Summer Boost
Activity:
Homemade Hummus
With so many high fat snacks on the market, eating healthy can be tricky. Help your child make a low fat snack with little more than a can of chick peas. In addition to something tasty, she will learn about measuring and mixing. She will also end up with something nutritious that she can share with family and friends.
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What You Need:
- 1 15-ounce can chick peas or garbanzo beans
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Small bowl
- Medium bowl
What You Do:
- Open the can of chick peas and drain off the liquid, but don’t pour it into the sink. Pour it into the small bowl. Your child will use some of it in Step 4.
- Have your child pour the chick peas into the blender, and help her measure the garlic powder, chili powder, the cumin, the salt, the olive oil, and add them to the blender.
- Have your child blend the ingredients.
- At this point she will have a coarse meal, when what she wants is a smooth dip. Help her add several spoonfuls of the liquid from the can, and blend again.
- Repeat Step 4 until the hummus is the desired consistency.
Canned chick peas give a smoother texture than cooked dried chick peas. If you don’t have a blender, you can do this in a bowl with a hand blender. If you use a food processor, it may be difficult to get the hummus smooth enough. Serve with pita or tortilla chips, carrot or celery sticks or cucumber slices.
