Dip: it helps some children eat vegetables, and the sodium stays

Dip is a common way to get vegetables into small children, and the two studies we have on it disagree. In 152 mostly Hispanic Head Start preschoolers over 7 weeks, bitter-sensitive children ate 80% more raw broccoli when it came with a dressing dip, and the dip made no difference for children who were not bitter-sensitive. The classrooms were randomized, and the authors call the design quasi-experimental. A meta-analysis of studies in 4017 children aged 2 to 5 found that, on average, intake was greater when vegetables were offered plain than when paired with a flavor, dip or added oil, and repeated tasting worked best. That review includes non-randomized arms and gives no effect size for the dip pairing. What is in the tub varies widely. A generic dip in the US survey database has 432 calories and 45.18 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), while bean dip made with refried beans has 119 calories, 3.7 g fat and 4.9 g fiber.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Dips span a wide range: a generic dip in the US survey database has 432 calories and 45.18 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), while bean dip made with refried beans has 119 calories, 3.7 g fat and 4.9 g fiber. — Food composition data, US Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: Dip NFS 432 calories, 45.18 g fat, 0.3 g fiber, 718 mg Na; bean dip 119 calories, 3.7 g fat, 4.9 g fiber, 443 mg Na; cheese dip 163 calories, 13.27 g fat
• UK sour-cream based dips average 360 calories and 37.0 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), with 330 mg sodium, about half the sodium of the generic US dip. — Food composition data, UK Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: energy 360 calories, fat 37.0 g, protein 2.9 g, carbohydrate 4.0 g, sugars 2.0 g, sodium 330 mg

What a real portion looks like

• A tablespoon of generic dip (15 g) gives about 65 calories and 108 mg sodium, and a 70 g single-serve container about 302 calories and 503 mg sodium. — US household measures Evidence E source
  1 tbsp 15 g: 64.8 calories, 6.8 g fat, 107.7 mg Na; 1 container 70 g: 302.4 calories, 31.6 g fat, 502.6 mg Na

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover trial in 7 adults, salads eaten with fat-free dressing yielded negligible carotenoid absorption, and dressing with 28 g oil gave more than 6 g. — healthy adults, salads with dressing containing 0, 6 or 28 g canola oil (n = 7) Evidence B source
  Fat-free: negligible alpha-, beta-carotene and lycopene in chylomicrons; 6 g > 0 g (P < 0.04); 28 g > 6 g (P < 0.02)
• In 16 adults eating a salad, an emulsified test fat raised total carotenoid absorption 40.0% over the same fat unemulsified. — adults, identical salad with 0.99 oz (28 g) of one of 4 fats (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Positive iAUC 1-10 h of total carotenoids +40.0% emulsified vs nonemulsified

What it does to your health

• In 152 preschoolers over 7 weeks, bitter-sensitive children ate 80% more raw broccoli when it came with a dressing dip, while dip did nothing for bitter-insensitive children. — predominantly Hispanic Head Start preschoolers, broccoli twice weekly for 7 weeks (n = 152) Evidence B source
  +80% broccoli intake with dressing vs plain in bitter-sensitive children (P<0.001); no effect in non-sensitive children; liking unchanged by dip

Safety, limits and interactions

• Light and yogurt-based ranch dips cut fat to about a third of regular ranch, but sodium stays at 607 to 646 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 718 mg. — Food composition data, US Evidence E source
  Ranch regular / light / yogurt based: energy 432 / 201 / 195 calories; fat 45.18 / 15.25 / 16.09 g; sodium 718 / 607 / 646 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What people believe that the data does not support

• By meta-analysis of 30 studies in preschoolers, vegetable intake was greater when vegetables were offered plain than paired with a flavor, dip or added oil. — children aged 2-5, 44 intervention arms (n = 4017) Evidence B source
  Repeated taste exposure beat other strategies; plain form beat pairing with dip or added energy

