I screwed up! UGH!

2

Replies

  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    plain greek yogurt and a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dry. There are recipes for this online and it's good
  • hauntao
    hauntao Posts: 130 Member
    I usually add vinegar to my dressings.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Use the real stuff that you actually like. "Low calorie" substitutes will never be the real thing.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I really like Bolthouse Ranch Yogurt dressing. You buy it in the refrigerated section of the produce. It's 45 cals for 2 TBS and yummy!

    Agreed. One of the best lower calorie ranch dressings I've tried.

    My thoughts are always, if it seems too good to be true (i.e. Walden Farms) it usually is!!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    What's the problem with the Walden Farms stuff, anyway?
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I'm not a fan of sacrificing taste for calories either but I have tried some light dressings to see if I can at least save on fat content. Ken's light creamy ceasar is pretty delicious! And a friend of mine really likes the Bolthouse dressings.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Walden Farms stuff tastes awful.

    Plus, they're using the loophole in the law to pretend like their "foods" are calorie free, when in fact, they aren't.

    My fave salad dressing is Newman's Own Sesame Ginger. It's really good on salads, and it's also excellent as a marinade.
  • baileysmom4
    baileysmom4 Posts: 242 Member
    If you want really good ranch dressing, get the mix of hidden valley ranch buttermilk. I use it and low fat buttermilk and light mayo. You could probably use yogurt but I didn't like the taste of that.
  • strongmindstrongbody
    strongmindstrongbody Posts: 315 Member
    I get Hidden Valley's light buttermilk ranch dressing. It's 10 calories less per serving than the ranch dressing. Not a groundbreaking difference, but every bit helps, right? And you still get the good flavor. Just see if you can use less on your food and still be satisfied.
  • ashleyShades
    ashleyShades Posts: 375 Member
    I either use small amounts of Hidden Valley Light or Bolthouse.

    Bolthouse has a ranch that's made with yogurt I believe? I like their vinegarettes! LOVE the mango one with chicken
  • Jul158
    Jul158 Posts: 481 Member
    My roommate loves to make dressing by taking the Hidden Valley Ranch spice mix (just the powder) and mixing it with plain 0% Greek yogurt. Protein, and also makes a great dip for veggies.
  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
    Olde Cape Cod makes good ones, and Annie's Naturals are delicious. Most of the time I make my own. Take Ranch Powder mix it with plain Greek Yogurt makes a yummy dip! I guess you could cut it with a little almond milk or water to thin it, and it would be an awesome ranch dressing.
  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
    Another option that I do is use avocados instead of oil for a creamy texture to my dressing.
  • jacque930
    jacque930 Posts: 122 Member
    I use salad dressing regular or reduced fat.. not fat free.

    OR

    Make your Own. Penzey Spice company has a few great salad dressing bases that are easy to make. Instructions are right on the jar. I lover their ranch.

    http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyssaladdressingbase.html
  • skinnydreams19
    skinnydreams19 Posts: 282 Member
    Yeah, Walden Farms is definitely not clean .It's sad, because the no calorie thing would be awesome if they weren't packed full of unhealthy chemicals. They could be worse than McDonald's? Who knows, but certainly no good :(
  • AngieM76
    AngieM76 Posts: 622 Member
    I use the full fat full flavor dressings and just watch how much I use. I have tried making ranch with greek yogurt, ranch seasoning pack, and milk and while it tasted good it has a bad after taste in my opinion.
  • megankpy
    megankpy Posts: 8 Member
    Little Creek miso vinaigrette is where it's at.
    It's creamy, zesty, and has no sugar.
    75 calories per tbsp.

    Most Whole Foods stores carry it.
    http://littlecreekdressing.com/little-creek-dressings/
  • namluv
    namluv Posts: 194 Member
    try salsa instead - I especially love mango or black bean and corn on a salad :)
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    I make my own:

    4 tbsp white wine vinegar
    2 tbsp dijon
    1 tbsp olive oil
    1 tbsp honey
    sprinkling of chives

    All of that is 205 calories and makes 4-6 servings, so 35-50 calories per serving depending on how much you use. Toss the salad a LOT more than you usually do and you don't need as much.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    I use full fat dressings because fats are important to the absorption of vitamins.

    http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2012/120619FerruzziSalad.html
    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/dress-up-your-salad/

    Yes, the no-fat dressing are are lower in calories, but fats are important to your diet.
  • rlmiller73190
    rlmiller73190 Posts: 342 Member
    You can just make your own salad shakers by using an empty mason jar or sauce container. That's what I do.



