Share with me: salad dressing ideas...

I use my favorite salad dressings and then just cut them by mixing half and half with lower cal liquid to reduce the calories. Depending on the dressing flavor, I cut with balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, milk/plain yogurt, orange/cranberry/lemon juice, and/or mustard. I measure and mix up a batch for the week and store in the fridge. That enables me to still get my favorite flavors, but have enough liquid to evenly coat all my lettuce.

I make my dressing in the bottom of my salad bowl each time. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk and add lettuce and ingredients. For some reason I cannot explain, you need less this way. Tossing your salad with the dressing on the bottom just is more efficient? Anyways, the only dressing I buy is bolthouse, otherwise it is freshly made each time.

Classic combo of olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Invest in high-quality for these two: there's a big difference! Of course, olive oil will add calories, but the healthy fats allow you to absorb more of the nutrition in the salad.

For a low-calorie option, I really like Trader Joe's Raspberry Vinaigrette. 2 tablespoons is 40 calories!

A little bit of Apple Cider Vinegar, a tinier bit of olive oil, dijon mustard, spices.

I generally shake up a little honey and mustard with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but if I want a creamy dressing, add some yoghurt.

With the basic vinaigrette or the creamy adaptation, it's quite easy to vary up the flavour with various herbs and spices.

I sometimes use flavoured oils that jars of olives or sundried tomatoes have come in.

LOVE Girard's Champagne dressing. I only use a little bit about 1Tbsp on my salad, and it's absolutely divine. Also, I sometimes make my own Coconut-Balsamic vinaigrette, in one of those good seasons bottles; I replace olive oil with coconut oil, and use my own mix of seasonings- onion & garlic powder, celery salt, pepper to taste- it's delicious! The only thing with the coconut oil is, it has to be warm in order to be in a liquid state, so I only really use it on a salad that has something hot atop, like chicken, steak or salmon.

Hope you like! :drinker:

ETA- just saw you prefer creamy dressings; I have to say, I've never been a huge fan of vinaigrette dressings because of the acidity, but the Champagne dressing isn't harsh or acidic at all, and the yummy thing about the coconut balsamic is the vinegar and oil compliment one another nicely- the coconut actually brings out the sweetness in the balsamic.

Kraft Italian Vinaigrette with Extra Virgin Oil
30 Calories
2.0g Total Fat
150g Sodium
1.5g Carbs
1.5g Sugar per 2 tablespoon

Tagging for later - thanks guys!

Tonton Ginger Japanese Dressing and Marinade. It's the same dressing you get in Japanese restaurants, and it's only 20 calories per tablespoon. I got it at Costco. Delicious!

Ugh...everyone says not to eat salad dressings :noway:
but if it fits into my macros, and calories for the day I will have ranch dressing on my salad. :blushing:

Cottage cheese is actually really good on a salad without dressing as well

the calorie-free dressing manufacture is WALDEN FARMS. and they have their own web site OR print it out and take it to your favorite store for them to carry.

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!!

I do similar. 2 Cups of Greek yogurt, equal parts dill, onion powder, garlic powder, and chives (I can't use the dressing mix because of the massive amounts of sodium in it), and instead of milk I use buttermilk to thin it to the consistency I want(it thickens a bit in the fridge). My very own healthier buttermilk Ranch! NOM NOM NOM NOM. Or I leave it thicker (less buttermilk) and use it as a dip for veggies.

Pureed mango.....add seasoning to taste...creamy and rich, zero fat.

If you love ranch make it based with buttermilk which is around 30 cals for 100 ml. Add a little fat in the form of sour cream or mayonnaise. Flavour with garlic powder, salt, herbs such as dried oregano, marjoram or thyme.

this week my wife an I stopped at a store that only sold olive oil and vinegars. ( VINEGARS?? what are they nuts? :explode: )

no - they were not nuts. the owner took us in and had us taste several balsamic vinegars and explained a lot about them. Same with the olive oils.

Bottom line, these were a lot more expensive- but also had ten times the flavor. A little goes a long way- and yes I did buy the bourbon flavored vinegar.

by the way, if you ever get a chance to try melon drizzled with bourbon flavored vinegar- don't miss it.


Len