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i love this idea! i'm on the go all the time and have been trying to hard to eat well. thanks!

I love this idea-thank you for the tip.

I do the same type of thing, with a little different twist. I take a small stainless steel condiment cup (can find at any kitchen store) and fill it with veggie dip. Then I put the condiment cup inside a 2-cup plastic Ziploc container, and surround it with whatever veggies I have that day, like baby carrots, radishes, cucumber, etc. Same idea and works better with small veggies!

oooh, that's a great idea! Thanks! Now, to find a healthy non-sour creamy dip other than hummus...

Great idea! I use old jars to store all kinds of things in the kitchen, but this one hadn't occurred to me! Thanks!

Oooh, that's perfect for a friend of mine on a restricted diet. Thanks for the idea!

This looks like a great idea, but I have to wonder if the dip could change the texture of the veggies at all?

this post has changed my life. so smart!

I rarely watch the Food Network anymore (cartoons are slowly taking over the TV), but I happened to watch some slightly spazzy girl make some sort of white bean dip with five ingredients or something this past weekend. While I didn't really get the five-ingredients-or-less schtick (it's bean dip, for crying out loud), she stored the dip and celery like this to take along to a picnic. I was more excited about her packing method than her dip.

Can we have the recipe for the Tofu, Bean and Basil dip?

i love this idea. thanks so much

Kidding - The only thing I've found that really loses it's texture is cucumbers, and even that is only with a really dry dip (like the pictured bean dip!)

meleyna - A friend called to tell me the same thing this morning! I'm a little spazzy too, so great minds must think alike!

Squirrely - 2 Cans White Northern Beans, 1/2 White Onion, 4 cloves garlic, splash of olive oil (saute until onions are soft), then add mixture into the food processor (blender should work as well) along with 1 brick of silken tofu, a large handful of basil, salt, pepper and a dash of hot sauce if you wish. Pulse till creamy!

-Sarahrae

I use wide-mouth mason jars for everything. I love them. This is just yet another way to do so! Thanks!

Emily

@as3087 re: healthy dips

babaghanoush, ranch made with kefir, cowboy caviar... there are lots!

@meleyna, I saw that too! She was a bit over the top, but what a great packing idea. I can't wait to try it out.

@as3087:
Roasted eggplant dip: broil eggplant, remove flesh, combine with a bit of Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs (parsley, thyme) or good chili powder.

Black Bean Dip: combine in food processor: cooked black beans, lots of lime juice, cilantro, some olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper, and roasted red pepper if desired.

Feta Red Pepper Dip: feta cheese, a couple of roasted red peppers, Urfa chili pepper, black pepper

Greek Yogurt Dip: Greek yogurt, lots of citrus zest (orange, lemon, lime), citrus juice, olive oil, salt, fresh dill or fresh parsley.

Also, when I'm having large parties, placing dip in little cups with veggies is a fun passed hors d'oeuvre.

Great tips and some yummy sounding dips too.

This is brilliant.

What a great idea! Thanks!

What a great idea! We have lots of mason jars, and use them for everything. Our lunch gets packed in one of these - http://www.laptoplunches.com/, but many times it would be nice to have an additional snack container of vegetables. Right now would be perfect, as I catch up on these great food posts.

And for those folks asking about other types of dip, we've been making all vegetable dips. Got the idea from Mark Bittman (In the NY Times here - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/dining/081mrex.html as well as his great book 'Food Matters' - http://www.amazon.com/Food-Matters-Conscious-Eating-Recipes/dp/1416575642/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251477020&sr=8-2).

Blend up any thawed frozen vegetable (broccoli and peas are favorites) with a little water, lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper. A tiny bit of a good olive oil really makes a difference here. We've also steamed carrots and sweet potatoes and treated them the same, ditto for cauliflower. Fun for parties, and so colorful.

I love this idea! I've been sending this, with a similar dip, in my daughter's lunchbox all week. She loves it! I linked to this article here: http://make-happy.blogspot.com/2009/09/faux-hummus-aka-fancy-bean-dip.html

Thanks!