Skinny Dipping Allowed

When the temperature refuses to drop below 90 degrees, nothing sounds better than a cool, creamy treat. I don't know about you, but for me, the combination of the words cool and creamy bring one specific food to mind- cheesecake! The light texture and fact that it is often served with fruit might lead people to believe that cheesecake is one of the healthier options when ordering dessert in a restaurant. Think again. A single slice of plain cheesecake averages about 700 calories and some fancy cheesecakes, such as those from Cheesecake Factory, can contain more than 1200 calories and 43g of saturated fat per slice. I believe that I represent the vast majority by assuming that nobody appreciates that much excess fat in their diet during swimsuit season.

As a future dietitian, it would be practical for me to recommend fresh fruit as a healthy alternative to other desserts. As much as I love perfectly ripe berries in the midst of the summer heat, I occasionally prefer something a bit sweeter- a bit more indulgent. My cheesecake fruit dip is the perfect treat to satisfy a sweet tooth with no fat and minimal calories. It is extremely simple to prepare and contains only two ingredients, making it frugal as well. It has been a huge hit with everyone that has tried it and is perfect for parties of all sorts. Once people sample the dip, I find that I must share the recipe in order for them to believe that it is guilt free. Although I would not advertise this recipe alone as nutritious (yes, low-calorie, but no essential vitamins or minerals), the accompaniment of fruit as dippers makes up for its inadequacy. For kids or those with calories to spare, try spreading the dip on a low-fat graham cracker and topping with berries of choice. I do not advocate eating the whole bowl at once with a spoon, although I have seen it done (no names), and if you choose to do so, you are still consuming significantly less calories than eating a slice of cheesecake. Skinny dip your way into this recipe without betraying your new bikini!

Cheesecake Fruit Dip

serves 10

8 oz. Cool Whip Free, thawed in refrigerator

1 oz. dry JELLO fat-free, sugar-free Cheesecake Pudding Mix

1. After frozen cool whip has thawed, dump container into a medium size bowl.
2. Add dry pudding mix and gently combine until mixed.
3. Spoon the mixture back into the original cool whip container if not serving immediately.
4. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks


Nutrition (about 1/4 cup): 48 calories, 10g carbohydrate, 0g protein, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 1 weight watchers point

***Feel free to try other flavors of pudding mix such as Chocolate, White Chocolate, Lemon, or Banana.