I love dips because I think they “force” people to eat more veggies. Now that’s great if the dip isn’t doing more damage than the veggies are adding in health benefits, which is not the case with many dips. But fortunately, this is one that helps people eat more veggies and adds extra nutrients.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 (15-ounce) can white beans (sometimes called cannellini beans or white kidney beans), rinsed and drained

　　1 medium garlic clove, coarsely chopped

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　1 tablespoon coarsely chopped parsley leaves

　　1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

　　2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt

　　1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

　　Sea salt and pepper, to taste

　　

Step 1

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, process the beans, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley until finely chopped (scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary). With the processor on, stream in the olive oil and continue processing until the mixture is smooth. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and add the yogurt and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with whole-grain crackers, veggies, or whole-wheat pita for dipping.

　　

nutrition information

Step 2

Each (about a generous 1/4-cup) serving has:

　　

Step 3

Calories: 101

　　

Step 4

Protein: 5g

　　

Step 5

Carbohydrates: 17g

　　

Step 6

Fat: 2g

　　

Step 7

Trace Saturated Fat

　　

Step 8

Trace Cholesterol

　　

Step 9

Fiber: 4g

　　

Step 10

Sodium: 234mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.