5 Healthy Veggie Dips

You’ve heard it so many times that it’s practically drilled into your head: If you want to be healthy, you have to eat your veggies. From the green and leafy to the orange-and-red crunch, vegetables are packed with good stuff such as vitamins A and C, fiber, folate, and potassium. That said, they’re not everybody’s favorite, but slathering them in high-calorie sauces or tossing them in the fryer negates all nutritional benefits.

If you’re looking for a way be healthy and please your taste buds, you’ve come to the right place. Whip up these five dips to get those vegetables in while pleasing your palate.

Mango Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

1 mango, peeled & sliced

1 red pepper, finely diced

1 onion, finely diced

2 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped

Lime juice (from 1 lime)

Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Mash the avocado in a bowl.
2. Stir in the onion, red pepper, and garlic. Once combined, add in the mango, cilantro, and lime juice. Stir again.
3. Add salt to taste, stirring one last time before serving.

High-Fiber Parmesan Dip

Ingredients:

5 garlic cloves

30 ounces Cannellini beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup Light Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 Tbsp. lightly chopped oregano

4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Peel the garlic and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Once coated, wrap in tin foil and bake for about 25 minutes or until fragrant and golden.
3. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15-20 minutes. Next, place the garlic, beans, cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper into a food processor and blend until a smooth consistency is reached. Slowly add in the remaining olive oil, blending as you do.
4. Serve immediately, or place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Delicious Dill Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plan low-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1 onion, finely sliced

2 tbsp. Dill, freshly chopped

1 Tbsp. onion soup mix powder

1/2 Tbsp. pureed garlic

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add in the garlic and onions, sautéing for 2-4 minutes or until onions are clear. Remove from heat.
3. In another bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, sour cream, dill, and onion soup mix powder. Once combined, stir in onions and serve immediately.
4. Top with salt and pepper if desired.

Refreshing Cucumber Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1 cup cucumber, diced & peeled

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 Tbsp. onion flakes

1 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. lemon juice

Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix together the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise.
2. Add in onion flakes, garlic, onion powder, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir.
3. Add in cucumber and stir once more until well mixed. Serve immediately.

Spicy Mexican Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup spicy salsa

1/2 package (4 oz.) fat-free cream cheese

1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

2 ounces precooked shrimp, diced

2 green onions, finely sliced

Instructions:

1. Combine the salsa, Greek yogurt, and cream cheese.
2. Once well mixed, stir in shrimp and green onions.
3. Blend together and serve immediately.