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What would life be like without parties? And what's a party without great snacks? Too often, food is an afterthought to the drinks at cocktail, Super Bowl and holiday parties. What's a healthy eater to do when her only choices are a cheese ball (100 calories, 7 grams fat per serving) and crackers or a bowl of thick and creamy onion dip (60 calories, 6 grams fat per serving) with greasy potato chips? Make over your party fare with these new "chip" ideas, and slimmed down dips, which are affordable and healthy, too! Ditch the Chips Dig into your dip with one of these more nutritious options instead:
Start the party off right. Instead of rich, creamy and cheesy dips, try a lighter version of that favorite dip. And remember, one serving of dip is about 1 ounce or 2 Tablespoons—that's about the size of a pair of dice. Spinach-Artichoke Dip I'm famous for my healthier version of this recipe, which contains just 66 calories per serving. Just like the kind you get in restaurants, it's creamy and full of cheese. However, I use light cream cheese and just enough parmesan to add flavor. I sauté onions and garlic to add extra flavor. Even if you serve this with tortilla chips (one of my favorite treats at parties), the dip is still far lighter than the restaurant versions, which can have up to 775 calories per oversized serving! Continued › |
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Nutrition Articles › Meals and FoodChips and Dips Get a Healthy MakeoverSkip Chips and Slim Down Dips for Healthier Party Fare-- By Stepfanie Romine, Staff WriterSparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
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About The Author
Stepfanie Romine
A former newspaper reporter, Stepfanie now writes about nutrition, health, fitness and cooking. She is a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher who enjoys running, international travel and all kinds of vegetables. See all of Stepfanie's articles. 
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Member Comments
Cut the pita bread rounds in half. Separate top from bottom. Cut each half into 3 slices (Pie shaped). Arrange the pieces on a baking sheet, smooth side down. Brush the rough side lightly with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle lightly with seasalt. Bake 4 minutes at 400 degrees. Flip them over and bake another 4 minutes. Crunchy and everyone loves them! - 2/3/2012 7:21:25 PM
ch at least half the game from your treadmill or exercise bike, then indulge a little!!! - 2/3/2012 10:40:41 AM
Check out my recent blog post for some healthy recipes for Super Bowl Sunday!
http://health4l
ifekc.blogspo
t.com/2012/01
/super-bowl-p
arty-snack-ideas.html - 2/3/2012 8:24:57 AM
- 2/3/2012 7:37:00 AM
Is this supposed to say "boost?" Mayo usually seems to have more than enough calories. Am guessing it should be "cut" instead... - 2/3/2012 2:30:52 AM
16 oz package low fat cream cheese 1/2 small onion diced very fine.. water
bring cream cheese to room temperature.. add onion.. mix well.. add warm water till it gets to the dip consistency you like.. - 11/16/2011 2:42:56 PM