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Dip In For Less Than 100 Calories

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By KATHY MANWEILER McClatchy Newspapers

Published: December 12, 2007

This season is party time, and tempting foods are at every turn.

Dips are popular fare, but many of them are nothing but empty calories - for example, sour cream, cream cheese or mayonnaise spiked with seasonings.

Just two tablespoons of some dips contain more than 100 calories and more than 10 grams of fat, so even if you dip vegetables instead of chips, calories can still stack up fast.

But healthier options can give you the flavors you crave along with some vegetables and protein.

So here are three of my favorite recipes for healthy dips, which are all adapted from Cooking Light recipes.

Some fresh basil, garlic and shredded Parmesan add punch to this Spinach-Parmesan Dip. The original recipe called for plain yogurt, but I thought that gave this dip an unpleasant taste, so I use light sour cream instead. You can have 1/4 cup of this Spinach-Parmesan Dip for 62 calories and 4.5 fat grams.

The Tomato-Feta Dip is delicious when served with toasted French bread. I add a touch of olive oil to the recipe because it enhances the taste and texture of the dip. A 1/4 -cup serving of this dip contains 65 calories and 4.8 fat grams.

Cooking Light's crab dip recipe includes fat-free sour cream and fat-free Thousand Island dressing, but I use light sour cream and reduced-calorie dressing instead because I think they add a lot more flavor for just a few extra calories. A 1/4 -cup serving of Crunchy Crab Dip has 72 calories and 3.4 grams of fat.

TOMATO-FETA DIP

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, drained

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first five ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle feta cheese evenly in a small, shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with tomato mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with toasted bread slices. Makes about 2 cups. Serves 8.

( 1/4 cup): 65 calories, 4.8 grams fat, 2.3 grams carbohydrates, 2.4 grams protein, 0.4 grams fiber, 369 milligrams sodium, no cholesterol

SPINACH-PARMESAN DIP

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed

1/3 cup block-style 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute one minute. Add salt and spinach and saute three minutes. At first, the spinach will seem to overflow in the skillet, but keep stirring. It reduces in volume as it wilts. Place spinach mixture in a colander, and press until moisture is drained from spinach.

Put spinach, basil, cream cheese and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Spoon spinach mixture into a medium bowl, and add sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Cover and chill.

Makes 2 cups. Serves 8.

( 1/4 cup): 62 calories, 3.4 grams protein, 4.5 grams fat, 1.5 grams carbohydrates, 227 milligrams sodium, 3.3 grams fiber, 10 grams cholesterol

CRUNCHY CRAB DIP

3/4 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup block-style 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

1/4 cup reduced-calorie Thousand Island dressing
3/4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces fresh crabmeat

Combine sour cream and cream cheese in a large bowl, and stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in celery, chives, dressing and salt. Gently fold in crabmeat.

Makes about 3 cups. Serves 12.

( 1/4 cup): 72 calories, 3.4 grams fat, 1 gram carbohydrate, 269 milligrams sodium, 22 milligrams cholesterol, 0.2 grams fiber, 4.2 grams protein

Source: adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

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