Why You Should be Eating Dips for Lunch

As a defiant response to sad desk lunches, the Food52 team works to keep our midday meals both interesting and pretty. Each week, we'll be sharing our happiest desk lunches -- and we want to see yours, too. This post is brought to you by Triscuit.

Today: Shake up your lunchtime routine with dip-able textures and flavors, then grab some crackers and dunk away.

Lunch is the highlight of our day. It's an opportunity to break up the monotony of the work day and offers a welcome respite from larger, entrée-focused meals (we love our breakfasts and dinners). For days when a trusty sandwich isn't enough, dips offer some lunchtime variety that's good for all day snacking.

More: Attached to your PB&J? Here are some alternatives to spice it up.

Dips are the perfect deskside companion: There are so many different flavors and textures to choose from, and they're easy to pack -- all you need are a few Tupperware containers to transport them and a box or bag of your preferred dipping medium. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Draw inspiration from the classics. 
Guacamole and salsa deserve to be considered as more than just burrito accompaniments, and hummus and white bean dip can stand on their own with enough crackers at their side.

Go for strong flavors.
Chances are you have all the makings of a delicious French onion dip in your refrigerator: Whip up a batch so you can dunk away all afternoon (for the sake of your coworkers, consider finishing it with a mint, or two). Add some fried onion pieces or toasted nuts on top for an added crunch.

Vegetables are dippable, too.
For some additional texture, consider a heartier, vegetable-based dip like spinach and artichoke or eggplant baba ganoush.

Melted cheese is always a good idea. 
We don't know if you've heard, but melted cheese is heaven -- that leftover fondue from the 70s party you had last weekend will be enough to make your Monday feel more like a Friday.

Take your bean dip to the next level.
We've also had a thing for beans lately, which deserve their own dip category. This coffee-based black bean dip will give you the extra jolt you need, without a trip to the office coffee pot, and you'll want to bring a double batch of this tangy and bright miso hummus to make sure you have plenty to share.

The best part? It’s easy to stretch lunch when you’re eating one cracker at a time. Eat them all day long and make the best part of the day last and last.

Photos by Mark Weinberg 

Our friends at Triscuit have more ideas for your next snack. Get inspired on Pinterest.