Homemade dips may seem a time-consuming exercise but get the kids involved (especially on a rainy day) and experiment with lots of flavours and your BBQ’s will never be the same again!
We have included recipes here but you don’t always need a recipe, just add ingredients to suit you, for example, we always add a clove of garlic to our dips but if you don’t like it, just leave it out.
Try adding things like a teaspoon of pesto, some mixed herbs or chilli powder etc. Make the dips to suit your taste. If you don’t have a food processor, a hand-blender is fine or sometimes even a fork will do.
We have carb counted these dips but small portions of them (30g) should not raise BG and not need any insulin because they are veggie-based.
Make sure you put a portion on your plate rather than dipping in the big bowl. However, roasting the veg may release some of the natural sugars so, if you try these dip recipes, we would recommend you to check your BG two hours after eating to make sure your BG is not going up. If BG goes up, try eating less or giving insulin.
Serve with veggie sticks. If you serve with crackers, oatcakes, wraps, bread, rice cakes, breadsticks or crisps, don’t forget to carb count for those!
We have assumed 30g as a portion (2 tablespoons) in the following recipes.
Minty Pea Dip (no cook)
Ingredients
- 120g defrosted frozen garden peas (12g carbs)
- 30g (2 tablespoons) soured cream (30g) (1g carbs)(or natural yoghurt – 2.4g carbs)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed or finely grated)(0g carbs)
- Fresh mint (small handful – add more or less to suit your taste) (0g carbs)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Add to a bowl and blend with a hand blender until smooth. If you want a chunkier dip, just blend less!
Notes:
Whole dip is 150g. 1 portion is 30g.
Portions in recipe 150÷30g = 5 portions
Total carbs = 13g ( using soured cream) or 14.4g carbs (using natural yoghurt).
Carbs per 30g portion 13g ÷ 5 = 2.6g (soured cream) or carbs per 30g portion 14.4g ÷ 5 = 3g (natural yoghurt)
Roasted Pepper Dip (no cook)
Ingredients
- 1 jar of roast pepper, drained (look at carbs on the label and carb count for the amount you use)
- 1 chilli (optional) (0g carbs)
- 15g (1 tablespoon) plain yoghurt (1.2g carbs)
- 1 small clove garlic (crushed or finely grated)(0g carbs)
- 1 teaspoon red or green pesto (0g carbs)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Tip the peppers into a bowl, add the other ingredients and blend with a hand blender until smooth.
Notes:
Carbs per portion will depend on carbs in jar of red peppers
Sweetcorn Dip (no cook)
Ingredients
- 200g (1/2 tin) sweetcorn in water (28g carbs)
- 30g (2 tablespoons) soured cream (1g carbs)(or natural yoghurt – 2.4g carbs)
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped (0g carbs)
- Juice of 1 lime (0g carbs)
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)(0g carbs)
- 1 small garlic clove (crushed or finely grated) (0g carbs)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Tip the sweetcorn into a bowl. Add the soured cream or yoghurt, lime juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth or chunky. Once blended, add the finely chopped spring onion and chilli (if using) and mix together.
Notes:
Whole dip is 230g. 1 portion is 30g.
Portions in recipe 230 ÷ 30g = 8 portions
Total carbs = 29g ( using soured cream) or 30.4g carbs (using natural yoghurt).
Carbs per 30g portion 29g ÷ 8 = 3.5g (soured cream) or carbs per 30g portion 30.4g ÷ 8 = 4g (natural yoghurt)
Butternut Squash dip
Ingredients
- 265g baked butternut squash (20g carbs)
- 30g (2 tablespoons) soured cream (1g carbs) or plain yoghurt – 2.4g carbs)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed or finely grated) (0g carbs)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional, try other spice if you like)
- 1 chilli, finely chopped (0g carbs)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Roast the squash until the flesh is soft. Scrape out of the skin and weigh the portion into a bowl. Add all your other ingredients, and mash together with a masher or a fork.
Notes:
Whole dip is 295g. 1 portion is 30g.
Portions in recipe 295 ÷ 30g = 10 portions
Total carbs = 21g (using soured cream) or 22.4g carbs (using natural yoghurt).
Carbs per 30g portion 21g ÷ 10 = 2g (soured cream) or carbs per 30g portion 22.4g ÷ 10 = 2.2g (natural yoghurt)
Guacamole (no cook)
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados (6g carbs)
- 1-2 limes (0g carbs)
- 1 large clove garlic (crushed or finely grated)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime in and add the grated garlic. Season. Mash together with a masher or a fork and taste. It may need the juice from the other lime, if so, add that to suit your taste.
Can add finely chopped chilli of you like it zingy!
Notes:
From the carbs and cals book
30g (2 tablespoons) = 1g carbs
Tzatziki (no cook)
Ingredients
- 200g Low fat Greek style yoghurt (13g carbs)
- 8cm (approx) piece of cucumber (grated, can use the skin) (0g carbs)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed or finely grated)
- Black pepper to taste
Method
Add yoghurt to a bowl, grate in the cucumber and garlic. Season with black pepper. Mix together!
Notes:
Whole dip is 200g.
1 portion is 30g.
Portions in recipe 200 ÷ 30g = 7 portions
Total = 13g carbs.
Carbs per 30g portion is 13g ÷ 7 = 2g carbs
To download the above recipes as a printable PDF, please click here.