Im new to this "make better choices thing" help ?
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When it comes to dressings I would one hundred percent recommend Litehouse yogurt dressings. They are usually sold in the refridgerated section by the fresh veg. They are quite low calorie and fat without sacrificing flavor at all. I just did a quick search too as I saw someone mentioned light dressings being high in sodium but it looks like the sodium is even about 1/3 of a full-fat dressing. Additionally, there's a good amount of protein in the dressings too. There is a parmesan caesar, ranch, southwest ranch, honey mustard...I forget what else, but they are all very creamy and satisfying with that yogurt base.
Personally, I don't worry too much about eating food/drinks with the word "diet" on them...I don't eat a lot of sodium anyway so I don't concern myself with the amount that is usually in these foods. It's a personal choice though. A lot of people will tell you to steer clear period.
Seriously though, try the dressing :-) It's the best.0 -
I have learned you have to watch "light" because it usually = MORE SODIUM
I watch calories and sodium, but if that's not a concern for you, no biggie.
I prefer full fat salad dressing and I've learned to make a little go a long way. Or there are tons of recipes to make your own
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I can't even remember the last time I just poured salad dressing on a salad. I tend to have so much in my salad I don't notice it's missing. For example taco salad is a favorite of mine, could eat it almost daily and I put plain greek yogurt on the top sometimes mixed with salsa and it does the trick for me. I also find myself using avacado in salads, chopped hard boiled eggs, feta or cottage cheese and so on. I even make a cheeseburger salad which I just use mustard and ketchup over the salad like I would a burger.
I will say when I want buttermilk ranch or greek dressings I have them without guilt however I don't pour them over the salad I go for them on the side and yes silly as it sounds sometimes I forget to even dip the veggies.
Personally I enjoy diet soda on occasion when going out for a meal but my drink of choice is always water but I'm one of those people who just likes the taste of nice ice cold water.
My best advice is to experiment, you have to find what works for you and you're getting some good feedback here so good luck to you with a little effort you'll discover some great things.0 -
Agree with Dawn - if you really need a ton of dressing, your salad isn't interesting enough in the first place.
But beyond that, there is no right answer. You don't have to use them to lose weight but there's nothing wrong with lighter dressings - I don't always use them, but if you enjoy the taste and it saves some calories over a heavier option, then what's the issue? There are days when I would bleed diet coke if cut, but that has yet to matter in any way, shape or form when it comes to weight loss and overall fitness. Don't lose sight of the forest for the trees; artificial sweeteners and sodium are not particularly relevant for fat loss.0 -
I'm not a fan of low fat/ fat free dressings, only because I don't like the taste. I measure out my dressing and just eat less of it, and I've gotten used to that. Someone else mentioned the yogurt-based dressings, which I agree are really tasty.
As for diet soda, if you like the flavour, go for it. I personally don't like the taste so I drink Zevia every once in a while. It's made with stevia instead of aspartame, still 0 calorie.0 -
what do you think of light dressing..any downfalls beside taste. or diet soda? Im trying to take small steps so I do not fail this time! adding more salad at lunch and using light becasue I eat alot of calories in dresssing thank you!
Keep in mind that you asked, 'what do you think....?' Because that's all you're going to get is opinions. No one who replies in this thread will have legit studies to back up their opinions / claims. What that might tell you is, that your opinion / guess is as good as theirs.
I think you're wise to take small steps, and not make many gigantic moves all at once.
If you were consuming 1,000 calories a day in Dr Pepper, then, switching to Diet Dr Pepper seems a pretty logical choice. You have to make up your own mind, if you think replacing it with 96 oz of diet soda is a sensible thing to do. You could simply try to drop your regular Dr Pepper habit down to something a bit more 'reasonable,' like 1 X 250 calorie can per day. The neat thing about the entire MFP method is that you make all the choices. Perhaps your goal is to stop drinking soda altogether. Then, you could try switching to diet, and then cutting down. What are your goals regarding your soda consumption?
No one who replies is going to be able to prove that low calorie dressings are any more 'harmful' to you than full fat, full calorie versions. If all you're after is minimal calories in everything.... go for it. Otherwise, you'll have to do a lot of research to formulate an opinion on whether or not there's any risk to basically, any food.
I look forward to the various opinions you elicit in this thread.0 -
I've stumbled on Yogurt salad dressing which tastes unbelievable. I generally always look at sodium due for blood pressure reasons. Other than that, I don't look for anything "light" today than I did before I was more conscious of calorie intake.
Do you mind sharing the brand name of the dressing you are talking about? My daughter currently loves ranch and I would love to see if I can find a better option for her.
Bolthouse Farms Ranch is pretty fantastic as such things go. Sold in the veggie section of most grocery chains.0 -
I used to do light, diet, and fat free all the time, and with those were so many failed efforts at keeping the weight off. I think those type of foods were making me hungry for real food.what do you think of light dressing..any downfalls beside taste. or diet soda? Im trying to take small steps so I do not fail this time! adding more salad at lunch and using light becasue I eat alot of calories in dresssing thank you!
