You can have tasty dips without all the fat, calories
February 15, 2006
BY
What's a chip without dip?
We like dips, spreads and sauces because they taste great and add color, moisture and texture to foods. Trouble is, the calories can add up, and so can the fat -- both saturated and trans.
If you're looking for healthier alternatives, you've got plenty of choices. Most are made primarily from plant sources -- fruits, vegetables and vegetable oils -- and contain little, if any, butter, cream or cheese. When they do contain dairy, it's nonfat.
Sound pretty basic? That's the idea.
Dip tips
• Expand your list of dippers to include toasted pita points brushed with olive oil, sticks of zucchini, squash and jicama, Belgian endive leaves, snow peas, bell pepper slices, and chunks of pineapple, pear and melon.
• Nonfat vanilla yogurt makes a good dip for most fruits. Add a dash of nutmeg or cinnamon. Or layer yogurt with fruit salad for a low-cal, healthy dessert.
• Serve chocolate syrup with chunks of angel food cake and fruit. It's lower in fat and calories than milk chocolate.
• Make black bean dip with dried bean flakes sold in natural foods stores. Fantastic Foods and Taste Adventure are two brands. Shake some flakes into a bowl, add boiling water, stir and cover. Dip is ready in 5 minutes. You also can use the mixture to make nachos, bean soup, or burrito and taco filling.
• Substitute nonfat yogurt for sour cream in most dip recipes that call for sour cream or mayonnaise. Yogurt is thinner, so in some cases, it works well to mix in a small amount of nonfat sour cream. Another option: Whirl a cup of nonfat cottage cheese in a food processor with a couple teaspoons of lemon juice. The flavor and consistency are strikingly similar to sour cream.
• Hummus, a Middle Eastern garbanzo bean dip and spread, comes in many flavors, including plain, garlic, red pepper, scallion, jalapeno, and spiced. Use it as a chip dip, with toasted pita points, or with raw vegetables.