There is no denying that convenient foods are, well, convenient.  I do follow a healthy, whole food diet as much as possible but, with weekly meal prep plus the need to pack work lunches, I can’t deny that I rely on convenience foods to round things out.  Imagine my delight when I find something that is both convenient and healthy.  I discovered a product at my Natural Grocers the other day, a product so good I’m going to have to cut myself off.  I’ve already consumed one container in two days.  The product?  The Honest Stand’s cheese dip.

Okay, it’s not dairy based cheese.  However, it is organic and made with vegetables and nuts; something that makes me feel a bit better about how much of it I’ve eaten in the past few days.  And, it isn’t really an un-healthy food.  The Honest Stand came into being because the founder, Alex, suffers from celiac disease with the extra bonus of being allergic to one of the main proteins in dairy.  A product that is safe for customers who must eat gluten-free, suitable for vegans, organic, packaged in BPA free recyclable containers, and is delicious is a product I can enjoy guilt-free.

My local Natural Grocers only carries three of the five flavors: Garlic Parmesan, Smoky Cheddar, and Spicy Nacho but, as I’d always choose spicy over mild and smoky over the regular, you’ll not hear me complain.  I purchased the available flavors and took them home to test.  All three dips passed the first test, that of texture.  The dips aren’t thick like some spreads but neither are they too runny.  They can be spread on a cracker or the cracker can be dunked; whatever the preference.  The dips also passed the second test, that of taste.

The Spicy Nacho edged out the Smoky Cheddar to be my favorite.  The cheese dip can be eaten cold or warmed and the Spicy Nacho is good either way.  I took it to work and ate it with tortilla chips but it’s equally delicious topping nachos.

The Smoky Cheddar is becoming a staple in my lunch box.  It’s so easy to eat with vegetables and crackers.  I’ve tried different flavors of crackers and my favorite combination is the Smoky Cheddar dip with Back to Nature’s Cracked Pepper Harvest Whole Wheat Crackers.  The combination is extra smoky and all delicious.

The Garlic Parmesan comes in a very close third.  I haven’t tried it with crackers yet because, the moment I saw it on the store shelf, I knew what I was going to do.  I took it home, cooked up some penne pasta, warmed the cheese dip, tossed it with the pasta, ground some black pepper over the top, and tucked in.  It’s better than any Pasta Alfredo I ever remember eating.

Best of all?  It’s not too expensive: less than $4.00 per container.  Want to try it but don’t live next to a Whole Foods or Natural Grocers?  It can be ordered on The Honest Stand’s website.