If, like most people, you don’t get enough vegetables in your diet, dips and spreads an easy way to meet your nutritional requirements. Dips like numerous salsa, hummus, and guacamole brands available on the market are brimming with the veggies and nutrition you need. They are an easy way to catch up on your intake of necessary vegetables.
Eat your vegetables!
That advice isn’t just for children. Most adults are aware that they need to eat a minimum amount of vegetables, but it isn’t easy. Shopping, preparation and storage all take time, and vegetables left too long in the refrigerator or on the counter tend to go bad. The end result is that most people don’t eat enough vegetables.
Researchers have found that as many as nine out of ten Americans don?t get enough vegetables each day. This includes nutrient-rich beans. In fact, people manage to eat only about one cup of vegetables every day. And when it comes for the recommended amount of beans per week, which is one and a half cups, most people eat less than one cup.
The revised 2010 Dietary Guidelines also recommend eating more vegetables, including beans. Vegetables are rich in nutrients and help in weight management while reducing the risk of many chronic diseases and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and inflammation.
Yes, dips are veggies too!
An easy and tasty way to eat your veggies is to pick up a healthy dip and pair it with crackers, pita chips or toast for a quick and delicious snack. Many hummus, salsa, and guacamole brands and yogurt dips all contain vegetables that will boost your health. They are also non-fattening. Studues have found that all-natural Greek Yogurt Veggie Dips are 67% lower in calories and 88% lower in fat than the leading brands of sour cream dips.
There are significant health benefits from eating your recommended weekly allowance of vegetables and beans. People who eat more fruit and vegetables – three or more times a day as opposed to once or not at all – show a significantly lower risk for heart disease and stroke. The higher consumption of fruit and vegetables was found to be strongly associated with a 27% lower incidence of stroke, 42% lower incidence of stroke mortality and 25% lower CVD mortality.
Some delicious varieties of dips to try include:
- Basil pesto hummus
- Fresh guacamole dips
- Roasted garlic hummus
- Roasted red pepper hummus dip
- Tzatziki greek yogurt dip
Many salsa, hummus and guacamole brands have several delicious varieties. Why not make it your mission to try them all, and to get your full intake of vegetables at the same time!