FoodRef · Recipe
Spinach Cob Loaf Dip
0 approve · 0 caution · 11 avoid
Standard deviation of the 11 scores. Higher = the diets disagree more.
The verdicts
Disapprove (11)
- DASH1.8
- Mediterranean2.5
- Vegan1.2
- Carnivore2.0
- Paleo1.3
- Keto3.2
- Low-FODMAP1.5
- Whole301.2
- Zone2.5
- Anti-Inflammatory2.8
- GLP-12.2
Caution (0)
None in this range
Approve (0)
None in this range
Ingredients
- 1 packet (40g/1.4oz) French onion soup mix powder, full salt (not low salt)
- 250g/8 oz cream cheese, full fat
- 300g/ 10oz sour cream, full fat (or 250g/8oz tub + top up with yogurt or extra mayo)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, whole-egg or Kewpie
- 250g/8 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed (I microwave), excess water squeezed out with hands (Note 1)
- 1 cob loaf (crusty round bread), preferably sourdough, or other shape loaf, about 25cm/10oz wide (Note 2)
Instructions
- Soften cream cheese – Put the cream cheese in a microwave-proof bowl and use a wooden spoon to roughly break it up into 8 or so chunks. Microwave on high for ~30 seconds then mix well until it is soft and loose, like sour cream.
- Mix – Add the sour cream, mayonnaise and soup powder, mix well. Then stir in spinach.
- Fridge 3 hours – Refrigerate, covered, for 3 hours (or overnight) to let the flavours meld.
- Bread bowl – Using a bread knife, cut a lid off the bread (about 2.5cm/1" thick). Cut around the inside of the loaf, leaving a 2cm/0.8" border and base. Score the bread inside the ring into 2.5cm/1" squares, then pull the pieces out with your fingers to create a bread bowl.
- Serve – Take it out of the fridge 1 hour prior to serving to take the chill out and loosen (if needed, warm slightly in microwave). Give it a good mix, pour into the bowl and serve with the bread pieces on the side for dipping. I recommend providing extra dippers (crackers, chips – my favourite is crinkle cut plain potato chips) as there is more dip than bread!
Diet-by-diet
Extremely high sodium from soup mix and processed dairy, plus heavy saturated fat from cream cheese, sour cream and mayo make this a poor DASH choice.
Aside from the spinach, this dip relies on processed dairy, mayo and refined white bread — none of which align with Mediterranean principles emphasizing olive oil, whole grains and minimally processed foods.
Cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise (eggs), and likely dairy/whey in the soup mix make this firmly non-vegan.
Mostly dairy-based which is allowed, but spinach, bread, mayo and seasoned soup mix push it well outside carnivore.
Dairy, mayonnaise, processed soup mix and a bread bowl all violate paleo guidelines.
High fat from cream cheese, sour cream and mayo helps, but the bread bowl and soup mix carbs/additives knock it down significantly.
French onion soup mix is loaded with onion and garlic, and wheat-based sourdough plus dairy make this a FODMAP minefield.
Dairy, legumes (soy in mayo/soup mix), grains (bread), and processed soup mix all break Whole30 rules.
Macro balance is skewed heavily to fat with refined carbs from bread and minimal lean protein — far from the 40/30/30 target.
Spinach offers some benefit, but high saturated fat, refined white bread, processed soup mix, and high sodium are pro-inflammatory.
Calorie-dense and low in protein and fiber relative to fat; the dip-and-bread format encourages overeating rather than satiety.