Kid-friendly foods: minted celery hummus

Having trouble getting enough protein in your children's diets? Hummus is a versatile dip that is chock full of flavour and nutrients. Pack some hummus in your child's lunch and you may be surprised at the positive response you'll receive. Here's a recipe for the whole family to enjoy.

Celery gives a lovely light crunch to this high-fibre chickpea dip, while mint imparts a clean, fresh flavour. Serve with vegetable sticks and warm pita bread for a quick, healthy, low-fat snack. This hummus will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for three days.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

• 1 can (400 g/14 oz) chickpeas, drained
• 4 large leaves fresh mint
• 1 clove garlic
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) tahini
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) olive oil
• 1 stalk celery
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Mint sprigs, to garnish

1. Put the chickpeas, mint, garlic and tahini in a food processor and reduce to a chunky mixture.
2.  With the motor running, gradually pour in the oil until the mixture forms a thick paste. Continue to process, adding 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of water to thin the hummus if it is too thick.
3.  Dice the celery and add it to the processor with the lemon zest and half of the lemon juice. Process for three seconds to avoid mashing the celery. Stir in the remaining lemon juice, season to taste and transfer the hummus to a bowl. Serve garnished with mint sprigs.

Serves 4

•  Fennel instead of celery is delicious and delicate in hummus. Use a quarter of a fennel bulb, finely diced, and don't use mint. For a more pronounced anise flavour, use the top of the fennel bulb — the remains of the stalk and any feathery leaves — chop, and add them to the hummus with the garlic and chickpeas.
• For a hummus with a rich tomato flavour, finely chop four sun-dried tomatoes (drained, if packed in oil) and add them with the celery in step 3.
• Leave out the mint leaves but stir in a finely shredded basil sprig. Let the hummus stand for 30 minutes and stir before serving.

•  A low-fat, starchy, high-fibre food, chickpeas are good for digestive health. They also contain calcium, which helps to maintain healthy bones and teeth, and are a useful source of iron, making them a great alternative to red meat.

• Tahini is sesame seed paste. It is thick and pale, usually with a layer of oil on the surface that has separated from the ground seeds. Stir well before use.
• If you do not have a food processor, make the hummus in a blender. Use a spatula to scrape the mixture down the sides occasionally so that it processes evenly.

Nutritional information: 251 Calories, 19 g Fat, 3 g Saturated Fat, 13 g Carbohydrates, 7 g Protein, 1 g Fibre.

Hummus is a great way of getting extra protein in your diet and makes a great kid-friendly snack.