With Christmas celebrations behind us and New Year’s Eve gatherings on the horizon, now is the time many of us are contemplating which party appies to prepare as we welcome in 2018. Whether enjoying year end with a good friend, a small gathering of your closest kin, or if you’re attending (or hosting!) a big bash with dozens of guests, in my experience, a good seven layer dip always goes over well. Perfectly parable with crudités, whole grain chips or crackers, this versatile eat is bound to be a crowd pleaser.
And while this Mexican-inspired nosh can be notoriously high in both fat and calories, in creating this recipe it was my intent to show you that it doesn’t have to be. Without skimping on flavour, this dip offers an impressive nutrition profile and is perfect for sharing. I strongly feel that the majority of the food we eat should be visually attractive, absolutely delicious, and offer some quality nutrition to sustain our body – and this crafty dip ticks all of these boxes!
Now let’s take a closer look at some key nutrient dense ingredients used here:
First up – Greek yogurt. This fantastically high protein superfood is an idea swap for sour cream in recipes to cover that need for a smooth & creamy consistency while increasing nutrient density. By opting for an unflavoured and fat free variety, you can feel good about using my carbohydrate and fat grams somewhere else (think beans, cheese, avocado, and olives). Delish!
If there’s one diet addition you make this year, may I suggest it be adding in high fibre and nutritious fat loaded (and not to mention delicious) avocado. This glorious, high unsaturated fat food hosts an incredible amount of beneficial nutrients (including potassium, folate, and vitamin A) and is very beneficial to your hair, skin, and nail health. Let’s resolute to get our glow on by consuming this satisfying superfood a few times a week.
Now let’s talk a bit about the cheesy nutrient dense superstar nutritional yeast. To help remove any hesitation you may have to try this, I’ll give you a bit more information about this food choice: though the name contains the word yeast, this is where nutritional yeast and active yeast’s similarities end. Unlike the active yeast found in bread, flaked nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast, meaning the yeast cells are not live and have no leavening power. I chose to put it to use in this recipe as it lends a mouth-watering cheesy flavour (and ample nutrition) with few calories and essentially zero salt. Low-cal seven layer dip here I come!
Highlights of making this recipe:
- This dish contains many ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen, and the extra ingredients that you may need to purchase are typically inexpensive and readily available at local markets and major grocery stores for quick, no-fuss prep.
- With its bright colours, zesty flavours, and impressive nutrition profile this dish is known to be a hit at social gatherings (and quite often, a topic of conversation).
- Many of us can use another way to easily up the legumes in our diet, and experimenting with new varieties of all foods is extremely beneficial to your health.
- This dip stores well in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for 2-3 days.
Have a happy, safe, and utterly delicious New Year’s everyone!
Macros per 1/2 Cup Dip
Calories: 152
Protein: 9 g
Fat: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Sugar: 2 g
Fibre: 4 g
Party Ready Seven Layer Dip
Ingredients
- 2 cup refried black beans low sodium
- 1 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup flaked nutritional yeast
- 3/4 cup sliced black olives
Tomato Layer
- 4 medium tomato diced
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 chive chopped
- 1/2 lime juiced
- salt & pepper to taste
Guacamole Layer
- 1 medium ripe avocado cut into cubes and removed from skin
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 chive chopped
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine ingredients for the tomato layer (I sealed mine and allowed it to sit in the fridge for about an hour to marinate).
- Combine ingredients for the guacamole layer in a second small size bowl (again I sealed this and allowed it to sit in the fridge for about an hour).
- When ready, spread beans out over the bottom of a shallow ~4 cup glass dish.*
- Top beans with Greek yogurt and spread it out as best you can.
- Sprinkle cheese over yogurt, followed by nutrition yeast and finally the olives.
- Carefully smooth the guacamole over the cheese and spread it out as best you can.
- Lastly, top with the tomato layer.
- Serve right away or seal and store for a few days in the fridge.**
Notes
