If you have pretty colorful plates – be careful what you serve on them. When NOT to use them...

Pretty painted dishes and plates can make for a festive table...

...but there are some foods that don’t belong on there. Some of those colorful plates contain lead in the paint, especially hand-painted ones. Any foods containing vinegar, such as salad dressing, can cause the lead to leach from the plates and into your food.

It’s hard to know if painted plates contain lead. The only way to find out for sure is to use a lead-testing kit, which can be found at most home improvement stores.