Help Your Kids B-Centered With 3 Savory Kid-Friendly Dips For Healthy After School Snacking

After school gets out, the kiddos are ALWAYS hungry! This year Syfy is starting public school and I am looking for all kinds of healthy ways that I can sneak nutrition in with his lunches and after-school snacks. What's a better snacking tool than sneakily healthy kid-friendly dips? Syfy is such a picky eater that I decided to come up with some more of my sneaky mom recipes that don't taste like they are sneakily filled with veggies and nutrition!

I've tried to sneak veggies in all sorts of ways, and not always been successful

I have been caught trying to sneak in veggies in all sorts of ways. One time, I thought that I could get away with putting a shredded carrot in a quesadilla because it's orange and might match the cheese. He did not go for it in the very first bite, and I was outed. I don't really know how it happened. I homemade all of his baby food as a baby, and gave him all sorts of fruits and veggies. He ate everything that I fed him and even loved most of it. Sometime around his third birthday, he started becoming the picky eater that he is now. We still convince him to try new things, but it never fails, he doesn't like it. That is the reason I became a sneaky mom cook, just like my Grandmother was with my Uncle Matthew. I now relish the chance to try and hide veggies in dishes that my kiddo will enjoy eating.

Sneak in nutrition with MegaFood's Kids Daily B-Centered

I have mentioned my love for MegaFood Kids Nutrient Booster Powders before with my DIY Chia Seed Pudding. In that post, we used the Kid's Daily Multi, but in this post, we're using my new favorite booster powder, MegaFood Kids Daily B-Centered Nutrient Booster Powder. The whole Hippy family lives with ADHD and so we take special care to fill our nutritional needs to support our energy, focus, and sense of calm.* I like to add MegaFood's Kids Daily B-Centered Nutrient Booster Powder to all sorts of foods for my whole family! It's not just for kids! We like MegaFood's Kids Daily B-Centered because:

• It provides daily support for mental focus, cognitive function and a sense of calmness*
• It is formulated with a full spectrum of FoodState® B Vitamins to support the health of the nervous system.*
• It contains chamomile and lemon balm, herbs known to help provide a sense of calmness in children.*
• It contains Bacopa, an Ayurvedic herb, traditionally used for children and adults alike, to enhance cognitive function*
• Emerging research has shown, L-Theanine may help to promote mental focus in easily excitable children*

3 Savory Kid-Friendly Dips For Healthy After School Snacking

When coming up with dips that the kiddo would love, I thought about what my favorite flavors were as a kid. You can't go wrong with BBQ, Ranch, and Bean Dip! I've upgraded these dips with veggies to add even more nutritional value! These are also great for adults who want to snack but are trying to eat healthier! These recipes are vegan and gluten-free depending on what ingredients  (i.e. coconut milk yogurt in the ranch dip) you use.

BBQ Sweet Potato Hummus

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups boiled garbanzo beans.)
• 2 Tbsp. Ketchup
• 1 Tbsp. soy aminos/coconut aminos/soy sauce
• 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. cumin seed powder
• 2 tsp. dry mustard powder
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup or raw unfiltered honey
• 1 cup filtered water
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 scoop MegaFood Kids Daily B-Centered Nutritional Powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Wrap sweet potato in parchment paper and bake in the oven for 45 min-1 hour (until soft) at 350 degrees F. Alternately you can pierce the sweet potato with a fork several times and microwave it for 5-8 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cut potato in half and scoop out sweet potato.
2. Add steamed sweet potato and the rest of the ingredients to your high powered blender and blend until smooth.
3. Enjoy with pita chips, veggie sticks, and more!

Zucchini "Ranch" Dip

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup plain unsweetened greek yogurt (for vegan version use coconut milk yogurt)
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill (or 1 Tbsp. dried dil)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil + 2 Tbsp for cooking
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 scoop MegaFood Kids Daily B-Centered Nutritional Powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute' onions until they turn clear. Add zucchini and garlic and continue to saute' until softened, another 10 minutes.
2. Add zucchini to the blender and let cool 5 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
4. Enjoy with sliced veggies or pita chips!

Pumpkin Black Bean Dip

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• (1) 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup peanut butter/almond butter/tahini
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 lime, zested and juiced (if you don't have a lime, a lemon will work too!)
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. coriander seed powder
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. cumin seed powder
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 scoop MegaFood Kids Daily B-Centered Nutritional Powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy with crackers, chips, and even veggie sticks!

* This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.