I love spinach dip, especially if it’s homemade. And when I go to a party or potluck and see a lovely bread bowl filled with the stuff I know I’m in the danger zone. Why? Because I simply cannot have one or two “dips” and walk away. I want to set up shop next to the spinach dip and linger there until I’ve eaten it all. It can be a problem.
Because I’m the kind of girl who likes to indulge from time to time, I thought that I should come up with a different way to serve spinach dip that has a bit more portion control built-in, and that’s how I came up with the idea for a spinach dip appetizer.
I took it a step further by making a healthier spinach dip using plain Greek yogurt and a bit of mayo (instead of a traditional 50% sour cream, 50% mayo mix), to up the protein factor while leaving the same slightly tangy taste and similar texture you would get from the original. I swap sour cream for plain Greek yogurt in a lot of my recipes, because I always have plain Greek yogurt on hand, but if you’d prefer to stick with sour cream that will absolutely work just fine!
When it came time to pick a serving vessel, Breton crackers immediately came to mind. Breton crackers have been a wholesome cracker choice since 1982 and recently came out with their new gluten-free line of Breton Bean crackers and Breton Popped! Beans cracker chips.
Breton Bean crackers come in Breton White Bean with Salt & Pepper, and Breton Black Bean with Onion & Garlic, while the Breton Popped! Beans cracker chips are available in Breton Popped! Beans Sea Salt & Pepper, and Breton Popped! Beans Sweet Chili Cheddar flavours.
With gluten-free foods being in higher demand, a gluten-free cracker makes sense when preparing for a gathering or party. These Breton Bean crackers and Breton Popped! Beans cracker chips are certified gluten-free by the Canadian Celiac Association and the most prominent ingredient in both is beans (white or black beans in Breton Bean Crackers, and a blend of chickpeas and red beans in the Breton Popped! cracker chips).
Even when being gluten-free isn’t a top priority, it just makes sense to incorporate more grain-free products into our daily lives. North Americans on average eat way more grain than is recommended, and opting for products like Breton Bean helps reduce our consumption of grains, without feeling like we are giving anything up. And with 2g of protein and 3g of fibre in each serving of Breton Bean crackers, and 2g of both fibre and protein in Breton Popped! Beans cracker chips, you are getting some added (and much-needed) nutrition at the same time.
As a nutrition coach, two of the things I have to get after people for is not eating enough protein and not eating enough fibre. While a diet of crackers and cracker chips won’t be enough to make you hit those daily minimum thresholds, they could be just what you need to “top off the tank” so to speak while still enjoying a food you already like.
But back to the dip! I decided I would use Breton Bean crackers as my serving vessel, and the Black Bean with Onion & Garlic sounded like the perfect flavour choice.
I topped one cracker with approximately 1 tbsp of dip, then stuck a second crack in the dip so you end up with two crackers with a generous serving of dip, leaving you (me) with the enjoyment of everyone’s favourite party dip, without the need to hover around the spinach dip display! Another thing I really like about this method is that you can easily pick the appetizer up without needing a plate to balance your crackers and dips. The cracker is the plate!
Get out and try these new gluten-free crackers!
Visit the Dare Foods website or like Breton on Facebook for more product info or recipe ideas (and trust me, they have some pretty amazing recipes!).
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Although this post has been generously sponsored by Dare Foods Limited, the opinions and language are my own, and in no way do they reflect Dare Foods Limited.