Healthy eating is not about deprivation or restriction - you can still have your cheese platter on a Friday night but try to make mindful modifications.

Instead of choosing dips from the supermarket, get creative and make your own. Not only will they taste better, but they will also be better for you.

Try below my favourite dips on rotation right now! I love these with healthy crackers (see below a great 10 minute, 3 ingredient recipe), veggie sticks or with sweet potato and parsnip chips.

Avocado Smash

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 avocados

1/2 cup unsweetened Greek yoghurt

1 lime, juiced

Pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Method

Mash avocado.

Mix in yoghurt, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Chilli Roast Pumpkin

Serves 4

Ingredients

350g peeled pumpkin, cut into 5cm chunks

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, skin left on

1 long red chilli, seeds discarded

2 tbsp unsweetened Greek yoghurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp ground cumin

Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Place the pumpkin on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and roast for 30 minutes.

With 15 minutes remaining, turn the pumpkin and add the garlic and chilli. Roast for a further 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Squeeze the garlic out of the skin.

Place the pumpkin, remaining olive oil, garlic, and chilli in a food processor. Blitz until combined. Add the yoghurt and blend until smooth. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Beetroot Dip

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large beetroot, scrubbed and peeled

2 cloves garlic, skin left on

1/4 cup unsweetened Greek yoghurt

1 tsp ground cumin

Juice of half a lemon

Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Wrap the beetroot in foil, along with a teaspoon of water. Place on a baking tray and roast for 60 minutes. Add the garlic to the tray for the last 10 minutes. Let cool.

Roughly chop the beetroot and place in a food processor. Squeeze the garlic from the skin and add to the food processor, along with the yoghurt, cumin and lemon juice. Process until smooth.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

Healthy Wholegrain Crackers

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 medium wholegrain wraps

Extra-virgin olive oil

Seat salt, to season

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Cut wraps into little triangles. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Lightly brush olive oil over the wraps.

Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Once crisp, serve with the dips.