I’m always looking for an easier and more delicious way to nourish my family. While having your child on a healthy diet can be strategically planned, recipes like this radish cream cheese dip can help make it easier. (And it’s not a bad way for adults to enjoy more vegetables!)
Having a garden of some kind (even small ones) is something I highly recommend and I look forward to seeing the early radish varieties appear this spring. Get this recipe ready!
Healthy cream cheese dip (starring radish)
Radishes may not be at the top of many grocery lists, but this modest vegetable deserves some credit. They are packed with vitamin C and boast a long list of health benefits, including purifying the urine system, maintaining healthy blood pressure, reducing congestion, and providing respiratory assistance. Radish also has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which can even help oxygenate the blood.
Radishes are very healthy, but children may find this vegetable a bit spicy in particular. A blend of cottage cheese, radish and cream cheese will bring healthy fats from dairy to the zippy bite of the dairy. Many delicious cream cheese dips add sour cream, but I chose cottage cheese because it is high in protein.
It is also helpful to use milder varieties like French breakfast radish. Often you can find them at the farmers market or grow them yourself. The radish is sown early in spring (the danger of frost has once been over). If you’ve always wanted to start a garden, here’s a way to get started!
Wait, are dairy products healthy?
Dairy products are not a dietary need (certainly not pasteurized milk for children), but they offer health benefits. Raw, grass-fed, cultured dairy products provide nutrient fats, calcium and vitamin K2 for the healthy intestines and body.
Our family had given up on cottage cheese because of all the nasty additives until we discovered a good cultural brand (check out the grocery store near you). I love being full of stabilizers, thickeners and added flavorless proteins and cultured dairy products.
Radish cream cheese dip recipe
This smooth, creamy dip is bursting with fresh flavor from herbs and a hint of heat from the radish.
1 bundle of 8 oz cream cheese 1 cup cottage cheese 5 fresh basil leaves 1 full full fresh persle salt (flavor)
Wash the radish thoroughly and cut off the top and bottom.
Add all the ingredients to the food processor and puree until smooth.
Serve with vegetables for soaking.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts
Radish cream cheese dip recipe
Price per serving (0.25 cups)
Calories from 63 fat
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g 11%
Saturated fat 4G25%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.3g
January saturated fat 2g
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 213mg 9%
Potassium 55mg 2%
Carbohydrates 2G1%
Fiber 0.1g0%
1g 1% sugar
3G6% protein
Vitamin A 315IU6%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 35mg 4%
Iron 0.1mg 1%
*Percent daily value is based on the 2000 calorie diet.
Mix the herbs together! This recipe requires basil and parsley, but is quite generous when it comes to choosing herbs. Add a variety of delicious herbs depending on what is growing in the garden at the time. Mix it with some chives, summer flavors, dill, or other herbs of choice. Try sitting this cream cheese dip in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to melt the flavor before serving.
How to serve radish cream cheese dip
Try lightening the creamy dip with a little lemon juice. Or, for an even spicy kick, tighten it up with some chopped green onions or jalapeños! For an even more cheesy flavor, stir in grated Parmesan or shredded cheddar cheese.
We like to soak vegetables such as peppers, cucumber slices, carrots and other vegetables in this dip. You can also use homemade tortilla chips or potato chips if you like.
Soak radish cream cheese with your kids
We found that the more creative you become with eating vegetables, the more likely your children are to eat them. You will be eager to have children in the kitchen (and use a knife to make it safe!) and you will want to eat delicious pieces. Same as having a garden: they want to eat what they grew!
This shows you some fun ways to serve vegetables for more variety:
Slice the celery to the width of your fingers, cut the “celery miles” into cubes of vegetables, and arrange them on a skewer of vegetable kabob. Soft foods such as cucumbers, celery, avocados and tomatoes are easy to skewer. Let the sliced vegetables and vegetable sticks line up in your own artwork. Create photos, create scenes, eat them!
More dip recipes
Looking for some new recipe ideas? Here are some appetizer dips to try at your next snack or meal. It is also made with simple ingredients, with a lot of protein!
What is the way you get more vegetables in your diet? Do you have a favorite dip you want to use?
