VIDEO: Lightened Up Spinach Dip Recipe

Serving dips at parties, especially around the holidays or other winter celebrations, is a no-brainer. They’re easy to make and lend themselves perfectly to self-service while chatting and socializing. People love them! The trouble is, they also easily lead to mindless overeating. Making matters worse, dips are often laden with sour cream, mayo and cheese (i.e. lots of saturated fat) and are accompanied by thick pieces of white bread or fried chips (i.e. empty calories and carbs).

The classic spinach dip is the perfect candidate for a lightened-up makeover, however. Using Greek yogurt and reduced-fat mayonnaise slashes the fat and calories. The dip has the added bonus of being packed with vitamin-rich spinach, so you and your guests get some bonus nutrition while you nosh.

Serve with an array of colorful cut vegetables, instead of bread or chips, so you’ll be filling up on healthy food. And keep those portions under control by taking a serving on a plate, rather than dipping straight from the bowl and losing track of how much you’ve eaten.

Lightened Up Spinach Dip

(Downloadable/printable pdf version of this recipe)

Yield: 16 servings (3 Tablespoons per serving)

Ingredients:

1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, spinach, water chestnuts, onion, lemon juice, garlic, salt-free seasoning and salt. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 54 Calories; 4 grams Fat; 1 gram Saturated Fat; 4 mg Cholesterol; 139 mg Sodium; 3 grams Carbohydrates; 0 grams Fiber; 2 grams Protein