^[1]I whipped this up one afternoon as a quick snack and served it with apple sticks. The next morning I spread it on toast for breakfast. This could make a great lunch served with a green smoothie ^[2] and fresh veggie sticks. Contributed by April Jones.

Makes: about 1 1/2 cups

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or any kind of nondairy milk)
• 2 to 3 Medjool dates (or 1/4 cup maple syrup)
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tablespoon milled flax seed

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Add more nondairy milk if needed and scrape down sides. Serve with apple slices or on toast. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Tip: Any nut butter can replace the peanut butter. This dip does not need to be measured exactly, just throw the ingredients in your blender and blend away. If you need a bit more nondairy milk to get it to blend, add some. If you need more maple syrup or another date to sweeten it, add it. Experiment! It really is hard to mess up this mixture of ingredients. They just go together and come out great.

This is also a great way to incorporate flax seed into your diet. Flax is high in Omega-3 essential fatty acids which are good fats shown to have heart healthy effects. Flax is also high in fiber. In order to absorb these nutrients, the seed must be broken apart in a blender or grinder.

• Explore VegKitchen’s selection of flavorful snacks and dips. ^[3]

April Jones is the publisher of Kitchen-Blender-Reviews.com ^[4]. She is very passionate about green smoothies, healthy eating and teaching others the value of eating a balanced, nutritious diet.