The Weight Loss-Friendly Dip You Can Have At All Your Summer Barbeques
It’s getting sunnier outside and you know what that means? Barbeque season is upon us! And what better food to bring to an outdoor, warm-weather cookout than a savory dip. However, even though this common barbeque meal is tasty, it can be calorie-heavy and loaded with added sugars and sodium that are detrimental to weight loss plans.
Thankfully, with a few smart swaps and the addition of plants, you can transform high-calorie dips into healthy snacks and sauces for your barbeque skewers. We reached out to Bill Bradley, a registered dietitian and founder of Mediterranean Living, who gave us a weight-loss-friendly dip you can have at all of your summer barbeques. He recommends tzatziki because it is low in calories and high in protein so you can stay fuller longer.
Tzatziki
Tzatziki is a common Middle Eastern dip that is beneficial for weight loss. It can be used as a dip with chips, bread, or crunchy metabolism-boosting vegetables. Tzatziki can also be used as a sauce for grilled vegetables or grilled chicken.
Bradley provides a weight-loss-friendly tzatziki dip recipe. His loaded tzatziki serves 8 and provides 100 calories, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of protein, 7 milligrams of vitamin C, 77 milligrams of calcium, and 1 milligram of iron. Yum!
Ingredients:
- 1 cucumber, peeled
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup fresh dill, stems removed
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or finely minced
Directions:
1. Grate the cucumber into a colander resting over a bowl. Sprinkle salt on the grated cucumber. Let this sit for about 15 minutes as you prepare the rest of the tzatziki (water will come out of the cucumber).
2. Chop dill and then add it to a bowl with Greek yogurt, olive oil, and pressed garlic. Mix well.
3. Squeeze the juice out of the cucumber and then add to the tzatziki. Salt, to taste. You can serve immediately, but flavors meld over time. I like to refrigerate mine for at least an hour.
This barbeque dip is weight-loss-friendly for many reasons. "Firstly, tzatziki is generally low in calories and high in protein, which can help you feel fuller for longer and reduce overall calorie intake. Greek yogurt, which is the main ingredient in tzatziki, is also an excellent source of calcium, which has been linked to weight loss," Bradley says. Greek yogurt is also a gut-healthy fermented food that can improve your digestion.
Plus, tzatziki contains cucumber, which is a low-calorie vegetable that is high in water and fiber. Not only can this help promote feelings of fullness, but it can also reduce your overall calorie intake. The more you know!
"Garlic, which is a common ingredient in tzatziki, has been shown to have weight loss benefits. Garlic contains compounds that can help boost metabolism and reduce appetite, which can aid in weight loss efforts," Bradley explains. By replacing high-calorie dips with tzatziki, you can reduce overall calorie intake and make healthier choices.
The Bottom Line
Even though barbeque dips (and condiments!) can be unhealthy, that doesn't mean that there aren't ways you can make them weight-loss-friendly. Bradley recommends a tzatziki dip with low-calorie, metabolism-boosting ingredients like Greek yogurt and cucumbers for weight loss. So, try this healthy dip at your next summer barbeque. Your body will thank you!
