Annie Bell, RD
Apr 18, 2019
Avoid the crowds while you enjoy some fiesta-inspired favorites at home, but with fewer calories - protein-packed cheesy guacamole and higher protein/fiber chips.
Guacamole is a healthy, nutritious, good thing to enjoy any time – but it’s high in calories -depending on your recipe, you’re looking at around 155 calories in ½ cup. In this recipe, you will substitute 16 oz of high-protein, low-carb, fat-free cottage cheese for 2 c of avocado. It may sound odd, but the cottage cheese gives a nice creamy, smooth texture to the guac., while you are tripling the protein to about 6 g per ½ c serving and reducing the calories by over 35%, from 155 down to 100.
Ingredients:
1.5 c mashed/pureed ripe avocado (about 3 medium)
16 oz low fat cottage cheese
1 c pico de gallo
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp dried chipotle pepper (optional)
Salt/pepper to taste
(Makes about 4.5 c guacamole)
1. Blend cottage cheese in food processor/blender until smooth
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl, mashing avocado with a fork.
3. Stir pureed cottage cheese into avocado mixture
Nutrition Info per ¼ c (4 tbsp) serving:
45 calories, 2 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 3 g fat
COMPARE:
Recipe as above but with all avocado/no cottage cheese:-¼ c (4 tbsp):
75 calories, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 6 g fat
By substituting 2 c avocado with 2 c cottage cheese, you triple the protein and reduce the calories by just over 40% in each ¼ c serving
By choosing BeanitosTM over regular tortillas chips, you can save about 20 more calories and add 5 more grams of protein per oz of chips consumed.
Nutrition Info – 4 tbsp guacamole + 1 oz Beanitos:
175 calories, 16 g of carbohydrate, 8 g protein, 9 g fat
Try this tasty, fiesta-inspired recipe and tell us below that you tried and let us know what you think. If you need help with your nutrition, reach out at www.fittherapyoftexas.com.