Now, you can plunge into lower-calorie dips

By KATHY MANWEILER

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

This season is party time, and tempting foods are at every turn.

Dips are popular fare, but many of them are nothing but empty calories — for example, sour cream, cream cheese or mayonnaise spiked with seasonings.

Just two tablespoons of some dips contain more than 100 calories and over 10 grams of fat, so even if you dip vegetables instead of chips, calories can still stack up fast.

But healthier options can give you the flavors you crave along with some vegetables and protein.

So here are three of my favorite recipes for healthy dips, which are all adapted from Cooking Light recipes.

Some fresh basil, garlic and shredded Parmesan add punch to this Spinach-Parmesan Dip. The original recipe called for plain yogurt, but I thought that gave this dip an unpleasant taste, so I use light sour cream instead. You can have 1⁄4 cup of this Spinach-Parmesan Dip for 62 calories and 4.5 fat grams.

This Tomato-Feta Dip is delicious when served with toasted French bread. I add a touch of olive oil to the recipe because it enhances the taste and texture of the dip. A 1⁄4-cup serving of this Tomato-Feta Dip contains 65 calories and 4.8 fat grams.

Cooking Light’s crab dip recipe includes fat-free sour cream and fat-free Thousand Island dressing, but I use light sour cream and reduced-calorie dressing instead because I think they add a lot more flavor for just a few extra calories. A 1⁄4-cup serving of this Crunchy Crab Dip has 72 calories and 3.4 grams of fat.

SPINACH-PARMESAN DIP

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach

1⁄2 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed

1⁄3 cup block-style 1⁄3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

1⁄8 teaspoon pepper

1⁄3 cup light sour cream

1⁄4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Add salt and spinach and sauté three minutes. At first, the spinach will seem to overflow in the skillet, but keep stirring. It reduces in volume as it wilts. Place spinach mixture in a colander and press until moisture is drained from spinach.

Put spinach, basil, cream cheese and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Spoon spinach mixture into a medium bowl and add sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Cover and chill.

Makes 2 cups. Serves 8.

Per serving (1⁄4 cup): 62 calories, 3.4 protein grams, 4.5 fat grams, 1.5 carb grams, 227 mg. sodium, 3.3 grams of fiber, 10 mg. cholesterol.

Slightly adapted from a Cooking Light recipe

CRUNCHY CRAB DIP

3⁄4 cup light sour cream

1⁄2 cup block-style 1⁄3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup finely chopped celery

1⁄4 cup minced fresh chives

1⁄4 cup reduced-calorie Thousand Island dressing

3⁄4 teaspoon salt

8 ounces fresh crabmeat

Combine sour cream and cream cheese in a large bowl and stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in celery, chives, dressing and salt. Gently fold in crabmeat.

Makes about 3 cups. Serves 12.

Per serving (1⁄4 cup): 72 calories, 3.4 fat grams, 1 carb gram, 269 mg. sodium, 22 mg. cholesterol, 0.2 grams of fiber, 4.2 protein grams.

TOMATO-FETA DIP

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, drained

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first five ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle feta cheese evenly in a small shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with tomato mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with toasted bread slices.

Makes about 2 cups. Serves 8.

Per serving (1⁄4 cup): 65 calories, 4.8 fat grams. 2.3 carb grams, 2.4 protein grams, 0.4 grams of fiber, 369 mg. sodium, no cholesterol.