I Tried the 25-Calorie Trader Joe’s Dip a Worker Said “Won’t Stay in Stock”
Trader Joe’s has amassed a cult following over several decades for a reason: The store sells amazingly delicious food at a great value. There are staples, including its trademark Everything Bagel Seasoning that makes literally everything more appetizing, the freezer section find Mandarin Orange Chicken, which is as good as any restaurant, and the Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets that kept me alive during both my pregnancies. They are also constantly introducing new items. Some of them flop, while others go viral, and as a result, sell out almost immediately after being stocked. Well, thanks to a Trader Joe’s employee, I just discovered the next viral product, and it’s low-calorie and protein-packed.
During my shopping trip this week, I asked the woman bagging my groceries what the hottest items in the store were. Instead of telling me, she walked me over to the dip section of the store and picked up a container of Ranch Cottage Cheese Dip, a brand-new dip that just hit stores this month. “Once the influencers discover this, we won’t be able to keep it in stock,” she said. “It’s delicious.”
I followed her lead and purchased the 8-ounce container for $3.99; it was seriously the best purchase I made.
Each two-tablespoon serving is just 25 calories and 3 grams of protein, an impressive ratio for a dip. The entire container, which can be easily consumed in a serving, is just 200 calories and 24 grams of protein.
Here’s the best part: It doesn’t taste healthy. Made out of cottage cheese, an RD-recommended food for anyone trying to lose weight, Greek-style yogurt, and buttermilk, and seasoned to perfection with Ranch-inspired herbs, the dip is creamy, tasty, and rich. I couldn’t believe it wasn’t super fattening or higher in calories. Most healthy, low-calorie dips taste, well, fake.
I have been eating it with pita chips, mini peppers, and carrot sticks, but according to TJ’s website, there are so many ways to enjoy it. For example, you can use it as a sandwich spread “in place of mayo or classic ranch,” or “sub it in for ricotta on a slice of toasted European Grains & Seeds Bread, topped with a fried egg, a bit of Smoked Salmon, or sliced Persian Cucumbers,” they say.
I highly recommend it to anyone trying to increase their protein intake without adding too many calories. It makes a great snack and will help you sneak in protein in the most delicious way possible.
