Salad.. great. Dressing.. AWFUL?

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Replies

  • rachseby
    rachseby Posts: 285 Member
    I think that as long as it's within your calorie/fat allotment it's okay...I also love Asian dressings, specifically Tamari sesame...It is low in calories, sugar and fat.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    As long as the fat is not trans fat, don't worry about it. Fat taste good and your body needs it. The only worry with fat is the calories, but if it fits in your goals It's all good.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    .5 or 1 tbsp EVOO
    1 or 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I like more vinegar than oil but it's up to you)
    Pinch of brown sugar
    small squeeze of Dijon mustard
    salt and pepper

    Shake them all together in one of those little tupperware containers. Amazingness. I can't eat salads with bottled dressings since I started making this.
  • ckasap
    ckasap Posts: 60 Member
    I rarely use bottles dressings. My go-to is a chipotle oilive oil and pineapple balsamic vinegar splashed on and tossed. So good.
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
    I love my Hidden Valley regular Ranch dressing-nothing wrong with regular dressings :)
  • ChristyJade
    ChristyJade Posts: 186 Member
    I just squeeze half a lime over mine...I dont like oily dressings.
  • beekay70
    beekay70 Posts: 214 Member
    I love salad and dressing. I've just learned to keep the dressing on the side and dip my fork tines in it so each bite has a little dressing. I can usually get by with no more than 1 Tbsp depending on how thick it is.

    This is exactly what I do. I know that we need fats, but I would rather know what I'm taking in and I would prefer the "good" fats, i.e. avocado, olive oil, fish oil, etc.
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
    I dropped my glass salad dressing bottle before work one day and was stuck with a plain salad. I found I actually liked that better and have never gone back.

    I should note that my plain salad includes avocado, so I get the requisite fat and creaminess. Sometimes I'll add a dash of salt and pepper.
  • gzus7freek
    gzus7freek Posts: 494 Member
    My preferred salad dressing?
    I squirt of mustard! LOL
    Zero calories, Zero Fat and good too!
  • Val_from_OH
    Val_from_OH Posts: 447 Member
    The Marzetti Simply Dressed Light Veggie Ranch in the refrigerated section is very good, has no weird ingredients, and has a moderate calorie count. I use this when I am craving a creamy salad dressing. Also non-fat greek yogurt mixed with salsa makes a really nice dressing for a southwestern flavored salad.
  • APalmieri2012
    APalmieri2012 Posts: 14 Member
    Have you tried using a dressing made with greek yogurt? They are much better in the fat department and they even taste great!

    Just some food for thought!
  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
    1-2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tsp Olive oil, italian seasoning blend, maybe even a squeeze of lemon. BAM. done.
  • harveyc1987
    harveyc1987 Posts: 4 Member
    I the way I think about it is a little different. I feel like need a good dressing for me to enjoy the salad. But I look at like this salad with the dressing is a lot better than if I would have had the double bacon cheese burger or fried chicken I really wanted lol
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    Just make your own... use olive oil if you want to add some extra fat and calories or don't. If I have avocado in my salad, I'll usually just add some apple cider vinegar or lemon juice with some garlic as a dressing. If no added fats in the salad, I'll use olive oil in addition to that. I've never quite understood why people buy bottled dressing when it's so simple to make.
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
    There's nothing wrong with fat, man people don't get enough fat.

    exactly.... more than that, people don't get enough 'good' fats. Dress your salad with olive oil. I use extra virgin and mix a little white balsamic with it, salt, pepper, garlic and either mustard or lemon juice and chilli .... :smile:
  • clobern
    clobern Posts: 341 Member
    The fat in salad dressing is essential to get the nutrients from the salad to work right. People who eat fat free dressings are wasting the carotenoids in the salad. It's best to find dressings with monounsaturated fats, but no matter which you choose, 2 tablespoons of a regular dressing is better than fat free stuff.

    http://gizmodo.com/5923627/eating-salad-with-fat-free-dressing-is-not-good-for-you-says-science
  • shar140
    shar140 Posts: 1,158 Member
    I dropped my glass salad dressing bottle before work one day and was stuck with a plain salad. I found I actually liked that better and have never gone back.

    I should note that my plain salad includes avocado, so I get the requisite fat and creaminess. Sometimes I'll add a dash of salt and pepper.

    This. I found I don't really need dressing, if I've got some meat & cheese on it. I'll also add avocado, or cottage cheese if I need something. If I do have dressing (on a homemade salad), I just use a bit of olive oil and rice wine vinegar (not as potent) and some spices. I usually only use bottled dressings when I'm at a restaurant, and then I use it sparingly since I don't need as much anymore.
  • Lib_B
    Lib_B Posts: 446 Member
    bump
  • SteffieMark
    SteffieMark Posts: 1,719 Member
    I have a huge salad for dinner, about 5 nights a week. I add a grilled chicken breast, chopped onions and a little Mrs. Dash. I have not used "salad dressing" for many years. I prefer salsa. Some of my favorites are Arriba Fired Roasted Chipotle Salsa and plain old Great Value Peach Pineapple Chipotle Salsa. For a real treat, I'll drizzle Mai Ploy Sweet Chili sauce over it, instead. All are very low calorie and go a long way. A little dab will do ya! I love them.
  • These recipes sounds delicious! But, what's the expiration date for home made salad dressing??
  • kiwidrop
    kiwidrop Posts: 222 Member
    I use 2 tbls of Kraft Fat Free Italian or Zesty Italian (15 cals) and 2 tbls of Kinkoman Rice Vvinegar (0 cals). Taste great and a really good amount. Half of each would probably be more than enough too.
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
    I'm like creamy dressing, and I make my own by mixing a bit of avocado (mash it with a fork until creamy), 2 laughing cow cheese wedges (light garlic & herb), and some salsa together. It might sound weird, but it's soooo good to me!

    When it's all said and done, my salad including the dressing is about 212 calories. :smile:
  • Geojerm
    Geojerm Posts: 291 Member
    I use Newman's Own Salad dressings

    I also recommend trying a little tzaziki ... especially with grilled chicken
  • sanndandi
    sanndandi Posts: 300 Member
    bump

    also I don't worry about the fats in bottled dressings as I know they can be beneficial, but have you ever seen the sodium content on some of them? More than the usual 2 TBSP serving and that can really skyrocket.
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
    I have a huge salad for dinner, about 5 nights a week. I add a grilled chicken breast, chopped onions and a little Mrs. Dash. I have not used "salad dressing" for many years. I prefer salsa. Some of my favorites are Arriba Fired Roasted Chipotle Salsa and plain old Great Value Peach Pineapple Chipotle Salsa. For a real treat, I'll drizzle Mai Ploy Sweet Chili sauce over it, instead. All are very low calorie and go a long way. A little dab will do ya! I love them.

    I do love using salsa on my taco salads :heart:
  • Hmm, I just add salt and pepper to mine. Mum adds olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper to the family's.
  • MrsDanner78
    MrsDanner78 Posts: 107
    Mmmmm, bumping for the recipes!
  • Walden Farms has a line of dressings with ZERO everything...zero cals, carbs, fat, sugar....of course they dont taste like the real thing but they're not bad!
  • There's nothing wrong with fat, man people don't get enough fat.

    Agreed. In addition to my fatty dressing I usually have an avocado as well.

    I agree.