Fat Free Spinach Dip

So if you hadn't noticed we've been dieting.  My weight loss has been stalled at 20 pounds lost (but I quit smoking and haven't gained a bunch, so I'm happy with that) and hubby's lost 65 pounds as I write this.  
Dieting is tricky on a budget.  Carbs are cheap and fresh produce isn't.  But we're managing. 

Vegetables are the saving grace of our diet.  When you've cut your calories you can get a lot of mileage out of a huge salad (salad greens average 7 calories per cup!).  For Superbowl I was looking for a way to make plain veggies more interesting, instead of skipping the dip (light Ranch dressing is 80 calories per 2 tablespoons!).

I've never made spinach dip but I love to eat it!  Like most standards it has a lot of variations, but I went with this for a totally doable diet veggie dip.  Note:  This recipe makes a huge amount of dip, about 5 cups.  You might want to cut it in half.  This came out at 59 calories per 1/4 cup, which is a nice healthy serving.

Fat Free Spinach Dip

The Ingredients

2 10 ounce boxes frozen spinach
2 cups fat free mayonnaise
2 cups fat free sour cream
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
1 packet Knorr vegetable mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

The trick to good spinach dip (I saw this on some cooking show) is to use frozen spinach, thaw it, and literally wring it out.  You want it as dry as possible.

Combine the wrung-out spinach and all other ingredients.  Mix well. Chill over night.  Serve with veggies, crackers, whatever you like to dip.

You can adjust your favorite dip recipe to do the same thing.  Use fat-free cream cheese or neufchatel cheese.  Use steamed artichoke hearts instead of ones packed in oil.  Use fresh onions and peppers instead of a mix to reduce the sodium.  Have fun with it and happy snacking!

Mmmmm, spinach dip!