RAW VEGETABLES WITH RANCH DIP

Raw vegetables with ranch dip make the perfect super-easy dish to bring along for any occasion. Because it’s so easy to put this dish together, it’s something you may want to have readily available to give you a healthy option when you open the fridge looking for something to snack on. It especially helps get kids in the habit of grabbing a healthy raw snack instead of processed options. For those of us with a sweet tooth or carb addiction, this is not the number one choice we reach for, and all the more important to change our snacking habits towards healthy food to stop feeding the wrong microbiome in the gut. I myself have transitioned from not even tolerating raw foods well at all to drinking a raw green juice every morning and eating plenty of raw vegetables and fruit throughout the day. It took time and effort to make this happen but I found the more healthy choices I had readily available, the easier it was to make a healthy choice. Over time I was able to resist the temptation to feed my gut inflammation more and more, and eventually I started craving healthy raw foods to an extent that I don’t even like having to interrupt my healthy routine when I don’t have the time or am traveling.
For the vegetables, I try to buy local and in season as much as possible, as those vegetables usually have the highest nutritional value. If that’s not available, I go for organic raw foods from the local supermarket or Whole Foods store. Anything such as carrots, celery stalks, radishes, cauliflower florets, cucumber, snap peas, broccoli florets, or different kinds of peppers work great - simply peel or cut them and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Unfortunately, store-bought dips usually are loaded with sugar and food additives, ruining the health benefit of the snack. For some people, those processed dips are the only driving motivation to eat raw vegetables, which is not a good sign. Making your own dip from scratch using only whole ingredients removes the unwanted food additives and greatly enhances the health benefit. I know this takes a little time and effort, but it does make a big difference when you add tiny healthy choices whose health benefit will add up over time. I also use my own homemade yoghurt for this dip, which is fermented for 24 hours instead of the usual 6 hours. The longer fermentation process allows the beneficial bacteria to break down most of the lactose and simultaneously multiply in numbers, giving you plenty of good bacteria with every spoonful. This yogurt is much easier to digest due to the extremely low lactose content and the beneficial bacteria that help heal and soothe the gut lining. I hope you too can find time and strength to make more healthy choices every day.
Wishing you all the best in Creating Healthy Times!
Bon Appetit!

INGREDIENTS
raw vegetables to fill your vegetable platter:
carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise
celery stalks, cut lengthwise
English cucumber, sliced 1/4”thick
bell pepper, seeds removed and cut
cauliflower florets
radishes

for the dip:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup homemade yoghurt
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
fresh black pepper
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp fresh chives, minced
1 tbsp fresh dill, minced

If you do not have fresh herbs available, you can substitute them with 2 tsp of my homemade ranch seasoning mix - see recipe below.

INSTRUCTIONS
Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and use a whisk to mix together until smooth. Serve with your favorite raw vegetables.

The dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

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RANCH SEASONING MIX
INGREDIENTS
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp onion flakes
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried chives
2 tsp dried dill
3 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp sea salt
black pepper