It is back-to-school time and time to keep plenty of healthy snacks on hand. Kids love dips and the action of dipping foods, so parents might want to include dips along with the snack as a way to get kids to eat good-for-you snacks this school year.

According to a study published by the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 70 percent of kids were found to be bitter-sensitive. This means that bitter foods, such as broccoli and cucumber, can produce an unpleasant taste.  When these bitter-sensitive kids were offered a dip with their veggies, they ate 80 percent more vegetables than kids who weren’t given a dip. Dips can be a great way to combat taste barriers and encourage kids to keep trying vegetables!

When considering dip and dipper after-school snack options, think “whole, real foods.”  Whole foods tend to be less processed and have less sodium, sugar or fat. Whole fruit and veggies, dairy foods such as milk, yogurt and cheese, and whole grains such as whole grain cereals, crackers and breads are a good starting point.