Colour up School Lunches with Vegetable Hummus 3 Ways

Feb 8, 2016

Written by Carol Harrison

It seems kids really do eat with their eyes. Research from Cornell University found kids prefer six different colours on a plate. And that’s a good thing since more colours means more variety, one of the cornerstones of good nutrition. So why settle for beige hummus when you can colour it up? It’s just another fun way to get kids to try new foods at lunch.

If your child can whirl up a smoothie, they can make vegetable hummus.

Blitz about 3/4 cup of cooked vegetables in with your standard hummus recipe to achieve these fab colours:

Pink (beets)
Orange (sweet potato or carrots)
Green (peas or edamame)
Red (red peppers)

Fun idea: Get your child to come up with their own signature veggie-hummus creation.

A great time-saving tip!

We all know fresh tastes best and homemade hummus costs about 1/3 less than store bought, but did you know you can freeze it for 3-4 months? I’ve tried it and the taste and texture holds up fine.

For times when homemade hummus seems like too much work (much like making a bed!), you can always add pureed, leftover cooked vegetables to store-bought hummus.

I would love to hear what vegetable hummus concoction your child comes up with. Please share it here.

Cheers!

Carol

Colour up School Lunches with Vegetable Hummus 3 Ways Recipe

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Photo from Yummy Lunch Club

Dietitian’s Tip: When choosing canned chickpeas, buy the no-added salt varieties or drain and rinse salted varieties to cut the sodium by 40% (as well as the gas producing liquids!).
Kids Cook* Younger kids can help assemble and put the ingredients into the blender. With your supervision, older kids can likely manage the entire recipe.

Source: Yummy Lunch Club

Recipe type: dips/spreads

Serves: 2¾ cups

Ingredients

1 can (14 fl oz or 398 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed OR 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
⅓ cup (75 mL) tahini paste (that’s ground sesame seeds)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice (about ½ large lemon)
3 tbsp (45 mL) canola oil
½ tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
⅓ cup (75 mL) water
¾ cup (175 mL) cooked vegetables, diced (Ontario beets, carrots, sweet potato)

Instructions

Blitz all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add more water for a thinner consistency.

Tip: Make sure the veggies are well cooked to avoid starchy, slightly undercooked bits in your hummus.Recipe adapted from: Pulse Canada’s Chickpea Hummus* These ideas are meant as a guide only. You know best what your child can safely manage. Make sure they understand your rules for working in the kitchen safely and always supervise kids in the kitchen.