Alternative to salad dressing

Aequitas503
Aequitas503 Posts: 62
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

I take a salad for lunch to work and usually have been putting a serving (about 20ml) of 100% fat free french dressing on it (I use the Praise brand if that matters). However, I'm noticing it has more sodium than I'd like so I'm looking for alternatives.

If it makes any difference my salads usually consist of lettuce, beetroot, alfalfa, chicken or tuna and occasionally egg.

I'm happy to try making my own dressing or for low sodium store bought alternatives (please note that I live in Australia).

Any ideas? :)
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Replies

  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    I love olive oil (healthy fat!) and balsamic vinegar on my salads.
  • liznotyet
    liznotyet Posts: 402 Member
    I was going to say the same thing - olive oil and balsamic vinegar - just a few drops of each.

    Sometimes I use the salad or veg that I bring for lunch to cool down a bowl of soup that I buy, and skip the dressing altogether.
  • bluelena
    bluelena Posts: 304 Member
    In the last several months, I've been just cutting back on how much dressing I use. If a serving is 2 tablespoons, I'll just use one tablespoon on a giant salad. Heh, I end up disappointed now when I order salad in a restaurant and forget to have them put the dressing in the side.

    Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are excellent choices that have also been mentioned. There are tons of vinegar flavors out there that you can experiment with to change things up every now and then.

    Salsa can be high in sodium (check the label), but is also good on salads.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    I was going to say the same thing - olive oil and balsamic vinegar - just a few drops of each.

    Yes, a little goes a LONG way! If someone is serving you the salad, you may need to tell them to put less on
  • Aequitas503
    Aequitas503 Posts: 62
    Thanks for your replies :)

    I'm sorry if this is an incredibly stupid question, but do you mix the oil and vinegar before putting them on the salad or just drop them on separately?
  • coffee_rocks
    coffee_rocks Posts: 275 Member
    Thanks for your replies :)

    I'm sorry if this is an incredibly stupid question, but do you mix the oil and vinegar before putting them on the salad or just drop them on separately?

    I mix them together. I take a little of both, and whisk in a little fresh cracked black pepper to taste, and sometimes a pinch of garlic powder. Whisk it for a few seconds and pour on your salad. Voila!
  • cookn_mama
    cookn_mama Posts: 228 Member
    Either way but together would be better. I use cottage cheese for dressing. Not alot but I get some protein too.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    My absolute favorite is Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar. It's basically olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and some spices. One tablespoon is 75 calories, all from the oil (which is healthy) and is all I need for a good-sized salad.

    You can also make your own oil and vinegar at home -- pretty easy.
  • gabcaron
    gabcaron Posts: 14 Member
    One tablespoon of greek yogurt, one tablespoon of whole grain mustard, the juice and the zest of one lemon. Love it!
  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    I'll use a little salsa or low fat cottage cheese to moisten up a dry salad and act like dressing. That way there's a little nutrition added!
  • jogy
    jogy Posts: 77 Member
    I usually make my own (olive oil and balsamic) but when I don't have time to make it, I usually take the store bought but I dilute it with water. Just enough that it still taste good but it does lower sodium and calorie intake.
  • tnqnt
    tnqnt Posts: 397 Member
    Lemon juice, pepper and olive oil.... or just plain salsa :-) love balsamic, too :-)
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
    Raspberry vinegar .... :smile:
  • makemewannadie
    makemewannadie Posts: 401 Member
    I always add a splash of soy sauce or a squeeze of lemon juice, i'm boring when it comes to salad dressings haha. I always have beetroot in my salads as I love the stuff and the juice kind of acts like a dressing too.
  • 714rah714
    714rah714 Posts: 759 Member
    Watch for the soduim content in salsa, it's huge.
  • ktrn0312
    ktrn0312 Posts: 722 Member
    I use the fruit infused balsamic vinegar ie. Strawberry, pomegranate, raspberry etc. One tablespoon = 5 calories
  • terrappyn
    terrappyn Posts: 324 Member
    I like to use 1% fat cottage cheese. 1/2 cup depending on the size of your salad. Mix it around and enjoy and it adds protein!!
  • jesswait
    jesswait Posts: 218 Member
    Salsa or Guacamole (or just plain avocados added in.)
  • loves86
    loves86 Posts: 88 Member
    I love adding mashed up avacados to mine!
  • Hambone23
    Hambone23 Posts: 486 Member
    A lower sodium alternative--and one that I like a bit more than plain olive oil and vinegar--is to mix a touch of Dijon mustard in with the olive oil and vinegar and make it into more of a French vinaigrette.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Try Thai sweet chilli sauce. Makes a fantastic dressing if you don't mind a bit of heat.
  • Kerri_is_so_very
    Kerri_is_so_very Posts: 999 Member
    A lower sodium alternative--and one that I like a bit more than plain olive oil and vinegar--is to mix a touch of Dijon mustard in with the olive oil and vinegar and make it into more of a French vinaigrette.

    ^^^This!

    To make a creamy honey dijon use plain, nonfat Chobani, balsamic vinegar (garlic wine vinegar works well....experiment with different varieties), dijon musturd, crushed garlic and a touch of honey.
  • jerbear1962
    jerbear1962 Posts: 1,157 Member
    I enjoy lemon or lime juice they add a brightness to the lettuce..and help cleanse the palate.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I make most of my dressings from scratch, the salt is added to premade dressings to keep them from spoiling during transport and shelf life, the same dressings made from scratch will be much healthier. They will usually only last a week or two, but you can make as much or as little as you need in that time period.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    i like to use homemade salsa in place of dressing
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Tahini is good on salads, too.
  • StaceyJ2008
    StaceyJ2008 Posts: 411 Member
    I use olive oil, italian seasoning, pepper, and lemon juice on my salads.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    If you want to try to get away from salad dressings, you can grill onions, peppers and mushrooms and put them on top of the salads (season them however you want when you are grilling/sauteing them). The 'juice' from them can really add a lot of flavor to your salad.

    Vinegar and oil are good. There are a lot of flavored vinegars out there besides balsamic if you don't enjoy the balsamic. I found a blueberry one that was incredible.

    Salsa is really good on salads too. If you want a creamy dressing, you can take salsa and mix in just a little of sour cream and you start to get a really decent creamy dressing too.
  • shar140
    shar140 Posts: 1,158 Member
    Pretty much what everyone else has said - I've done my own with olive oil and vinegar (though I use rice wine), if I'm at home I just add both then mix the salad; if I take it to work, it's mixed in a container first. Then I add spices (salt, pepper, garlic & onion powders, oregano, thyme) to taste. I've also done avocado and/or cottage cheese. I've also started adding coconut oil to whatever protein I'm adding to my salad - heat, mix, eat, don't need any other dressing.

    I might have to try the dijion mustard idea, though - thanks, Hambone! :)
  • thingal12
    thingal12 Posts: 302 Member
    How are you cooking your tuna and chicken? If you are having chicken breast, for ex, and putting it in the oven with even just 1/2-1tsp of evoo then the juices from the chicken would be enough for you and you won't need any dressing.

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