Share with me: salad dressing ideas...

ktsimons
ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I ADORE Newman's Caesar and most days it fits in my macros, but today I wound up eating 2 salads - one for lunch and one for dinner...that was 400 calories in dressing!

Tell me what you eat on your salad.
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Replies

  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    Balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, or a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    Lemon or lime with salt and pepper is my favorite. The boyfriend likes just plain mustard which is okay too. Salsa or hot sauce is great too!
  • lupinibean
    lupinibean Posts: 40
    I love creamy dressings (like Marie's and Lighthouse) so this has been a challenge for me as well. If you have a Fresh & Easy store in your area, they have refrigerated dressings that aren't bad at all and are about 70 calories for a 2-tablespoons serving. I've tried the Ranch, Caesar, and Cilantro dressings, all good. If there is a good bottled dressing out there that isn't too high in calories and fat (without being "low-fat", yeah, I'm picky, LOL) I'd like to hear about it.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    sometimes i replace the dressng with the salad ingredients themselves...like beans black or garbanzo or salsa or avocado or cheese like bleu. other tinmes lemon juice or rice vinegar. other times i dip my fork in dressng ordered on the side. other times i order the salad as is and at half. finally if my cals can afford it i eat it as is. i rarely order extra dressing as they usually come with too much for my taste. ETA honey mustard...not the dressing just the actal honey mustrd
  • HiKaren
    HiKaren Posts: 1,306 Member
    I love Maries Poppyseed Dressing. Its expensive on my calorie budget... 2 Tbsp 150 cals.. But what the heck... It makes my salad really enjoyable. With iceburg, cucumber,, tomato, crab sticks, & lemon wedge, & 60 cal worth of cruton... Moi Delish salad. No guilt. Good for me. :smile: Try that combo next time. Its like 300-something calories.. And well worth the expense for the dressing. Crab salads have always been my favorite.
  • meljoyc
    meljoyc Posts: 3 Member
    1/2 cup Grapeseed oil, 2 T balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey. minced garlic and fresh cracked pepper to taste. I mix mine in a glass container with a lid and just shake it baby! I use mini plastic cups to take it to work which have a lid and use about 1 Tbsp at a time. A little goes a long way. You can play around with different flavors by switching up what kind of vinegar you use (rice vinegar is good too), different add ins like sesame seeds, and citrus juices like lemon or even soy sauce or pb for an Asian taste.
  • Nicholec2003
    Nicholec2003 Posts: 158 Member
    If you like something sweet and spicy try this!

    2 mangos
    1/4th cup Olive oil (or less depending on how you like it)

    Too taste:
    Minced garlic
    Sweet chili sauce
    Siracha

    Add water to get your desired thickness

    Throw it all in a food processer.
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
    One of my favorites is some tahini thinned with water and/or lemon juice, garlic, a dash of salt, and smoked paprika. I usually but Ken's light salad dressings for when I don't have time to make my own, but I also really like Wegmans yogurt dressings. The Caesar is creamy and rich without being high calorie. I think a national brand makes dressings with yogurt, too?
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    Balsamic vinegar and peanut sauce. Low calorie and so good!
  • pteryndactyl
    pteryndactyl Posts: 303 Member
    Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Raspberry Vinaigrette -- 2 tbsp = 5 calories of deliciousness.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Olive oil, whatever vinegar you like, dijon mustard. Obviously the key is not to put too much olive oil.
  • Susieq_1994
    Susieq_1994 Posts: 5,361 Member
    Garlic, salt, lemon juice, cayenne chilli powder, and a bit of pepper.. All added to taste :).. Hardly adds any calories to the salad and everyone I make it for loves it!
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    i never used bottled dressings.

    I usually splash on a little olive oil and lemon juice, sometimes just a splash of lemon juice. sometimes i'll make a balsamic reduction or homemade vinaigrette (olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, spices, mustard). Sometimes i'll make tahini (either with lemon/garlic/water OR mixed with equal parts yogurt and al ittle lemon juice and spices).

    I like this one on lettuce salad:
    1 part each: olive oil, vinegar/lemon, mustard, honey, water. add salt/pepper to taste.

