Kids will eat just about anything with dip. Onion soup mix and sour cream makes a tasty quick dip.

I usually just use half a pack of powdered onion soup mix to a container of sour cream but use it all if you want it to taste stronger. If you’re concerned about the fat content, use light sour cream or low fat yogurt. 

Another easy dip idea is to combine yogurt with honey. It makes a great dip for fruit, meat or vegetables.

If your children aren’t allergic to peanuts, peanut butter makes a yummy dip for a surprising number of things. My daughter won’t eat celery without it and it’s great on bananas and crackers.

Hummus is tasty, nutritious and good for more than pita bread and falafel. It’s also an excellent dip for vegetables. You can make hummus with canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or you can soak them overnight until softer. They blend well in a food processor but I like to do small amounts at a time. My children enjoy mashing up the chickpeas by hand for some reason and they do almost as good a job as the blender.

Add a little water with each batch you blend. Tahini makes hummus taste better in my opinion and it adds a creamier texture. Tahini is a paste made out of sesame seeds and it is extremely high in calcium. 

Here’s a basic hummus recipe:

• 2 cans chickpeas

• 5 tablespoons of lemon juice

• 5 to six tablespoons of tahini

• 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 2/3 cup of water

• 1/3 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional) 

After you blend all ingredients together, chill in a container with a lid. This never lasts long around here so enjoy it while you can.

Other optional spices that are tasty in hummus are coriander and cumin. The color is a little bland so if you want to add a nice red shade naturally, add a little sweet red pepper. If you like tahini, you can use more but if you don’t, use less. It seems to be one of those things people either love or hate.

Photo of hummus and vegetables, copyright Steve Woods