There are a number of ways to make low-fat dips that still taste great and go well with fresh vegetables, crackers, and chips, or even fruit. Since many dips have a creamy base made with sour cream, mayonnaise, or cream cheese, it may be possible to make a simple substitution for a low-fat or fat-free version of these foods. Substituting them with plain Greek yogurt may also be an option in some cases. There are many sweet and savory low-fat dips made with fresh spices, chopped vegetables, and other ingredients that are easy to find and cook with.
For many people, ranch or onion flavored dips are their favorite options, but these tend to be made with full-fat ingredients such as sour cream or mayonnaise. Simply swapping these versions out for low-fat or fat-free versions is a simple way to reduce the fat and calorie content of the dip, often without making any other changes to the recipe. Greek yogurt has a stronger flavor, but is another low-fat option as well. The low-fat dips may then be prepared using fresh herbs and spices to get the ranch or onion flavor desired, but another even easier option is to mix in a packet of flavored soup mix or salad dressing mix, which gives it a stronger flavor.
Other types of dips are baked in the oven and served warm. Artichoke dip or spinach dip are some of the most common variations, as well as seafood options such as shrimp or crab dips. These may often be prepared using simple substitutions as well; since cream cheese is often used as the base of these dips, switching it out for low-fat cream cheese will help to reduce fat content. Fat-free cream cheese is not often recommended because it has a slightly different texture that may not hold up so well as the base for the dip.
Of course, not all low-fat dips need to have a creamy base. There are many other dips, such as hummus dips, that may be made with a base of olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini, as well as herbs and spices. These dips are very low in fat, are very strongly flavored, and go well with chips or fresh vegetables. There are hundreds of recipes to be found online for low-fat dips, but they are also fairly easy to experiment with based on the different ingredients on hand.