    I find that when i use fresh in season vegetables, a splash of olive oil and lemon are really all i need or want.
  • seliinac
    seliinac Posts: 336 Member
    I often use just balsamic vinegar with no oil.
  • Scottg97
    Scottg97 Posts: 9
    Ranch dressing made with Greek yogurt.

    2 cups Greek yogurt (I use 2 percent Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt)
    1 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
    1 percent milk

    Mix Greek yogurt and Hidden Valley mix together....add milk until it's the right thickness. ( doesn't take much)

    It's only 50 cals per 1/4 cup .....plus 6 grams protein!
  • Tessyloowhoo
    Tessyloowhoo Posts: 504
    90 calorie pack guacamole + 2tbsp lime juice...give you a lot of dressing thats creamy and light
  • Mercedespony
    Mercedespony Posts: 162 Member
    1 tbsp Hellman's mayo light
    1 tsp Dijon

    whisk together, thin it with hot water
  • FourIsCompany
    FourIsCompany Posts: 269 Member
    The juice of one lemon, one lime and one orange. Mix with a little balsamic and a little olive oil. Add a teaspoon of honey. Delicious!
  • courtneylyn1
    courtneylyn1 Posts: 71 Member
    I have always used the Walden Farms zero calorie Caesar dressing. I like it...
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
    90 calorie pack guacamole + 2tbsp lime juice...give you a lot of dressing thats creamy and light

    YUMMY!
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
    Great ideas...I really like the guac idea and looking toward yogurt based dressings. I really crave creamy dressings, and I need to slowly re-train my brain before jumping in to vinegar/lemon based dressings and that sounds like a good way to taper off...

    thanks all!
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    Balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, or a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

    This.
    sometimes i go with oil and vinegar too

    or nix the dressing altogether. (my salads usually have cranberries, sunflower seeds, avocado and cheese on them so really negates the need for dressing. )

    Can also crumble up feta or blue cheese and mix with Greek yogurt or avocado.

    I make a curry dressing, but it's not low calorie. mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and curry powder.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    Ranch dressing made with Greek yogurt.

    2 cups Greek yogurt (I use 2 percent Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt)
    1 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
    1 percent milk

    Mix Greek yogurt and Hidden Valley mix together....add milk until it's the right thickness. ( doesn't take much)

    It's only 50 cals per 1/4 cup .....plus 6 grams protein!


    oooooo thank you!!
  • jamiedwygugliotta
    jamiedwygugliotta Posts: 1 Member
    Homemade salsa... Tomatoes, onions, green peppers and jalapeno's in the blender. 1/4 cup is only 40 calories! Super yummy with a nice little kick :-)
  • Nicholec2003
    Nicholec2003 Posts: 158 Member
    Ranch dressing made with Greek yogurt.

    2 cups Greek yogurt (I use 2 percent Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt)
    1 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
    1 percent milk

    Mix Greek yogurt and Hidden Valley mix together....add milk until it's the right thickness. ( doesn't take much)

    It's only 50 cals per 1/4 cup .....plus 6 grams protein!


    Oh! This sounds like the answer to my ranch problems. Thank you!!
  • coffee4me57
    coffee4me57 Posts: 195
    Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Ranch 2Tbs=45 calories. Found in the produce aisle, not with the regular salad dressings.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    If your salad ingredients are at all moist put them in a big bowl with 1 Tbsp dressing and toss thoroughly, you'd be amazed how much salad one Tbsp coats. Another old trick is to have the dressing on the side and dip the tines of your fork in the dressing before grabbing a bite of salad. A little dressing goes a very long way using this method and you get the flavor in each bite.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
    I use Cardini's Light Greek Vinaigrette. 50 calories for 2tbsp. I usually only use 1tbsp though (using the same method as Roundgirl), it's zesty enough to coat the leaves with yumminess!
  • bitxbit
    bitxbit Posts: 1,465 Member
    Ken's Steak House Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinegarette - Salad Dressing, 2 Tbs. = 80 calories, 7 carbs, 6 fats and 125 sodium
  • sweetpickle1004
    sweetpickle1004 Posts: 35 Member
    bump

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