Bring a bright spot of patriotism to your holiday table with simple red-white-and-blue platters that take the flag theme to an edible extreme.

All it takes is a little time matching colors to food, blue being the chief challenge. The world is full of red and white food, but outside of blueberries you’re going to have to think hard. Some candies come in blue, though, and blue food coloring can give pasta, dips and even bananas a true blue hue.

Here are a couple of ideas easy enough for anyone.

Sweet

Lots of fruits come in red, but raspberries might be the easiest to use as they require no seeding or cutting. Miniature marshmallows make the white rows. Once your ingredients are lined up, it’s just a matter of skewering them in the right order.

Alternatives to marshmallows: bits of cheese, apple cubes (sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning), banana chunks, white raspberries (if you can find them)

Alternatives to raspberries: watermelon cubes, strawberries, Red Vines (cut up), red gummy candies

Alternatives to blueberries: blue gummy candies or Peeps, gelatin cubes (if the tray won’t be sitting out long), blue taffy

Savory

Crackers lined up on a platter can be topped with any white cheese and any red jam for the stripes. Cream cheese or whipped cream help the blueberries stick.

Alternatives to cheese: dots of a cream cheese- or sour cream-based dip; banana slices atop dots of peanut butter; slices of cauliflower, jicama or cucumber.

Alternatives to jam: tomato slices, red bell peppers (dice and stick on with a little sour cream or mayonnaise), a reddish sausage such as Redondo’s

Alternatives to blueberries: Aside from blue corn chips, which are not very vibrant, you’re stuck with faking it. Pasta and rice take well to food coloring, as does yogurt. Good luck.