FOODIE FRIDAY! - Are you a dip

....lover like me?  (Sorry, just could not resist that!)  If you are,  today's blog will have you snacking just a bit healthier if that is your goal.

Today's idea is not one I came up with - I actually got the idea from someone at the grocery store and thought "Duh!"   Now I have to warn you, sometimes I am late to the party - so if this is something you have been doing for ages, please don't tell me! 

I don't know about you, but I get a craving for a salty snack at times and they can be my downfall.  So I can either sit down with a full bag of chips and a container of dip and come out of a chip and dip induced coma 30 minutes later,  wondering what happened and with chip and dip remorse, or I can try to do some damage control up front.  This is a damage control idea I wanted to pass along and I must say it is yum-o! 

Here's what you need:

1.  Your favorite chip dip  -  (my new favorite is Hiland Jalapeno Fiesta Dip)

2.  Cottage cheese - I use small curd lowfat

3.  Your favorite salty snack.  I just bought these Special K chips/crackers for the first time and have to say they are really good and low in calories (110 calories for 30 chips) AND combined with the dip they satisfy my salty craving  - but whatever trips your trigger as my mom used to say :)

Now about that dip.

Mix equal parts of the dip and cottage cheese. I take about 1 tablespoon of each when I'm making a snack just for me. This isn't science, just eyeball it!   If you want your dip to pack less punch use even more cottage cheese. 

Stir them together really well. 

... and that's it!

I like a little chip with my dip, so about 7 of these Special K sea salt cracker/chips is about perfect for the amount of dip I make.  

You have a healthier dip that will still satisfy that snack craving, not have you missing out on your dip, AND you have added a bit of protein to it so it will hold you over a bit longer.  Some dips are so strong (and this jalapeno one is no exception) so the cottage cheese really does mellow it out just a bit and makes it go farther but you don't taste the cottage cheese (Robin).

If you really wanted to make this an even healthier snack you could have it with some fresh carrot sticks or celery instead of the cracker chips.  I'm going to do this for get-togethers where we have friends and family over - mixing the dip and cottage cheese in larger amounts.

Happy Friday and Happy Snacking!