7 Healthy Dip Recipes Perfect for Your Summer Cookout

As you start to plan your upcoming summer cookout, don't forget the dips! Store-bought dips are often filled with preservatives and processed ingredients that are not ideal for a healthy diet. But it doesn't have to be all canned beans and ranch dressing this year - why not get creative with some healthier dip recipes instead? We've put together seven delicious and nutritious dip ideas perfect for transforming your next cookout into a true feast of flavor. From classic hummus to guacamole variations, these simple homemade dips will take your gourmet BBQing skills up a notch - without sacrificing any of the taste or texture. Read on to learn how to make each one!

Hummus

Hummus is a middle-eastern dip made from cooked mashed chickpeas with lemon juice, garlic, and tahini.

Studies have shown that hummus is rich in fiber and unsaturated fat and an excellent option for people trying a healthy diet. Raffinose, a double fiber that chickpeas are rich in, is broken down by good bacteria and positively affects gut health.

and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Four tablespoons equivalent to 100 kcal of traditional, chickpea-based hummus per day provides approximately 2 cups of legumes per week and ~25 grams of dietary fiber that the American Heart Association recommends for good health.

You can occasionally swap chickpeas with other equally healthy ingredients like pumpkin, sweet potato, and avocado.

Salsa

Salsa is made predominantly from tomatoes, a rich vitamin C and Lycopene source with anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The peppers, onions, garlic, and herbs added further its goodness and healthify your metabolism, heart, and guts.

It even has antimicrobial properties and can inhibit the growth of pathogens causing infections and disease, along with being a plant-based dip.

People on a diet can also binge on it and substitute the bread with healthy crunches like celery sticks and baby carrots.

You only need to roughly chop tomatoes, onions, chilies or jalapeno, and coriander leaves and blend and season them. You can even use green tomatoes, cooked tomatoes, or even add in some occasional avocado to take the healthiness up a notch.

Honey Mustard Dip

Honey Mustard Dip is an excellent dip for plant and animal-based main courses that, when consumed in moderation, is full of health benefits. The dip contains two chief ingredients, Dijon Mustard and Honey, that keep you satiated and have a host of health benefits.

Honey is among the few superfoods having a complete spectrum of health benefits.; antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, anticancer, and antimetastatic effects that control and treat wounds, help prevent cancer and protect from heart, gastrointestinal and respiratory disease. Flavonoids and Polyphenols, the chief components of honey, help in insulin resistance, improve lipid profile, and maintain healthy blood pressure.

Mustard is rich in proteins and packed with selenium that strengthens muscles and makes your bones stronger. The American Diabetes Association recommends substituting mustard as a dip, salad, or sauce instead of mayonnaise.

While many health experts worry about the preservatives and salt added to store-honey mustard dip, making it at home can be a healthy option that you can use regularly.

Combine mustard, honey, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Fresh Lemon Juice, and season it with salt and pepper to prepare your dip. You can add olive oil to enhance the taste and keep your heart extra healthy. The dip can be added to wraps, used as a sauce for dipping vegetables, and even sauteed over meat and sauteed green leaves.

Yogurt Ranch Dip

Ranch Dip is a popular American salad dressing made by combining buttermilk, salt, onion, mustard, garlic, herbs, and spices mixed with oil emulsions or mayonnaise. Buttermilk has an acidic tinge and contains lactose, a natural sugar many people are intolerant to.

To increase its health benefits and make it more accessible to lactose intolerant people, sour cream and yogurt are used instead of buttermilk and mayonnaise, giving it the name Yogurt Ranch Dip.

Yogurt Ranch Dip is a creamy, low-calorie, low-fat dressing that can be used in a wide range of foods like salads, crudite vegetables, hot dogs, burgers, and chips. You can make your healthy version of the burgers and homemade chips or go for an occasional binge to keep the hormones happy and healthy.

Instead of sour cream, you can substitute greek yogurt with less whey and fewer calories.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki, Tarator, or Cakik is common in the cuisines of South Eastern Europe and is a wonderful option for reducing appetite, regulating hunger hormones, and increasing metabolism.

As a general rule, Tzatziki goes well with all kinds of meat, especially with grilled meat with less fat. that said, it tastes equally well with falafels, in pita wraps, sandwiches, and salad dressings.

You can dip veggies or dip it with homemade pita chips to further its health benefits. Studies have proved that self-prepared Tzatziki is a microbially stable product and maintains its sterility throughout the period of preparation, storage, and usage.

And the best part is that it is quick and easy to make with yogurt and cucumber dill. You can add mint or a teaspoon of oil for an enhanced taste.

Butternut Squash Dip

Butternut squash is rich in vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants that reduce inflammation and prevent slow cellular damage. Studies have shown that along with the pulp, the seeds and skin of butternut squash are rich in alpha-amylase enzymes and hydrolyzed peptides and have evidence of being bioactive compounds with added health benefits.

To make butternut squash dip, lightly roast the butternut and salt it before blending it with milk, herbs, and spices. You can also slow roast or bake it with the skin, making the skin softer and easy to blend with the pulp for the dip.

The seeds of butternut can be roasted separately with garlic, chili flakes, and dried herbs and added to the prepared deep for a crunch effect to the dip.

Beetroot Dip

Beetroots form a staple summer food in several places with temperate climates, where they are harvested in summer and consumed before storing them. Beetroot dip is one such healthy summer dip that originated in the middle-east but currently has a global fanbase because of its weight and health benefits.

Beetroot dips taste best when prepared in the Egyptian style by baking the beets with garlic pods for an hour and then roughly chopping them before blending them with yogurt, olive oil, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and garlic.

But you can also boil and mash them if you don't have the means to bake them or prefer boiled beets for dips. Beetroot dip goes well with crackers, pita bread, or lightly sauteed veggies. The Vitamin C in beets aids in detoxification and lowers blood pressure helping in quick recovery after exercise.