Monday Meal Makeover: Spa Spinach Dip
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No party is complete without dip, especially the ever-popular spinach dip. Unfortunately, the main ingredients are usually high in calories, and include high-fat sour cream and high-sodium vegetable soup mix, which has artificial ingredients, too.
This lighter, yet luscious, recipe has 100 percent real ingredients with fresh flavors that will astound you — no soup mix required.
What you need:
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1 (10 ounce) package of frozen chopped organic spinach, thawed
1 cup organic low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
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1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and thinly sliced
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup grated carrots
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1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
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1/8 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg, or to taste
Directions:
Over a small bowl, squeeze the spinach in a double layer of plain paper towels until thoroughly dry. Reserve the liquid for another purpose, such as making soup or rice.
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Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve chilled with pumpernickel or rye bread pieces, or use as a dip for vegetables.
Serves 20
Serving size: 2 1/2 Tablespoons
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Nutritional info:
Fat: 1 1/2 grams
Calories: 70
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Calories from fat: 50
Total fat: 6 grams
Saturated fat: 1 gram
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Cholesterol: 5 milligrams
Sodium: 150 milligrams
Carbohydrates: 2 grams
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Dietary fiber: 1 gram
Sugar: 1 gram
Protein: 1 gram
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Jackie Newgent is a registered dietitian and culinary expert, who likes to raise awareness about diabetes. She wrote The American Diabetes Association's "The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook: The Whole Food Approach to Great Taste and Healthy Eating." Her recipes can be seen each month in "Glamour" magazine.