How many of you get hungry in the afternoon and want to reach for snacks? And how many of you always crave the unhealthy snacks? Chips, crackers, cookies seem to magically appear within arms reach. And while these days there are "healthier" chips, crackers, and cookies you can choose from, these still aren't the best snacks to be noshing on everyday. They are still highly processed snacks that should be consumed on an occasional basis. At least in my opinion it's far better to be snacking on fruits, nuts, vegetables with homemade dips. These are snacks you can feel good about consuming on the regular.
I'm sure you are thinking at this point, easier said than done. How often do we crave carrot sticks and celery sticks. Well if it sits in those sad party trays with ranch, then no it's not something we want all the time. But what if we had exciting dips to go with it. More gourmet exotic tasting dips that look beautiful and pack a big punch of flavors. Think how appetizing this sounds. Muhammara, roasted red pepper dip crushed walnuts, olive oil drizzle or what about Charred Babaganoush, charred eggplant dip with toasted sesame, chili pepper, and parsley? When you go more gourmet, it makes your usual dip far more exciting and tasty. For those of you who don't want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen, hummus is a great way to start your fun adventure because it doesn't require any cooking and can be whipped up in 5 minutes. Versus some of the other dips require some cooking and prep before turning into a fab dip. So for my 3rd favorite healthy recipe, I present to you my Pretty in Pink Hummus. It's easy, delicious and beautiful to look it.
If you whip that out at a party or at the office, you will for sure draw some hungry eyes towards your dip. All of a sudden those raw vegetables look mighty tasty with that dip.

Pretty in Pink Hummus
Serves: 1 Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Ingredients:
3/4 cup roasted or pre-cooked beets (Trader Jo’s has the vacuum sealed ones in their refrigerated section that’s good or you can buy cooked beets from salad counters at grocery stores like Whole Food’s)
1 cup canned garbanzo beans
2 tbs almond butter
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1tbs olive oil
2 tbs water
Method:
Toss everything in the blender and blitz until creamy. Serve immediately or chill and enjoy later. Can be stored for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Top it off with chia seeds or toasted sesame seeds
Below are other easy ways to jazz up delicious dips that don't require any cooking:
1. Use greek yogurt, garbanzo, fresh mint, cumin and blend, top pomegranate seeds
2. Use edamame, cilantro, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and sesame oil, top with sesame seeds
3. Use avocado, garbanzo, garlic, lemon, cilantro, jalapeno, sour cream, blended and top with chopped tomatoes and red onions
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