Dressing Up Food!
- smorales418
- May 12
- 2 min read
When talking with families about how to get kids to eat more vegetables, a question I’m often asked is “What about dressing?” The ranch is the usual favorite parents ask about, and while we absolutely want to be preparing and serving kids vegetables at least 3 times per day, covering them in salty sugar sauce may not be the best approach!
Not only is it important to be a healthy example and teach our kids the importance of eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy dairy and/or dairy replacements, and healthy proteins, it’s important to teach them why we reserve other high salt, sugary foods for a once-in-a-while treat. How often is once in a while, you ask? About once or twice a week, at most. Sometimes we may not realize that some dressings and dips we regularly consume fit into the once-in-a-while category. These include products such as ranch and other dressings, ketchup, nacho cheese mayo, and sour cream.
So what can we serve our kids instead? We recommend getting kids to eat their vegetables with healthy fats like guacamole, salsa, hummus, balsamic vinegar and oil, bean dip, mustard, or a healthy homemade creamy dressing made from unsweetened Greek yogurt. And remember to be mindful about how much of these healthy products are consumed—for instance, while salsa and hummus are healthy options, it’s not healthy to consume half a jar in one sitting! If you and your family have never tried hummus or homemade ranch, check out the following recipes for Healthy, Happy Hummus, and Really Yummy Ranch. Happy dipping!
Healthy, Happy Hummus
Makes about 2.5 cups
Ingredients
6 Cups of Cooked Chickpeas
3 Tbsp Tahini
1/4-1/2 Cup Olive Oil Juice of 1/2 a Lime or Lemon
2 Large Chopped Cloves of Garlic
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Paprika
2 Tbsp Salt (add to taste)
Methods
-Place the cooked chickpeas into the food processor. Add all other ingredients and blend!
Appliances Needed
Food processor or blender
Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Really Yummy Ranch
Serves: 1½ cups
Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
¼ teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh chives
1 cup non fat plain Greek yogurt
⅓ cup almond milk or 1% milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Methods
Place the spices (dried parsley - fresh chives) into a food processor and pulse a few times, until the spices have been ground up a bit.
Scrape down the sides.
Place the remaining ingredients - Greek yogurt, buttermilk, Dijon, and lemon juice - into the food processor and pulse until the ingredients have been fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides, if needed, and pulse again.
Transfer into a sealable container (like a mason jar) and place in the fridge until you're ready to use it!
Appliances Needed
Food processor or blender
Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
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