Recipes

Cream Cheese Vegetable Dip


Cream Cheese Vegetable Dip

Nothing tastes better than a creamy dip with fresh vegetables and herbs served with toasted pita bread. Nonfat and low-fat cream cheese are mixed together to cut down on the saturated fat, but not on the delicious taste. Tofu is added for smoothness, which gives it a rich taste as well as extra protein – a win-win recipe!

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese
  • 4 ounces fat-free cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup soft silken tofu
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon minced English cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon minced red bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon grated carrot

Preparation

  1. Place the cream cheese, tofu, garlic, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until combined.
  2. Add the chives, cucumber, bell pepper and carrot, and pulse for a few seconds until just combined.

This recipe makes 1/4 cup, which is about 10 servings.

Dietitian's Note: A mixture of nonfat and low-fat cream cheese cuts the saturated fat but doesn't cut back on taste.

Nutritional Analysis (per serving)

  • 62 calories (45% calories from fat)
  • 3 grams total fat (2 grams saturated fat)
  • 4.5 grams protein
  • 3 grams carbohydrates
  • 0 grams dietary fiber
  • 10 milligrams cholesterol
  • 137 milligrams sodium
  • 82 milligrams potassium