a good low cal salad dressing?

Make your own.

Half a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (or regular olive oil if you don't have EVOO on hand). About half a tablespoon of red wine vinegar or white cooking wine. A sprinkle of lemon juice. Heavy sprinkling of dried dill weed and some black pepper. Garlic salt if you like it. Voila, fresh salad dressing. I don't even mix mine most of the time, I just pour on the ingredients one by one.

Or, you can do something similar to what I suggested, with the white cooking wine and a little dollop of dijon mustard. Put it all in a little jar and shake it up. Super good, low-cal, no sugar, no preservatives.

Kraft 'Calorie-Wise' Balsamic or Greek dressing are my favourites!

There are tons of flavored balsalmic vinegars and white balsalmic vinegars, also red wine and white wine vinegars are good. You can make your own oil & vinegar dressings - using water, fresh cracked pepper, a little crushed or minced garlic, and Mrs. Dash or other Italian Blend seasonings of your choice and they are really very good. I have cranberry pear white balsalmic vinegar now and strawberry balsalmic vinegar. Raspberry white balsamic is also wonderful. They are sooo yummy - you could just drink shots of them. My usual of dressing is about 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of water, a little seasoning and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of oil (if I decide to use it at all - depending on my fat needs for the day). In my opinion, fat does little to enhance the flavor - it is a texture thing (and may help with the distribution) and is not necessary - unless you are low on your fat intake that day. It makes 2 oz = enough to fill the little Tupperware dressing containers.

Homemade oil and vinegar dressings will keep a long time, months even. You can store it in a simple tupperware container or purchase salad dressing cruette's at the grocery store near the powdered seasoning blends. (Good Seasons Italian) If the oil congeals from the cold - simply warm it back up by sticking the container under hot running water for a minute or two - then shake.

In the rotation I currently have Ken's Lite Balsamic Vinagrette and Ken's Lite Ceasar. I think both are 60 cals for 2 tbsp. I've also been using salsa as dressing lately.

I used to make my own with balsamic vinegar, EVOO, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper but the cals from EVOO and brown sugar were way to high. SO delicious though! Ken's lite is NOT the same, but it will do.

I have 2 recipes:

8 oz good balsamic (try Kirkland from Costco)
6-8 oz water
2 tbls dijon mustard
1 tbl Splenda
1 package Good Seasons Italian
2 tbls canola oil
Add ingredients to blender and blend well.

You should get a little over a pint of dressing or 16 one- oz servings at abouty 15 calories a serving.


Ranch (for when I want something creamy()

1 envelope or 3 Tbls Hidden Valley Ranch mix
1 cup low fat buttermilk or low fat milk
3 tbl light Hellman's mayo (green cap)
2-3 tbls light sour cream
mix in mini food processor or blender and refrigerate.

Makes about 10-12 one ounce (2 tbls) servings att 20 calories a serving. To be decadant at a tablespoon of feta or crumbled blue cheese to the batch.

I like making my own, and everyone in my house loves the balsamic. No one misses the oil.
But I also like the Bolthouse line of yougurt dressings.

Honey Mustard from Bolthouse is my absolute favorite, but all their flavors are pretty tasty.

Ditto, also there Raspberry Merlot Vinaigrette is awesome

maple grove fat free poppyseed dressing or raspberry vinagarette dressing

Red wine vinegar with cracked pepper and sea salt tossed with Romain lettuce and topped with feta,blue,or goat cheese is delicious and very low in cals

Olive oil, Balsamic vinegar EITHER lemon juice or milk (DO NOT USE BOTH), and any spices you can think of. Salt, pepper, and garlic powder are mine...