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Healthy Snacks: Little Dippers

Scooping up dips turns mere eating into interactive food fun. And who says kids shouldn’t play with their food, especially if it means they'll end up eating more fruits and veggies?

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Favorite Dippers

Apples
Baked chips
Bagel slices
Banana
Bread sticks
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cherry tomatoes
Citrus segments
Cucumbers
Edible pea pods
Grapes
Jicama
Kiwi
Melon slices
Mini rice cakes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pineapple
Pita triangles
Plums
Pretzels
Strawberries
Sweet peppers
Tortilla wedges

Dip Me!

Dips are easy to make for instant anytime snacks. Keep a batch in the fridge and let your kids dig in after school, after sports, or whenever they need a quick and nutritious pick-me-up. Here are some simple dipping do's:

Make it easy to choose healthy snacks by keep crispy, bite-size vegetables and fruit stored in the fridge along with the dips.
Serve dips with baked whole grain tortilla and pita chips instead of greasy, salty fried chips.
Substitute low-fat dairy options in dip recipes.

Fruit Dips

Hearty Dips

Hummus Dips

Vegetable Dips

Baked Chips

Comments

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Cathy Cooper

Dec. 24, 2009 2:52 pm

Nice ideas on this page.

Linda54494

Jan. 16, 2010 2:55 pm

Some of these sound good enough to try

Ms. Ellie

Jun. 17, 2010 6:06 am

I love these recipies!

BakEr ChICk

Aug. 19, 2010 9:13 am

wow these sound fairly healthy and delicious!

Mirandamom

Sep. 2, 2010 6:16 am

Hmmm, healthy snacks featuring sour cream, mayo, canned cheese soup, ground beef? We must have different definitions of healthful!

Dark Emerald

Sep. 2, 2010 10:36 am

My thoughts too Miranda. I was disappointed to see the same old fat laden ideas. Even the bean dip, which can sometimes be a good choice, had that ground beef, processed cheese and cheese soup in it. Huh?

GwynR

Sep. 9, 2010 8:18 am

I'm with Dark Emerald and Mirandamom, no wonder kids today are getting fatter. I love the variety on Allrecipes but I wouldn't rely on it's advice for what is healthy, especially for my kids!

nikkiD123

Sep. 10, 2010 4:33 pm

Yeah, you'd think that they could come up with a healthy dip. I'm not sure where processed cheese is EVER healthy.

catwhispererPhD

Sep. 14, 2010 8:32 pm

Seriously, the fruit salsa with cinnamon pita chips calls for 1 cup of oil for frying. I was really hoping they'd be baked pita chips. What's healthy about frying in oil?

aly

Dec. 1, 2010 6:15 pm

Must try these

Varenikje

Dec. 1, 2010 8:10 pm

It is true that most of the recipes here are fairly fat-laden, but I generally modify recipes in my head, omitting things like mayo and substituting things like fat free yogurt. But I suppose substituting healthier ingredients isn't really what allrecipes.com is here for...or is it?

GrammyPieya

Dec. 2, 2010 3:31 am

Most food is healthy if eaten in moderation and part of a well balanced diet. These recipes included.

Loulabell26

Dec. 2, 2010 4:49 am

The 3 or 4 of these recipes I've looked at so far all seem to have notes from the submitter giving instructions on how to lower the fat & calorie content. Just a little tidbit!

Carson

Dec. 2, 2010 4:56 am

I agree, Grammy. Heck! Too many cranberries will kill ya'. 'Appetizers' are meant to be just that anyway... an appetizer, not a full meal deal... a small snack BEFORE the entree.

Janie Chitester

Dec. 2, 2010 6:13 am

What ever happened to low fat yogurt with low or FF Cool Whip for a fruit dip? That is what I call healthier, not cr. cheese and sour cream, etc.

shimmering

Dec. 2, 2010 7:21 am

Well these ain't completely healthy. But at least these are not empty calories. And well these are just dips so I guess you ll be having it in small quantities. But well at least its a start. We can substitute low fat and other healthy alternatives and make it as we like it. So I am good with these recipies.

SOULTRAVELER

Dec. 2, 2010 8:15 am

I don't think they mean that these recipes are completly healthy, think they mean healthier. Like posted above, many have little notes on how to make them healthier, many of them have lots of veggies or protein and a little extra every once in a while won't kill you. On top of that, most of us clicking on the "healthy bites" section here probably already know how to substitue out things to make them healthier, bakes instead of fried, non or low fat yogurt instead of sour cream etc.

