When I was growing up one dish my mother was very proud of was her spinach dip. She referred to it as her “secret ingredients” dip. The secret ingredients were finely diced water chestnuts that melded into the dip for a secret crunch and soy sauce that added a depth of flavor without revealing itself.
Over the years I made her dip on many occasions to rave reviews. The ironic thing was how “healthy” everyone thought it was because it had spinach it. But with equal parts full-fat mayonnaise and sour cream as its base, it was anything but. Each 1/4 cup had 15 grams of fat, and a third of them were saturated.
I am thrilled to share that this version has ALL of the taste and creamy yumminess with a whopping 80% less fat. Add to that it now has 3X the protein and a slim 70 calories per quarter-cup serving instead of 180 and it’s now as healthy as it is tasty.
PS If you count Smart Points 1/4 cup of the store-bought can be as much as 9 points, but this tasty dip is just 2!!
Makes ~ 12 servings
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
3/4 cup non-fat or low-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup dried parsley
1/4 cup dried minced onion
3/4 teaspoon dried dill
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and yogurt. Add the garlic and mix. Stir in the soy sauce and water chestnuts, then the spinach, parsley, onion, and dill, and mix thoroughly. Cover the dip and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Dare to Compare: Traditional store-bought spinach dips can contain as much as 200 calories and 22 grams of fat in each 1/4 cup serving.
Nutrition Information Per Serving (1/4 cup) | Calories 70 | Carbohydrate 4g (Sugars 2g) | Total Fat 4 g (Sat Fat 1 g) | Protein 4 g | Fiber 1g | Cholesterol 5mg | Sodium 115mg | Food Exchanges: 1 Fat, 1 Vegetable | Carbohydrate Choices: 0 | Weight Watcher Freestyle Smart Point Comparison: 2 (Green plan = 2, Blue plan =2, Purple plan = 2)
