Healthy dip recipes? (healthier, tuna, cream, crab)

[southdown]

In an attempt to get me and kids to eat more veggies I am trying out dips to have with sticks of carrot, celery, red peppers and so on.

I have a short list of avacado, hummus and taziki so far!

Any ideas for healthy dips - trying not to use processed or packaged stuff! (got to avoid salt, sugar and too much fat, olive oil OK tho!)

Thanks!

[HighlandsGal]

you could probably do something with spinach? Or a lite veggie cream cheese?

[Debsi]

Drain plain low-fat yogurt (or use greek yogurt) in place of sour cream in any dip recipe. It has a lot more vitamins and protein, making it more nutritionally balanced.

[southdown]

Originally Posted by Debsi

Drain plain low-fat yogurt (or use greek yogurt) in place of sour cream in any dip recipe. It has a lot more vitamins and protein, making it more nutritionally balanced.

Great idea. How do you drain it, and how long for?

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by southdown

Great idea. How do you drain it, and how long for?

You can drain it by putting it in several layers of cheesecloth and hanging it over something (like a pitcher) to drip in. In an hour or two you have a sour creamy like product, if you leave it more like 12-24 hours you have a cream cheese replacement.

However, since I do this a lot I bought one of these:

Amazon.com: Cuisipro Donvier Yogurt Cheese Maker: Kitchen & Dining

Cheesecloth is at $4/pack at my local market, so this baby paid for itself after several uses. It's $16. It's also a lot less messy than the other method!

I put it on baked potatoes. Also try using half drained yogurt and half mayo in tuna, chicken, egg, or potato salads. You still get the mayo richness but you cut the fat a lot.

Anyway, sorry if this hijacked your thread, didn't mean to!

[southdown]

Originally Posted by Debsi

You can drain it by putting it in several layers of cheesecloth and hanging it over something (like a pitcher) to drip in. In an hour or two you have a sour creamy like product, if you leave it more like 12-24 hours you have a cream cheese replacement.

......

Anyway, sorry if this hijacked your thread, didn't mean to!

Not hijacked at all!!!!

Thanks Debsi, really useful - it's something I'd heard of but not had personally recommended - which is the fab thing about this forum!

I'm really trying to avoid ready-made foods now due to the additives and lack of nutrition, so this is great stuff!

[Paula Lynn]

I would do spinach or avacado dip. Or, artichoke dip, crab dip, bean dips? Beans made from home made.

[Davachka]

HI- we are vegetarians and so I am constantly thinking of ways to slip in extra protein

I make a dip made of white north beans/cannellini beans. Blend or use food processor with garlic, a bit of olive oil and what ever other spices you prefer. Take out and add some steamed spinach. Finally melt some cheese over it and eat with crackers, veggies, chips. Much healthier, less fat and more protein than your average dip. And in my family, everyone loves it, including my preteen daughter.

[southdown]

Originally Posted by faina00

HI- we are vegetarians and so I am constantly thinking of ways to slip in extra protein

I make a dip made of white north beans/cannellini beans. Blend or use food processor with garlic, a bit of olive oil and what ever other spices you prefer. Take out and add some steamed spinach. Finally melt some cheese over it and eat with crackers, veggies, chips. Much healthier, less fat and more protein than your average dip. And in my family, everyone loves it, including my preteen daughter.

Thank you!

Will try that out as my kids are not fond of beans but they'd love the garlick-ness of that.

I went to Whole Foods today and bought some ready-made to try and maybe copy - a Baba ghannouj (roast eggplant and chickpea, tahini, garlic etc.), a spinach and artichoke, and a black bean and cilantro. Yummmmm

[Flamingo13]

Not a veggie recipe - but for fruit, try this: non-fat vanilla yogurt, a little honey and cinnamon, mix it all up - very yummy and great for dipping fruit (pineapple, apples, grapes, cantaloupe, etc.)