Log In


Reset Password

Three healthy dips to inspire eating healthier snacks

Maybe you need another idea for packing fiber and vitamins into your child's lunch. Or maybe you're looking for a way to convince yourself to eat more fruit. Either way, making a dip (or three) to dunk your fruit in can make it a little more enticing, and a lot more fun.

In constructing a healthful dip for fruit, the main problem lies in the base of the dip. You want something that doesn't pile on the fat or sugar, but still is interesting enough that you want to dunk your apple wedges and strawberries in it.We wanted to create a creamy base that could be easily flavored. For obvious reasons, the full-fat versions of cream cheese and sour cream were out. Greek-style yogurt has a great mouth feel and creaminess, but some people find it overwhelmingly tart. So we opted to use low-fat cream cheese blended with nonfat Greek yogurt. The result is creamy and luscious and is a perfect base for flavorings. As a bonus, it's also a great way to get calcium.Fruit dippersStart to finish: 25 minutesServings: 10 (each serving represents 2 tablespoons of each dip for a total of 6 tablespoons)For the base:2 cups nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt8 ounces low-fat cream cheeseFor the chocolate:cup unsweetened cocoa powder2 tablespoons honeyPinch cinnamon2 tablespoons fat-free milkFor the citrus:Zest of 1/2 lemonZest of 1/2 orange2 tablespoons honey2 tablespoons orange juiceFor the orchard spice:1 tablespoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon butter rum extract1/2 teaspoon cinnamonteaspoon dry gingerPinch ground nutmegPinch ground cloves2 tablespoons honeyIn the bowl of a food processor, combine yogurt and cream cheese. Process until completely smooth. Divide the mixture into 3 bowls.To make chocolate dipper, in a small bowl, mix together cocoa powder, honey, cinnamon and milk until completely smooth. Add to one of the bowls of the yogurt mixture and stir until smooth.To make citrus dipper, stir both zests, honey and orange juice into one of the remaining bowls of yogurt mixture.To make the orchard spice dipper, stir the vanilla, butter rum extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and honey into the last bowl of yogurt and cream cheese. Serve the dips with cut up wedges of apples, pears, peaches and berries.Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 130 calories; 40 calories from fat (29 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 1 g fiber; 105 mg sodium.

This July 6, 2011 photo shows fruit dippers in Concord, N.H. Dippers shown are orchard spice dipper, bottom, chocolate dipper, center, and citrus dipper. Making a dip (or three) to dunk your fruit in can make it a little more enticing, and a lot more fun. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)