Last year I decided to start eating real food that I love, to learn moderAtion, and that's when things started to change for me. For the first time in my life-and I was born fat and stayed fat until about 12 years ago-I have been able unreasonably maintain my weight.
If something is light and I taste it and I like it, I'll eat it but only because I like it. I gave up diet coke because the caffeine makes me want my and bloated, and I don't like the taste of the caffeine free kind. I personally hate sugary soda.
Eat real food, drink beverages you like, but log you food and drink so that you stay within your calorie goals.0 -
what do you think of light dressing..any downfalls beside taste. or diet soda? Im trying to take small steps so I do not fail this time! adding more salad at lunch and using light becasue I eat alot of calories in dresssing thank you!
What I've found in past (failed) attempts at weightloss is that if I switch to lower calorie versions of things that aren't necessarily great for you anyway (like soda pop) I just saw a "light version" as an excuse to have more of it because it came in under my calories. I'm not saying don't do it, just be careful!
I have to say though, making your own versions of favourite treats, even down to salad dressing, you can generally save money, calories and additives over time, and when you stick to it, which I plan on doing this time, it does make you feel a whole lot better. I also find that though I'm spending more time in the kitchen I enjoy my food more, meaning I don't feel the need to scoff it all at once and often want to make it last as long as I can!
Good luck to you and feel free to add me if you want
Han x0 -
what do you think of light dressing..any downfalls beside taste. or diet soda? Im trying to take small steps so I do not fail this time! adding more salad at lunch and using light becasue I eat alot of calories in dresssing thank you!
Keep in mind that you asked, 'what do you think....?' Because that's all you're going to get is opinions. No one who replies in this thread will have legit studies to back up their opinions / claims. What that might tell you is, that your opinion / guess is as good as theirs.
I think you're wise to take small steps, and not make many gigantic moves all at once.
If you were consuming 1,000 calories a day in Dr Pepper, then, switching to Diet Dr Pepper seems a pretty logical choice. You have to make up your own mind, if you think replacing it with 96 oz of diet soda is a sensible thing to do. You could simply try to drop your regular Dr Pepper habit down to something a bit more 'reasonable,' like 1 X 250 calorie can per day. The neat thing about the entire MFP method is that you make all the choices. Perhaps your goal is to stop drinking soda altogether. Then, you could try switching to diet, and then cutting down. What are your goals regarding your soda consumption?
No one who replies is going to be able to prove that low calorie dressings are any more 'harmful' to you than full fat, full calorie versions. If all you're after is minimal calories in everything.... go for it. Otherwise, you'll have to do a lot of research to formulate an opinion on whether or not there's any risk to basically, any food.
I look forward to the various opinions you elicit in this thread.
While I agree that it's all about choices and there is no "right" way to do this (beside achieving a sustainable deficit), I personally have a goal of not just losing weight but also gaining more nutrition from my food. Also, increasing fat in my diet and at least prioritizing less processed foods seems to have made a huge difference in my tendencies to overeat.0 -
As for diet soda, if you like the flavour, go for it. I personally don't like the taste so I drink Zevia every once in a while. It's made with stevia instead of aspartame, still 0 calorie.
I include Zevia in the diet soda category. I quite like the ginger ale one.0 -
If something is light and I taste it and I like it, I'll eat it but only because I like it.... Eat real food, drink beverages you like, but log you food and drink so that you stay within your calorie goals.
This. There was a discussion recently about modification vs. moderation, and I think generally people agreed that modification (or alternatives) work for some things, when you like them, but in other cases there's no choice but to just eat less. For example, the idea of fat free cheese horrifies me and I mostly just eat really good cheese less often than I used to (I used to eat a lot of it), but there are cheeses that are naturally lower calorie (like feta) that I really like, so I wouldn't consider this an inferior substitute (and it's not worse for you than other kinds of cheese).
That's the point I was trying to make when talking about lower calorie dressings too. It's not like there's high calorie dressing and then some kind of inferior fake low calorie dressing. Dressings vary a lot in how many calories they have and I find many naturally low calorie dressing options to be delicious. If that's the case for you, choose those. If not, don't eat something you dislike, just figure out how to make what you like with fewer calories or adjust to using less.
I think people can fetishize not using lower calorie options, and in many cases I like the lower calorie option just as much or more (I like 2% cottage cheese and even 0% Fage, which I also think works as well as sour cream in many uses). There's nothing wrong with these foods, just because they have less fat, although there's also nothing wrong with the full fat options if you are just aware of the calories, of course.0 -
I'm gonna agree with everybody and say that you'll have to figure out what works best for you while counting your calories.
One thing that you can find often at farmer's markets and also online, is nice thick flavored balsamics. I love them and don't use oil with them - a bit of trading fats for sugar but since I never make a salad without an avocado in it that's ok 0 -
I'm gonna agree with everybody and say that you'll have to figure out what works best for you while counting your calories.
