Dipping sauces are a must have condiment. They are a great way to enhance the flavors of veggies, fruits and a variety of foods.  They are great for snacks and for parties.

The problem with a lot of the store bought dips is that they are loaded with chemical preservatives, extra additives and coloring. They also tend to be high in sodium and refined sugar.

Dipping sauces can be made quickly with a few simple ingredients, making it healthier and richer in taste.

Quick and Healthy Dip Ideas:

Yogurt Dip

There are many ways to use yogurt for dip.  The benefits are that it’s rich in probiotics and protein.

• Plain Greek yogurt w/ mint or Dill
• Yogurt w/ Lemon and Cumin
• Yogurt w/ honey – Great for fruits
• Tzatiki yogurt sauce

Hummus Dip

Who doesn’t love hummus? Great to use on crackers, dunk fresh veggies or spread it on toast. Roasting veggies and then mixing with hummus is a great way to get in more veggies and nutrients.

• Avocado Hummus
• Roasted Red pepper Hummus
• Smokey Chipotle Hummus
• Roasted Garlic Hummus
• Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
• Mushroom Hummus

 Baba Ghanoush

Eggplants are great and add a nice rich taste to food.  This dip is a nice creamy dip that uses eggplant in place of chickpeas. It is a great source of vitamins and minerals.

• Roasted eggplant with lemon juice and fresh garlic is best served warm. This dip veers from traditional hummus because it uses eggplant as its star ingredient. After roasting eggplants, the flesh gets pureed with the more traditional ingredients, like lemon juice and garlic, for a super healthy treat. This one is best served warm, but it will keep in the fridge for several days.

Black Bean Dip

In place of chickpeas, black beans are swapped. Adding lime juice, green chiles and cumin gives this dip a little extra zest.  Great dip for appetizers and rich in protein.

Black Bean Avocado Salsa

Salsa recipes are a great way to increase gut health and work great for parties.

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained

1 (11 ounce) can whole kernel sweet corn, drained

4 roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 avocados, diced

Directions:

1. Mix black beans, corn, tomatoes, red bell pepper, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a bowl.
2. Add avocado into the mixture.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, putting it right on top of salsa; chill at least 2 hours.