    I support the Bolthouse Farms suggestions. They are amazing and have no freaky ingredients!! I am addicted to their honey mustard. It's almost like a Dijon mustard dressing!
  • fourfiftythree
    fourfiftythree Posts: 203 Member
    So we were shopping the other day. I bought a bottle of French & Ranch Walden Farms dressings. THEN I came here to check it out. I'm so upset right now...for wasting my money LOL I tried it. It wasn't HORRIBLE but it was weird tasting. Now, I know why. It will be thrown out. I'm not obsessed about clean eating, but I can say I'm more aware and adamant about it than I used to be. Is there ANY other lower cal dressings that can compare anywhere close to Hidden Valley Ranch and Western French? I know nothing will taste exactly like it, but if I can get close, that would be great. Kraft is out of the question, as neither of us like it.

    That's so funny, because I just bought their chipotle mayo last Sunday to see what it was like. I am not easily put off by food and will try anything, but after just smelling it I had a hard time actually having a taste. Once I finally got it down I was regretful lol. Weird is a good way to describe it. Kind of acidic tasting. Just weird. And it left an aftertaste. Ugh.

    Edit: I forgot to mention that when I pulled it off the shelf at the store it had a quarter inch layer of dust on it. That should have been the sign not buy it!
  • Heather1231974_wechange
    Heather1231974_wechange Posts: 17
    Im not sure if someone else posted this because I didn't read all the post BUT you can make your own Ranch. I do and I use lite mayo and skim milk. It's way less than the bottled stuff and still tastes good. I'm not a big fan of Walden Farms salad dressings. lol but their BBQ sauce isn't bad :)
  • snowfallgently
    snowfallgently Posts: 21
    Trader Joe has some great salad dressings.
  • lilbearzmom
    lilbearzmom Posts: 600 Member
    I don't know if this was mentioned, but buy what you like and put a little bit of dressing in a bowl on the side and dip your fork in, then stab the veggies before you take a bite. Literally, you won't even use 1/2 a tablespoon and it will taste good!

    -Kendra
  • terlyn20
    terlyn20 Posts: 142 Member
    i have two favorite. one is ranch made with Penzey ranch dressing mix. and the second
    is
    Dr. Ben Kim's. i've been using this one for years.

    18 to 20 oz clean jar
    Start with 1/3 extra virgin olive oil
    ¼ freshly squeezed lemon juice
    ( just a little less than the amount of oil )
    ¼ of the best honey you can buy
    2 T of your favorite mustard ( I use Dijon with wine )
    A good pinch of sea salt and teaspoon of minced garlic
    Whisk with fork till blended. ( sometimes use blender )
    Taste test and adjust as desired.
    Please note that "one-third" doesn't necessarily mean a third of the jar, but just a third of the total amount of dressing you'd like to make, and this will hold true with all amounts cited.
  • hopefloatsup
    hopefloatsup Posts: 207 Member
    I don't know if this was mentioned, but buy what you like and put a little bit of dressing in a bowl on the side and dip your fork in, then stab the veggies before you take a bite. Literally, you won't even use 1/2 a tablespoon and it will taste good!

    -Kendra
    THAT is a great idea! I never thought of that
  • ednaemerson
    ednaemerson Posts: 63 Member
    Could someone tell me where in Canada you can buy Bolthouse dressings. Many thanks.
  • HannahJDiaz25
    HannahJDiaz25 Posts: 329 Member
    I really like Bolthouse Ranch Yogurt dressing. You buy it in the refrigerated section of the produce. It's 45 cals for 2 TBS and yummy!

    I love this stuff too!
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    We always make our own dressing. Perhaps look up some recipes on the internet.

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