One thing that you can find often at farmer's markets and also online, is nice thick flavored balsamics. I love them and don't use oil with them - a bit of trading fats for sugar but since I never make a salad without an avocado in it that's ok
The problem is once you discover the wonderful world of aged balsamics, there's no going back to lesser vinegars.
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I've never found a light dressing that I liked the taste of, or a diet soda for that matter.
Having said that, either are fine, if you like them.0 -
I'm gonna agree with everybody and say that you'll have to figure out what works best for you while counting your calories.
One thing that you can find often at farmer's markets and also online, is nice thick flavored balsamics. I love them and don't use oil with them - a bit of trading fats for sugar but since I never make a salad without an avocado in it that's ok
The problem is once you discover the wonderful world of aged balsamics, there's no going back to lesser vinegars.
It's true!!0 -
It might help if we knew more about your goal....
for example: I don't eat most "light" foods, because most contain more ADDED sugar than "regular" ones (and usually lots of other stuff). And I like a diet high in fat (and lower in added sugar)
Are you just "cutting calories"?
That's a good goal.
But it would help if we knew what you were aiming for...0 -
what do you think of light dressing..any downfalls beside taste. or diet soda? Im trying to take small steps so I do not fail this time! adding more salad at lunch and using light becasue I eat alot of calories in dresssing thank you!
Keep in mind that you asked, 'what do you think....?' Because that's all you're going to get is opinions. No one who replies in this thread will have legit studies to back up their opinions / claims. What that might tell you is, that your opinion / guess is as good as theirs.
I think you're wise to take small steps, and not make many gigantic moves all at once.
If you were consuming 1,000 calories a day in Dr Pepper, then, switching to Diet Dr Pepper seems a pretty logical choice. You have to make up your own mind, if you think replacing it with 96 oz of diet soda is a sensible thing to do. You could simply try to drop your regular Dr Pepper habit down to something a bit more 'reasonable,' like 1 X 250 calorie can per day. The neat thing about the entire MFP method is that you make all the choices. Perhaps your goal is to stop drinking soda altogether. Then, you could try switching to diet, and then cutting down. What are your goals regarding your soda consumption?
No one who replies is going to be able to prove that low calorie dressings are any more 'harmful' to you than full fat, full calorie versions. If all you're after is minimal calories in everything.... go for it. Otherwise, you'll have to do a lot of research to formulate an opinion on whether or not there's any risk to basically, any food.
I look forward to the various opinions you elicit in this thread.
While I agree that it's all about choices and there is no "right" way to do this (beside achieving a sustainable deficit), I personally have a goal of not just losing weight but also gaining more nutrition from my food. Also, increasing fat in my diet and at least prioritizing less processed foods seems to have made a huge difference in my tendencies to overeat.
I find that discussing nutrition here, is another touchy subject. I agree with you. But, I think, for the most part, this OP wants to focus on weight loss first. That's just the conclusion I've drawn from her posts. With making small changes, I think that lowering calories is often the first priority. I don't claim that's the right way to do it.... that's not the way I did it.... but, I think that's how most noobs at MFP think. And further to that.... again, ONLY IMHO.... I think that many noobs at MFP try to suddenly / radically change their diets to eat 'clean,' ( not my term ), and suddenly start exercising an hour, two hours a day.....and just can't handle so much change all at once.
While I was a bit radical in my own approach to weight loss, and I did try to straighten out my nutrition as well, I just don't think it's the first priority of most noobs at MFP. It would be on my to-do list.
Good on you for bringing it up.
When you say this.... Also, increasing fat in my diet and at least prioritizing less processed foods seems to have made a huge difference in my tendencies to overeat..... that is of course your experience. Once again, her mileage may vary.0 -
You can make your own "low calorie" dressing by buying the Hidden Valley ranch dressing seasoning mix and using plain greek yogurt (I use the non fat) instead of mayonnaise. I'm not a big fan of "processed" foods especially those that are "low fat". Having said that I am addicted to sweet tea (seriously addicted, I drink about a gallon of it a day), to keep the calories from getting out of control I either use the Crystal Light mixes (which contain fake sugar) or I make my own tea and use sweet N Low to sweeten it. I stopped drinking soda completely a couple of years ago (occasionally if we go out and I can't get decent tea, i'll order a diet soda which I will rarely drink all of because I have lost the taste for soda). I'm a supporter of anything that you can do that will keep you on the road to a healthier life, is a good thing. It doesn't do much good to radically change your eating habits to be completely healthy from day one, if you can only stick to it for a week or two, and then fall back to all your bad habits. It's much better to slowly make the changes you can stick with long term.0
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for example: I don't eat most "light" foods, because most contain more ADDED sugar than "regular" ones (and usually lots of other stuff). And I like a diet high in fat (and lower in added sugar)
See, this is why I think the question was confusing. I'd consider a "light" food to include using a vinegar or dressing made of vinegar and mustard or vinegar plus just a bit of olive oil or lower fat dairy, and none of those include more "added sugar" (except that I guess the ingredients in a homemade dressing that aren't focused on fat might), like if you are bothered by balsamic vinegar or adding a bit of honey or whatever.0
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