After weeks of counting down the days until pay day and spotting A-list celebrities jetting off to the Greek islands, the only thing we've found solace in is the ability to pop down to the local supermarket to buy a four-pack of snacking dips and pitta bread, without the guilt.
(Who needs a tan when you can devour a pot of hummus and a packet of Rivita thins, right?)
But according to a new study, those healthy dips we've been tucking into aren't as nutritious as we thought.
According to campaign group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash), 'healthy' dips such as hummus, taramasalata, salsa, tzatziki and guacamole are often laden with excess calories and contain more salt than four packets of crisps.
Researchers studied 210 dips sold by major supermarkets in the UK and found many were 'salt and fat traps'.
Three-quarters of hummus pots (74%) were found to carry a 'traffic light' label red warning for fat, while a serving of Asda's taramasalata contains the same amount of salt as 13 Ritz crackers.
Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer's 200g caramelised onion hummus had over 3g of salt which is eight times the amount found in a 25g bag of Walkers ready salted crisps. (FYI, the NHS recommended daily salt intake for adults is 6g – the equivalent of one teaspoon's worth.).
Unfortunately our favourite dip hummus is the worst for high salt and calorific properties as not one of the 108 products tested in the survey carried a green label (meaning low level) for salt.
The study also found that a 100g serving of the chickpea-based dip contains on average 280 calories – almost 15% of the recommended daily intake for women.
Sonia Pombo, a nutritionist and a campaign manager for CASH advises shoppers to 'read the label carefully and opt for healthier brands' when buying dips.
'Also, remember to swap unhealthy sides (crisps and biscuits etc) with vegetables, eg carrots, peppers and tomatoes, for [an] added bonus,' she added.
But everything in moderation, right?
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
