Relish intern, Alex Rose bakes up spinach artichoke dip with her neices.

Who doesn’t like spinach artichoke dip? The cheesy, creamy dip pairs perfectly with almost any kind of gathering and is offered at most restaurants. My nieces are no exception.

The older, Sophia, at 3 (almost 4!) years old is an extremely picky eater and, while she enjoys chips, rarely likes any kind of dip. The younger, Lillith, at a mere 1 ½ years old will eat anything you put in front of her.  These days with the availability of junk food ever present and child obesity levels skyrocketing, it is important to my sister that her children eat well even when it comes to ‘treats’, like chips and dip.

This version of spinach  dip is healthy enough to make the cut and tasty enough to make little Sophia a lover of dips.  (And trust me, she’s quite vocal about her opinion. ) Plus, it was easy and making it turned into some quality Auntie time.

It cuts down the amount of cheese you use and substitutes white beans to keep the creamy texture. Trust me, you won’t even know the difference.

 –By Alexandra Rose

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Artichoke, Spinach, and White Bean Dip

1⁄4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh pecorino romano cheese

1⁄4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1⁄8 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) can  white beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14-ounce) can baby artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 (9-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

Cooking spray

1⁄2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Place first 8 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Spoon into a medium bowl. Stir in artichokes and spinach. Spoon mixture into a 1-quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1⁄2 cup mozzarella. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until bubbly and brown. Serves 12 (serving size: 1⁄4 cup).

Calories 87; Fat 5.4g (sat 1.4g, mono 2.3g, poly 1g); Protein 3.7g; Carb 4.9g; Fiber 1g; Chol 6mg; Iron 0.7mg; Sodium 232mg; Calc 91mg

Recipe reprinted with permission from Cooking Light’s The Food Lover’s Healthy Habits Cookbook  (Time Home Entertainment, Inc., 2012).

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