Ordering an appetizer at a Mexican restaurant could eat up your calorie allowance for an entire day, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

FERNANDO SALAZAR/Wichita Eagle

Nine-layer slimmed-down Mexican dip has all the flavor with far fewer calories per serving.

The group says an item with fried chips, guacamole, cheese, refried beans and sour cream often contains as many as 2,000 calories.

Refried beans often contain lard, but this slimmed-down recipe for nine-layer dip uses mashed kidney beans. To kick up the flavor, mix some salsa into the mashed beans.

These baked homemade tortilla chips taste best when they're served straight from the oven.

Combine the light sour cream, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside. Put the beans in a microwave- safe shallow dish and mash them with a stick blender or a fork. Put the dish in the microwave and heat the beans 2 to 5 minutes, or until hot. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the beans. Spread the guacamole over the cheese. Sprinkle the olives over the guacamole. Spread the sour cream mixture over the olives. Sprinkle the green onions on the sour cream. Put the tomatoes on top of the green onion. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the tomatoes and top with the fresh cilantro. Makes 8 servings.

Lighter guacamole: Use rubber or plastic gloves to seed 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers and finely chop them. In a food processor, combine one half of a large ripe avocado and 1/2 cup light sour cream, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, jalapeno peppers, 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cover and process until smooth. In a bowl, mash the remaining half of the avocado with a fork. Stir in the pureed avocado mixture and gently fold in 1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomato.

Chips: Cut 16 6-inch corn tortillas into 8 wedges, put them on a baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle on salt, chili pepper, cumin or cayenne pepper to taste. Bake wedges 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted and crispy. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING (1/8 of dip, 16 chips): Calories 225 Fat 7 g No cholesterol Sodium 292 mg Fiber 6 g Carbohydrates 35 g Protein 5 g

SOURCE: Dip recipe adapted from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2. Guacamole recipe slightly adapted from the Taste of Home cookbook.