If you love to bite, odds would you like to dig into a huge bowl of creamy, dreamy dip. However, if you’re following a healthy diet, dips laden with high calorie, high fat ingredients like mayo and sour cream are not going to be on your menu regularly. What’s a dip enthusiast to do? Try our creative alternative – tofu!

Tofu is very high in protein, very low in fat, and quite low in carbs. It’s also a great source of calcium and other vital nutrients, tends to be very inexpensive, and can be found in most any supermarket. Tofu retains longer than milk products, along with the soft variety can be blended into smooth, creamy oblivion quite easily if you have a simple blender or food processor. It’s among the safest, smartest bases for yummy dips on the market.

One of the most classic dips is basic French onion dip. It’s simple to create – a soup seasoning packet does the majority of the work for you – and it’s even easier to consume. You can serve it with everything out of your homemade, oven-baked potato crisps to pieces of fresh veggies. We particularly like this dip with carrot sticks, chunks of celery, and disperse on thick slices of sweet pepper.

French Onion Dip

*1 pound soft tofu*2 tbsp oil*2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1-2 tbsp or packets of artificial sweetener*1 packet dry French onion soup mix

In case you’re in the mood for something with fiesta flair, then blend up a lot of our spicy Jalapeno dip. To give it more of a Mexican flavor, we’ve added copious amounts of cilantro, which provides the dip a cool, earthy quality which makes a perfect counterpoint to the sharp heat of the jalapenos. The dip comes out a beautiful emerald-green color, which looks so tempting alongside sharp corn and flour tortilla chips. It’s also an excellent topping for warm burritos, crisp tacos, or entertaining, frisky tostadas. For an additional authentic touch, serve this dip with a few wedges of lime.

Homestyle Jalapeno Dip

*1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed*2 teaspoons garlic powder1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped and carefully seeded*1/2 pound soft tofu*1 tbsp olive oil2 tbsp lime juice*1/2 tsp salt

Add the cilantro, garlic powder, and jalapeno to your food processor or blender and chop. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until the dip is creamy and smooth.