Eat More Veggies By Making Dips!
Symbolic of parties and summertime, dips are a great way to eat more vegetables.
They're perfect for a party, as an appetizer or even as a healthy snack for kids.
What to dunk in your dips?
Vegetables are the perfect tools to scoop out dip. All that is required is a little bit of preparation, and then voila, your veggies are ready to go. And of course when possible, it's best to choose seasonal vegetables to increase your vitamin and nutritional intake.
Our favorite vegetables for dipping are cherry tomatoes, celery, broccoli, carrots, radishes, zucchinis, raw beets and even mushrooms.
The best dip tip
Ideally you want to cut your vegetables into smallish pieces, so that they're easy to hold in one hand. It also forces people to avoid double-dipping, since the vegetables are too short to go in for seconds.
Why not even plan a whole dinner around a dip theme? You can make salty dips for the appetizer and main dish, and sweet dips like a chocolate fondue served with fresh fruit pieces.
The bases
The base of most dips is usually creamy. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are great light options in which to add fresh herbs, mustard, spices etc. You can also add mashed up avocado to make it extra creamy.
The rules:
Don't make your dips too runny
Unless you want more dip ending up on your tablecloth than your carrot stick, try to keep the texture of the dip thick and creamy.
Don't make your dips too thick
If they're too thick then you might have a hard time dipping the vegetables. Try to find that perfect balance of creaminess.
Avoid chunks
Nobody likes a dip with chunks. So it's best to grate or blend any ingredients that you want to add to the dip. Mix well so that the dip is totally smooth and blended.
Make sure you have great dip recipes
Check out our fabulous dip recipes to ensure that your next dip is a total success!
More steaming articles
Top 10 Tips for Great Food Photos
How to Use a BBQ
Chef Tips and Tricks
Do you put the pasta in without waiting for the water to boil? Add oil? Forget the salt?
Comment on this article