If your family is anything like mine, they come home from a busy day hungry. Within minutes of crossing the threshhold, I can count on hearing, "Can I have a snack?" or "Is there anything to eat?" I want to give my family a variety of healthy options. I try to keep seasonal fruits washed, ready, and available. I also make an effort to keep a selection of fresh vegetables to satisfy desires for crunching.
Do you remember, years ago, when you would go out to eat at a restaurant? Early in the meal -- either before or shortly after placing your order -- the server would bring out a relish tray. For those of you that don't remember, it was an arrangement of fresh and pickled vegetables. My personal favorite was the relish tray served at a restaurant in Pleasantville, Iowa, called Shorty's. That was the first time I tasted pickled okra (don't knock it until you try it!). Definitely a healthier alternative than a calorie-laden, fried appetizer, don't you think?
If you're reading carefully, you may have noticed that I haven't mentioned anything about dip. I don't think there was any sort of dip offered. I was a "simple" eater as a kid... I drove my mom crazy when she was packing food for trips (yes... this was before the time when neon lights dotted the freeways and the promise of a latte was less than 20 miles away...). Mom would pack sandwiches, and I insisted on having the plainest sandwich possible: meat and cheese only. No mayo, mustard, or butter. DEFINITELY no lettuce, tomatoes, or vegetables of any sort. Meat. Cheese. Bread. Done. It's very possible that I just ignored dip.
Now, it's a different story. My family likes to "dip" their snacks into things. My mission is to give them an option that isn't loaded with sugar, excessive fat, or chemicals I can't pronounce. Here are a couple of tips:
- One of the best fruit dips I've found is lowfat vanilla yogurt. It's a good way to sneak some extra calcium and protein into their diet, too!
- Instead of a sour cream or mayonnaise based veggie dip, try guacamole or hummus.
- If you want to go with a more traditional "dip," try using plain yogurt instead of sour cream. If your family is used to a sour cream based dip, you may need to blend the two at first and gradually transition to yogurt. You will also want to drain some of the liquid off of the yogurt so that the dip isn't too runny. To do that, line a strainer with a triple layer of cheesecloth (or a plain white floursack towel, single layer) Place strainer over a bowl and refrigerate it for 2-24 hours, depending on how firm you want the yogurt to be.
- If you're in a time crunch and pick up some regular dip from the store, keep the portions reasonable so that a healthy snack isn't overwhelmed by a bunch of hidden fat.
Keeping a variety of veggies out for munching while you are fixing dinner is a great way to keep hunger at bay without adding an unhealthy amount of calories. And it might be the perfect way to introduce new veggies to your family!
