Veggies and Dip - How Many Calories?

If you're watching what you eat, neighborhood barbecues can be a nightmare -- just picture it: Cheeseburgers on the grill, chips galore, sugary cocktails and rich desserts tempting you from atop the picnic table. Even the salads -- potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw -- are likely to be full of creamy calories. Those of you who are hoping to minimize the waistline damage your summer socializing will cause will probably make a beeline for the veggie tray, thinking that if you fill up on healthy stuff, you're less likely to gorge on the other stuff.

But the veggie tray comes with its own set of problems -- and it's called ranch dip. So tell me ...

Sure, those veggies are low in calories and really good for you, but that serving of ranch has 200 calories. Wait, I haven't even gotten to the worst part: That's 200 calories in a two-tablespoon helping. Two tablespoons is nothing -- you could easily double that if you're not careful, and by that point, you might as well have had an extra serving of dessert for the amount of calories you've scarfed.

But don't fret -- not all dips are as bad as the dreaded ranch. Hummus, for instance, is high in fiber and absolutely delicious with veggies. Guacamole has those 'good fats' we're always talking about -- not to mention a bit of a kick. After something creamy? Tzatziki dip -- made with yogurt and cucumber -- is a low-calorie alternative that's really fresh-tasting.