapes into the shape of a rainbow.

Tropical tray

Display an array of tropical fruits like mango, papaya and star fruit. Tip: Embellish with toothpick umbrellas.

Vegetables

Sometimes disguising veggies is the easiest way to get the recommended five-a-day.

Crispy vegetables

Ingredients:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 sweet potato, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• broccoli and cauliflower florets
• breadcrumbs or coating mix

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Dip vegetables in egg, then in coating mix. Bake on a lightly greased shallow baking pan for 20 minutes. Tip: Serve with ranch dressing or dip.

Grilled vegetables

Ingredients:

• red and yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch strips
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 zucchini, cut lengthwise
• Italian dressing

Directions:

Place vegetables in shallow dish. Pour dressing over vegetable mixture and refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate. Heat grill to medium heat. Drain vegetables and place on grill for 10 minutes, or until veggies are crisp-tender. Tip: Make a vegetable dip with sour cream, mayo, chopped garlic and jalapeno peppers.