A great subsitute for salad dressing!

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daniellepaskewitz
daniellepaskewitz Posts: 31
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a big fan of salads, I eat them a couple times a week! When I first started MFP i logged in a salad that I had made for lunch and couldn't believe how bad my ranch salad dressing was! I have heard that you can make a salad junk food, but I always load my salads with lots of vegetables so I thought i was fine... well I was wrong. I know there are great low-calorie dressings but I have been using cottage cheese as my dressing and it has been great! It adds great taste and some protein! try it out!

Replies

  • achojnacki
    achojnacki Posts: 66 Member
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    I like to use hummus as a topping for salads, it only has 50 calories per two table spoons and is full of healthy fats. It also comes in quite a few flavors!
  • mrscates
    mrscates Posts: 559 Member
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    I mix EVOO, Lemon juice and S&P together.
  • DBritt1
    DBritt1 Posts: 15 Member
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    I have been using Pace Pico De Gallo which is 10 calories for two table spoons. It adds some spice without the extra calories and is not that bad on sodium if you don't overuse.
  • taldie01
    taldie01 Posts: 378
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    My fav is Kraft light balsamic vinnegrette
  • Still_Sossy
    Still_Sossy Posts: 868 Member
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    Please just be aware, while you are trying to cut fat, you need some fat (not a lot), but you need some fat to absorb the nutrients from your veggies in that salad, many vitamins and minerals are fat soluble. And will not be absorbed without it. Maybe a piece of low fat cheese or 1/4 tsp. olive oil. It would be a shame to waste the nutrients your body needs.
  • MRudman
    MRudman Posts: 63 Member
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    Marie's makes a new Yogurt Ranch that is a lot lower in calories, sodium, fat, etc. than regular ranch. I feel your pain though, because my favorite salad dressing is Marie's Creamy Italian Garlic and it's sooooo bad. I only have it once in a blue moon. :)
  • karilynn27
    karilynn27 Posts: 190 Member
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    there is a dressing that a work buddie told me about, I was always ruining my salads with bad dressing but in the salad asle at Publix there is a gluten, sugar and calorie free dressing. They have it in blue cheese, balsamic and ranch but the balsamic is the best. The brand name is Walden's. Give it a try, I am addicted to this dressing its soo good and guilt free!!!!!
  • Charrisse
    Charrisse Posts: 163
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    I like bar b que sauce sometimes hahah I water it down. Sounds gross, but I likey,
  • ka_42
    ka_42 Posts: 720 Member
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    A good suggestion I heard once and use often is to dip your fork in the dressing of your choice as a way to use less of it. It really works - still tastes like you have enough! Light Italian is often like 20 cals per tbsp. Today I had a yummy sherry vinegar/ honey/ spices dressing! I don't know how many calories, I estimated.. I bought it at a locally made place- but it was really yummy!
  • smitty328
    smitty328 Posts: 164 Member
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    On the Biggest Loser last night they used salsa.. I think I want to try it!!! Yummy, way better then my homemade ranch with skim.. I am sure of it!
  • aneajo
    aneajo Posts: 287 Member
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    I saw the salsa thing also. Was wondering if anyone had tried it.
  • mrscates
    mrscates Posts: 559 Member
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    I USE THIS TOO!
    My fav is Kraft light balsamic vinnegrette
  • JaredTheGeek
    JaredTheGeek Posts: 26 Member
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    Great Idea! I use Balsamic Vinegrette a lot. I also buy the salad spritzer (can't recall the brand) and use that so its just a dusting of flavor.
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    A big scoop of salsa, a little dab of sour cream, a little dab of guac and a couple crushed doritos on top of a huge pile of salad greens make a pretty good "taco" salad.

    I also use the cottage cheese as a dressing, add some fresh black pepper and a sprinkle of your choice of vinegar and you are good to go.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    i use salsa for many a salad... but i make my own rather than store bought because store bought usually has too much sugar for my tastes.
  • heyitsmekatie
    heyitsmekatie Posts: 544 Member
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    thanks for the tip! i'm a big fan of salsa in place of dressing too.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    come to think of it, i don't think i've had a store-bought dressing in about 5 years.

    mostly, we make enough dressing for the evening salad. and to be really fair, we don't really eat salad in the winter, so the salsa thing only really counts in the late summer, early fall while we still have salsa stuff coming out of the garden.

    in the spring, we make a lot of mustard-based dressings. because there are so many kinds of mustards, you get to have a diferent dressing all the time.

    also, tahini & lemon juice is a good one... just search out your favorite dressings online and find a recipe. you can tweak all day!

    once you get a base recipe down, it's easy to modify accordingly and i can't even begin to tell you how many times cheaper and healthier than store bought.

    i am the salsa maker, my bf makes the mustard based ones - i think he uses mustard, a little vinegar (red wine or balsamic), crushed garlic, a tiny tiny bit of fat (usually olive oil or home made mayonnaise), lemon juice and a variety of herbs that we have in season on hand.

    always always delicious.
  • Minovido77
    Minovido77 Posts: 4
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    1 Tablespoon of lemon juice,
    1 teaspoon of light soy sauce,
    1 teaspoon of EVOO
    1/8 teaspoon of brown or dijon mustard
    freshly ground pepper

    Put everythin in a shot glass, cover with plastic wrap and shake well :) There's enough for a large salad.

    For my lunch I add it to 2-3 cups of baby romaine & baby spring mix along with sliced 1/8 of avocado, thinly sliced sweet onion (i don't eat it in a salad but adds up a flavor while i mix everything), grape tomatoes and 1 crushed whole egg. Really yummy!

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