The bottom line

Portions add up fast. A tablespoon of generic dip (15 g) gives about 65 calories and 108 mg sodium, and a 70 g single-serve container about 302 calories and 503 mg sodium, values recalculated from 100 g. UK sour-cream based dips average 360 calories, 37.0 g fat and 330 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). Light and yogurt-based ranch dips cut fat to about a third of regular ranch, 15.25 g and 16.09 g against 45.18 g per 3.5 oz (100 g). Their sodium stays at 607 to 646 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 718 mg for regular. That sodium figure is the only caution our cards support. We found no study on allergy, pregnancy or medicine interactions specific to dips. The fat in a dip may matter for the vegetables you dip, although no trial tested a dip. In a randomized crossover trial in 7 adults, salads with a fat-free dressing delivered a negligible amount of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene into the blood. In 16 adults eating a salad, an emulsified test fat raised total carotenoid absorption 40.0% over the same fat unemulsified, after one meal. Both trials used dressings or test emulsions. The direction may carry over to a creamy dip, and the size may not.

Sources

1. dipf-daily-r6-01 · food composition table
   FNDDS 2024-10-31 per 100 g: Dip, NFS (2705618) Energy 432 KCAL, Total lipid (fat) 45.18 G, Fiber 0.3 G, Sodium 718 MG; Bean dip, made with refried beans (2707400) Energy 119 KCAL, Total lipid (fat) 3.7 G, Fiber 4.9 G, Sodium 443 MG; Cheese dip (2705786) Energy 163 KCAL, Total lipid (fat) 13.27 G, Sodium 656 MG
   USDA FNDDS 2024-10-31, fdc_id 2705618, 2707400, 2705786 · checked 2026-09-28
2. dipf-daily-r6-03 · food composition table
   CoFID 2021 17-299 Dips, sour-cream based, assorted flavours: Energy 360 kcal, Fat 37.0 g, Protein 2.9 g, Carbohydrate 4.0 g, Total sugars 2.0 g, Sodium 330 mg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, code 17-299 · checked 2026-09-28
3. dipf-daily-r6-04 · portion data
   FNDDS 2024-10-31 Dip, NFS (2705618): 1 tablespoon 15 g; 1 individual container 70 g; Quantity not specified 60 g; per 100 g Energy 432 KCAL, Total lipid (fat) 45.18 G, Sodium 718 MG
   USDA FNDDS 2024-10-31, Dip, NFS, fdc_id 2705618 · checked 2026-09-28
4. dipf-daily-r6-07 · RCT, crossover
   After ingestion of the salads with fat-free salad dressing, the appearance of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene in chylomicrons was negligible.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2004 · checked 2026-09-28
5. dipf-daily-r6-08 · RCT, crossover
   Emulsified fat induced 40.0% greater positive iAUC1-10h of TC than nonemulsified fat.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-28
6. dipf-daily-r6-05 · cluster RCT
   Bitter-sensitive children, however, ate 80% more broccoli with dressing than when served plain (P<0.001); effects did vary based on whether regular or light dressing was provided as a dip or sauce. Dip did not promote broccoli intake among bitter-insensitive children.
   J Acad Nutr Diet, 2012 · checked 2026-09-28
7. dipf-daily-r6-02 · food composition table
   FNDDS 2024-10-31 per 100 g: Ranch dip, regular (2705623) Energy 432 KCAL, fat 45.18 G, Sodium 718 MG; Ranch dip, light (2705624) Energy 201 KCAL, fat 15.25 G, Sodium 607 MG; Ranch dip, yogurt based (2705446) Energy 195 KCAL, fat 16.09 G, Sodium 646 MG
   USDA FNDDS 2024-10-31, fdc_id 2705623, 2705624, 2705446 · checked 2026-09-28
8. dipf-daily-r6-06 · meta-analysis
   Intake increased with number of taste exposures and intake was greater when vegetables offered were in their plain form rather than paired with a flavor, dip or added energy (e.g. oil).
   Appetite, 2018 · checked 2026-09-28