Dips to get your kids to eat veggies

When I was little I would only eat salad if it had my mom's dressing on it. She made it with mayonnaise and ketchup with a dash of sugar and only later did I realize it was 1000 island sans the relish. I've been trying to get Boo to eat salad and more veggies so I whipped up a healthy version of my mom's dressing. I drizzled some on lettuce and she ate it and actually said "yum" - success! She likes to dip her baby carrots and cucumbers into it, too, so now I'm going to start introducing other raw veggies like red peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower. Here's the recipe:

Yoshi's dressing

- 1/2 cup medium-firm tofu

- 2 TB mayonnaise

- 2 1/2 TB ketchup

Place tofu in food processer and blend until smooth then add mayo and ketchup. Keep it in the frig in an airtight container and it should keep for 7-10 days (since that's how long unsealed tofu will keep). Taste it and if you want it creamier and/or sweeter, just increase the amount of mayo and ketchup.

The healthy part is the tofu which contains protein but I also used healthier versions of mayo and ketchup. I used Smart Balance mayonnaise (contains omega-3 and 6 fatty acids and it's non-hydrogenated) and a ketchup that is made of organic sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Yes, sugar isn't ideal but it's way better than corn syrup (check out this link to read why it's bad for you). If you have the time you can always make homemade ketchup. I actually have some in the freezer but didn't think to use it until now as I type this. I love the ketchup recipe but neither Boo nor DB were crazy about it but it's been a while since I offered it to her so I should try again. It really won't make a difference in the dressing anyhow. Okay, next time.

I recently discovered that Boo will eat baby carrots if I steam them so they are tender but not mushy (in my steamer, about 10 minutes). She even likes them plain since the sweetness of the carrots come out more when they are cooked. Great snack on the go! I'll just give her the dressing with her meals at home. I buy a 5 pound bag of organic babies from Costco (one of my fave places if you haven't figured that out already) so I have plenty to give her. The majority I steam, puree, then put in recipes (I like adding some to marinara sauce - you can't tell it's in there).

Hope some of these ideas help you get your little ones to eat more veggies! Would love to hear what you do to entice them.