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Fourth of July celebrations may call for vibrant and patriotic dishes.
A sweet addition to any party spread is a red, white and blue fruit salad to celebrate and display a love of country — and to treat guests to something special.
Not only is a colorful fruit salad a crowd-pleaser, the dish is delicious, healthy and visually appealing.
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To celebrate Independence Day this year, here is expert advice for creating a festive fruit salad that everyone will love and remember long after the day at hand.
Choosing colorful fruits
Since your design goal is red, white and blue, the game plan is to select one or two fruits from each color to produce the color theme.
A patriotic American flag salad is shown here with blueberry, watermelon and feta on a bed of arugula. (iStock)
Taste and texture are also important to creating a winning fruit salad, said Hallee Acquanita, RD, MS, a registered dietitian with Anne Till Nutrition Group in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Red fruits to include in your fruit salad can be strawberries, raspberries, cherries, red grapes, pomegranate, watermelon and cranberries, Acquanita suggested.
"Red fruits are high in lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant."
"Red fruits are high in lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps support healthy cholesterol levels, and bone health," she noted.
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White fruits are an important component of the fruit salad.
Acquanita suggested bananas, peeled white nectarines, white dragon fruit, peeled apples (like granny smith or honeycrisp), pears or shaved coconut as possibilities.
This American flag salad for Fourth of July is made of watermelon, blueberries and feta cheese. (iStock)
"White-colored fruits are rich in allicin, an antioxidant that helps prevent infections and promotes brain health," she said.
Some people use feta cheese in their fruit salads as a key ingredient; or, consider another healthy option for your white-colored salad ingredient such as yogurt or cottage cheese.
While blue fruit selections aren’t as abundant, you can reach for blueberries and blackberries, which will create deep blue hues in your fruit creations.
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"Blue and purple fruits contain anthocyanins, which prevent cancer and may reduce the risk of heart attacks," added Acquanita.
A three-color fruit salad offers a delightful combo of sweetness, tartness and crunch.
With the above fruit choices, your fruit salad is easy to prepare and should hold up well.
Shown, a patriotic red, white and blue fruit salad with fresh whipped cream stars in a white heart-shaped bowl, with a flag right below it. (iStock)
The three-color fruit theme will not only produce a visually striking appearance but also offer a delightful combination of sweetness, tartness and crunch, she said.
Tips for cutting fruit
Use a sharp knife and a stable cutting board to ensure clean, safe cuts of your fruit.
"For a special touch, try using a melon baller for neat circles or cookie cutters to give the fruit some shape, such as stars or USA letters," suggested Acquanita.
Begin with heavier fruits at the bottom for stability.
She also said you can get creative by mixing all of the fruit together or layering the fruits for a striped-flag effect.
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Choose a clear serving dish to showcase the colorful layers effectively.
Begin with heavier fruits at the bottom for stability.
How to build your patriotic fruit salad
Wash and dry all foods well before use.
Cut larger fruits like strawberries, apples and watermelon into bite-sized pieces.
This fresh and patriotic salad contains blueberries, feta and watermelon. (iStock)
"Start with a layer of strawberries or watermelon at the bottom for the red layer, add a layer of sliced bananas or diced apples for the white layer, and top with blueberries and blackberries for the blue layer," suggested Acquanita.
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To create a fruit salad that will cause fireworks of excitement at your backyard party, Leslie Daniel, an executive chef at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City in New Jersey, shared some of his award-winning secrets.
"When building a fruit salad, I would use a wide plate versus a bowl because fruit is very tender and can get smashed, losing all the good juices and texture the fruit has to offer," Daniel said.
This fun dish includes bananas, pomegranates, blueberries, chia seeds, quinoa and coconut pieces. (iStock)
He said most of the fruit salad can be prepared the night before, but leave any work on the berries until just before you’re planning to serve them.
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"I would avoid pre-slicing berries or mixing them, as they tend to bleed and don’t look too well when the edges dry out," Daniel said.
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When showcasing your July 4th fruit salad masterpiece, Daniel advised using tongs or toothpicks when serving.
Most of the fruit salad can be prepared the night before.
"Cut the pieces big enough so they don’t wither away," he said.
How to store the leftovers
If you do have any leftovers, dietitian Acquanita said fruit salads can be stored for up to three days in the refrigerator.
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Fruits with higher water content like melons may not last quite as long.
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