Lady Donna

Dec. 11, 2010 8:19 am

I agree with Mirandamom, Dark Emerald,Gwyn R,Nicky D, catwhisperer PhD, & Janie Chitester. Healthy recipes need healthy ingredients. Even eaten in small quantities, these cannot be called healthy. It's false advertising.

Cookiemonster

Dec. 15, 2010 6:37 pm

Spray the tortillas with a little water before dusting with cinnamon and (don't kill me here) sugar, then cut into triangles and bake. The water dries out and just helps the seasonings stick. Healthier, right?

JAGUWAR

Jan. 6, 2011 11:11 am

Wow, the overly health conscious are out. A little rarely hurts. Let's try to remember that even peanuts can kill you if you're allergic, gluten (the element found in bread and a surprising number of healthier food choices, like soy sauce) can make your life a misery, and tomatoes can worsen acid reflux. Sheesh. These do all look tasty, and I like that most of them are easy enough to transport to school where kids don't have access to fidges or microwave ovens.

JAGUWAR

Jan. 6, 2011 11:12 am

UGH, I meant "fridges", of course.

shadowcat

Feb. 13, 2011 8:21 am

here's a crazy thought: maybe this article was to help steer away from the whole packaged snack from stores trend, and more towards something made from ingredients you have in your kitchen? "healthy" doesn't always mean OMG LESS CALORIES LESS FATS. (some fats are actually good for you) it's not really that hard to use the ideas presented in the article ... and to healthy it up: low fat, fat free, things with healthier oils, sea salt / kosher salt... if you're just going to complain about how these recipes aren't to your liking, then just go on and continue giving your kids snacks with ingredients made in a lab.

Brandy

Mar. 29, 2011 9:12 pm

I have to say yall are nuts. Yall cannot cut all the fat out of children's diets. The need some fat in thier system to maintain a healthy status. Cooking in oil there is oil that is healthy for you, olive oil, sunflower oil canola oil. I have never been on a diet never cut anything out of my system and I maintain a healthy lifestyle.. what makes these children fat is no exercise.

Brandy

Mar. 29, 2011 9:13 pm

one more thought i would rather serve my kids mayonnaise with the fat than light with over 90 grams of sugar

Grandma to two

Nov. 30, 2011 10:27 pm

I had to laugh, when someone called frozen whipped topping like Cool Whip healthy. Check the ingredients.

Lindaofcalifornia

Nov. 30, 2011 10:34 pm

It's the Holidays.....I won't be counting calories. But I will be dipping veggies into those yummy-sounding dips! Maybe they'll counter-act each other.... : ) Nutrition and fat...whadda ya know about that!

campergramma

Dec. 1, 2011 5:27 am

I also clicked through thinking I'd find healthy options. None here.....

Rosie

Dec. 1, 2011 7:45 am

It's all about balance and portions. Not counting during the holidays sounds dangerous. I will try to be sensible and taste a bit of everything, and leave the pigging out out of my plan. The first bite is the best. The tenth is the killer. After all, that's what got me here in the first place.

Joyce Sowards

Dec. 1, 2011 7:57 am

I'm loving all of these dips. My favorite midnight snack is chips and dips.

veronica

Dec. 1, 2011 8:56 am

These are the kind of dip recipes that I've needed! Thanks!

Soupwhistle

Dec. 1, 2011 11:46 am

If a healthy recipe listed here includes mayo I might use light mayo, yogurt or lo or nonfat source cream. I also keep soft tofu on hand and use it just like mayo in recipes. If the recipe tells me to fry chips in oil I'll toast some whole grain tortillas or pita in the oven instead or buy baked chips and use veggies, too. The editors might want to create a healthy recipe hierarchy - high-taste, low- or no- good- fat, whole grains could get a special rating or icon.

itshopeless

Dec. 1, 2011 1:20 pm

I'm surprised that a lot of people aren't more aware that the current research shows that it is mainly high carbohydrates (high glycemic foods, and high insulin levels) that are actually the source of ill health,not healthy fats like butter, sour cream, avocados, etc. Do some internet research to learn more.

JSDEB

Dec. 1, 2011 4:12 pm

ok seems to me that some of you folks would complain if a recipe that called for carrots didn't specify organic carrots. Anyways, have you a clue as to what type of fertilizer organic veggies use? Ya just might want to check it out one day. And why try checking out how some of the pigs, chickens etc are raised. Would be an eye opener for the squeemish :) When ya finish, then go to the frig and get yourself a tall glass of water. That is about all you would want. WAIT...is it done organically?

Viking

Dec. 4, 2011 1:46 pm

We all need to take a deep breath. The comments all reflect personal preferences but could be presented a little more positively,like the reviewers for the recipes who suggest substitutions and alterations to adapt to their requirements and choices. This recipe section still gets my vote.