Try these healthy summer snacking ideas

Dairy Council of Arizona is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living Live

Summer Fruit and Cheese

By Terri Verason, MS, RD

It’s summertime and the living is easy. The fruit is abundant and the cheese is tantalizing. Why not combine the two for some delectable, cool and refreshing combinations. 

Try these ideas, or come up with your own. Either way, you can’t go wrong because fruit and cheese is a match made in heaven!

Pears with Prosciutto and Parmesan

1 pear cut into 8 wedges
2 tbls lemon juice
4 thin slices prosciutto, each cut into 2 strips
2 oz Parmesan cheese cut in strips (or substitute your favorite cheese)

Toss pear wedges in lemon juice to prevent discoloration.  Take a pear wedge, layer a slice of cheese on top and wrap it with a strip of prosciutto.

Blue Cheese Wrapped Grapes

4 oz cream cheese, softened
6 oz blue cheese, crumbled
dash of tobasco, optional
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts, pecans, or almonds

1 bunch Seedless Red or Green Grapes, 20-30 grapes

In a small bowl combine cream cheese, blue cheese and port wine, if using. Wrap a little of the cheese mixture around each grape. Roll grapes in chopped nuts. Cover and chill grapes for 30 to 60 minutes, or until serving time.

Watermelon Feta Salad

2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
8-10 mint leaves, julienned
sprinkle of balsamic vinegar

Combine watermelon, feta and mint in a bowl, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.

Cheesy Cantaloupe Cucumber Bites

8 cubes cantaloupe, 1 ½ - 2 inch cubes
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Using melon baller, scoop out the middle of each cantaloupe cube.  In a large bowl, toss the diced cucumber, crumbles cheese and chopped basil.  Fill each cantaloupe cube with the cucumber/cheese mixture.

Watermelon and White Cheddar Checkers

Seedless watermelon
White cheddar cheese (or use your favorite hard cheese)
Blueberries and raspberries (optional)

Cut equal size 1/2-inch thick square shapes from watermelon and white cheddar cheese.  Arrange as a checkerboard on a serving tray.  Using a small cookie cutter, cut the watermelon and cheese to use as the "checkers."  As an alternative, use blueberries and raspberries as the checkers, or use your favorite combination of the two.

Dairy Council of Arizona is a paid advertiser of Sonoran Living Live