There was a time when I would have made such a recipe completely Paleo. Think soaked cashews and nutritional yeast. After discovering the Paleo diet about a decade ago, I thought if I could just fit my eating plan within that perfect box, and tie it up with a pretty bow, it would be the answer to all of my dieting dilemmas. I could suddenly categorize myself as fit and healthy, ultimately fixing my toxic relationship with food. That is a different story for another day (hint: it did not solve all of my problems), but here is a caveat to the Paleo diet – often when it comes to taking a traditional recipe and making it Paleo (i.e. any baked goods, dishes, or dips), it requires substituting gluten or dairy for a lot of nut-based products. In other words, almond flour instead of all-purpose, coconut instead of cream, cashews instead of cheese. I think there are so many amazing attributes to this lifestyle, particularly if you are someone eating a lot of processed, packaged foods and sugar; the immediate shifts to eating more whole, real foods can be highly beneficial for your health. For me, I believe I overdid it on the nuts, which meant I was consuming way too much fat, ultimately doing myself (and my digestive system) a disservice. This long-winded introduction is all to say that I consider it healthier (for me) to sometimes return to tradition with a recipe such as this one; to make a spinach and crab dip with real cheese. But as I explain below, I definitely still consider this dip a healthy recipe.
I have made this recipe two ways – with artichokes and without them, and both dips are delicious. When my best friend recently invited us over for a Friday night happy hour, it was what I brought. Not only is it a crowd-pleaser, but it is so easy to make, and I made a mental note that this should be my regular contribution to future gatherings. I paired it with Siete Foods tortilla chips, but any cracker or crudités would work.
How spinach and crab dip is healthy
If you think about it, a spinach and crab dip (especially if you add artichokes) contains a lot of nutrition. Bonus: being pregnant, I was excited to find out that these two ingredients contain both folate and iron, two nutrients necessary for pregnancy. Here is the nutritional breakdown of the base of this dip.
Spinach: It is no surprise that spinach is a nutritional superstar. It contains a long list of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals beneficial for human health. Its functional properties include fighting inflammation and preventing oxidative damage and chronic disease, supporting metabolism and blood sugar, with cognitive and brain health benefits to boot. Spinach is also known to specifically support eye, bone, and heart health. Lastly, as mentioned above, spinach is a great source of folate and iron, which is a necessary component of prenatal nutrition.
Crab: Like other forms of seafood, crab contains protein and omega-3 fatty acids while being low in dietary fat. Other nutrients to note include vitamin B12, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, selenium, and copper. Additionally, shellfish tends to have higher iron levels than other forms of seafood, which makes it a functional food for pregnancy and addressing anemia.
Artichokes: If you choose to make this dip with artichokes, know that you will be doing yourself a nutritional favor. Not only are artichokes high in fiber, and therefore beneficial for digestive health, but they are a good source of vitamins C, K, B9 (folate), magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron. When it comes to their fiber content, they contain inulin, a water-soluble, non-digestible carbohydrate known for its digestive and metabolic benefits. Artichokes have long been regarded as a functional food in the Mediterranean diet for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and cardioprotective properties.
Where you can upgrade ingredients for this spinach and crab dip
This recipe calls for a few different ingredients that are traditionally regarded as “unhealthy:” specifically cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise. There are ways you can upgrade these ingredients depending on the brands you buy, and the amount that you use. In a recipe such as this one, I love to make the more nutritious ingredients the stars of the show, having them overshadow the less nutritious items. Then as long as you keep portions in check (and you don’t have any food intolerances), it is totally fine to indulge and enjoy every so often in my opinion.
With the plethora of dairy-free alternatives on the market, you can make substitutions if doing so align with your nutritional needs and values. As I mentioned before, I decided to go with the real deal; after years of eating very little dairy, I have been able to add it back into my diet with no problems. Studies have shown that dairy consumption (especially fermented dairy) can actually be beneficial for health. Contrary to previous beliefs, inverse relationships have been found between eating dairy and risks of cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. This is music to my ears.
That being said, there are a couple of brands I love and trust when it comes to some of the ingredients in this spinach and crab dip:
For the cream cheese and sour cream I suggest Green Valley Lactose-Free. Lactose is the sugar found in dairy to which many people are intolerant. Therefore, Green Valley products are more easily digestible, especially for someone who is lactose-intolerant (I am not affiliated with this brand in any way, I simply like to share those that I personally support).
For the mayonnaise I always use Primal Kitchen. Their products are primarily made with avocado oil and other clean ingredients, making them a less inflammatory and heart-healthy option (same disclaimer as above. Just love their products!).
Hot Spinach & Crab Dip
Equipment
- Skillet
- large mixing bowl
- 9×9 baking dish or equivalent
Ingredients
- 3 large handfuls spinach or 5-6 loosely packed cups
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or cooking oil
- 1 (15-oz) can artichoke hearts, chopped see note
- 8 ounces lump crab meat
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella or use an additional 1/4 cup parmesan
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature if needed
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Heat butter or cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook spinach until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer the spinach to the mixing bowl.
- To the mixing bowl with the cooked spinach, add the chopped artichokes (if using), crab meat, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and sea salt. Use a large wooden spoon to mix thoroughly until ingredients are well combined. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Enjoy while hot. If needed, reheat in the oven until desired temperature when ready to eat.
