San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
This ranch dip stocked with nutrients
Back-to-school was always my favorite season. I was never a summer kid, and heading back to the classroom meant cooler weather, new Lisa Frank school supplies and my neon-pink lunchbox with the PB&Js, baby carrots and chocolate milk that fueled my downloads with my girlfriends.
Now, as an adult, I still take lunch seriously, and that goes for all the kids in my life. Of course, over the years, I’ve learned that lunch is more than just a social call and we need to energize our kids with protein, healthy carbohydrates and all the nutrients that will help keep them focused and energized for the learning part of the day.
Unfortunately, kids are notorious for preferring less healthy options, so sometimes we need to get creative to find the right balance between good and good for them. So I’ve come up with Plant-Forward Ranch Dip.
My sample size isn’t in the thousands, but most of the kids I know are open to eating raw vegetables dipped in ranch dressing. But what if the ranch was super-powered, made with beans and low-fat yogurt, but still flavored to taste like the thing
they’re conditioned to love? I tried it, and it works.
This dip is very easy to prepare — canned beans, dry herbs and spices are blended together in a food processor. You can double or even triple the batch, sending it in a lunchbox with any assortment
of raw veggies, whole grain pitas or multigrain crackers.
You can leave it thick, like a hummus, or thin it with olive oil or water to help it resemble the bottled stuff. If texture is a problem, use a silicone spatula to press the mixture through a mesh
strainer to remove any bean remnants, but a high-powered food processor should do the job.
The dip will hold all week, but if you make a larger batch, you can portion it and freeze some for later. Pull it out of the freezer and pack it in a lunchbox the
night before. Tasty and convenient!
If your kid is adventurous, dress it up with new flavors. Buffalo-style hot sauce is a nobrainer for the spice lover.
This dip is allergy-friendly and can be made using your preferred vegan or nondairy yogurt alternative. It is peanut-free, naturally gluten-free, and packed with protein from the beans and yogurt.