What's your favorite Fat Free Salad Dressing?

LindaFromNH
LindaFromNH Posts: 49 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I would like your input on good salad dressing with no fat... What is your favorite(s)?
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Replies

  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    Red wine vinegar. Or balsamic vinegar.
    I'm not a fan of actual FF dressings. You can find tons of recipes for your own dressings online using different vinegars & spices.
  • ackman2002
    ackman2002 Posts: 69 Member
    Wishbone Fat Free Italian

    Boring, I know. But yummy.
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
    I tend to use Ken's Balasmic Light frequently. Not sure it is truly fat free.
  • tracied22
    tracied22 Posts: 8 Member
    I found Walden Farms Ranch Dressing that is "fat" and "calorie" FREE....it doesn't taste too bad. It is runny instead of a thicker, creamer ranch but it does the trick for me. Found this at Wal-Mart above the salad toppers. Good luck on your quest.
  • S_Murphree
    S_Murphree Posts: 94
    Kraft light balasamic - 25 calories for 2 tbsp. Or Newman's light italian....
  • Tee_geee
    Tee_geee Posts: 47 Member
    Wishbone Fat Free Italian

    Boring, I know. But yummy.

    ^^^^ what they said! Love it!
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    Fat free salad dressings defeat the purpose of eating a salad for nutrient purposes. Most of the vitamins and minerals that are found in salad vegetables are fat soluble and the nutrients will not be absorbed by the body as digestion occurs.

    I am like another poster and I make all full fat dressings from scratch.
  • tiffd1000
    tiffd1000 Posts: 93
    I eat my Spinach Salads dressing free -- I LOVE IT!
  • HealthyishWithMaggieG
    HealthyishWithMaggieG Posts: 397 Member
    None... fat free is disgusting. I use full-fat dressing and sometimes add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, too. Just don't drench your salad with dressing.
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    I REALLY LIKE MARZETTI'S SWEET/SOUR
  • Armwrench
    Armwrench Posts: 7 Member
    Maple Grove Farms of Vermont - Sugar Free Rasberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing. I have only been able to find this at my local Bi-Los and it is not only fat free but sugar free (uses splenda).
  • RunBakeLove
    RunBakeLove Posts: 101 Member
    Fat free salad dressings defeat the purpose of eating a salad for nutrient purposes. Most of the vitamins and minerals that are found in salad vegetables are fat soluble and the nutrients will not be absorbed by the body as digestion occurs.

    ^ This. The fat in dressings keeps you fuller longer too. You can still find low calorie versions with fat. It's worth the extra 30 calories per TB. As a rule of thumb: stick to vinaigrettes and stay away from the creamy ones.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
    Kraft FF Thousand Island dressing. It has more sugar than the original Thousand Island but that's usually a trade-off. Because it's sweet, I use a little hot sauce to "cut" the sweetness.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    I found Walden Farms Ranch Dressing that is "fat" and "calorie" FREE....it doesn't taste too bad. It is runny instead of a thicker, creamer ranch but it does the trick for me. Found this at Wal-Mart above the salad toppers. Good luck on your quest.

    If it's fat and calorie free what on earth is it made from?
  • CaitlinW19
    CaitlinW19 Posts: 431 Member
    I don't believe these are non-fat but they are very low cal and yummy. Bolthouse makes yogurt dressings that can be found in the refrigerated section of produce. Usually the dressing is about 35 calories for 2 TBS and very yummy and creamy. They are pretty much the only ones I buy now and my boyfriend is really picky about his salad dressing. I've never heard a complaint from him about these. I think they have some fat (not a lot though) but since it's yogurt, I think it's probably good fat.

    The Panera FF dressings are pretty good I thought...there is a poppy seed and a raspberry that I've tried. These are next to the Bolthouse dressings at my grocer.
  • Rusty612
    Rusty612 Posts: 23 Member
    I just use Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or I splash on some balsamic vinegar, depending on the contents of the salad.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
    I found Walden Farms Ranch Dressing that is "fat" and "calorie" FREE....it doesn't taste too bad. It is runny instead of a thicker, creamer ranch but it does the trick for me. Found this at Wal-Mart above the salad toppers. Good luck on your quest.

    If it's fat and calorie free what on earth is it made from?

    Water and seasonings. It's not actually calorie free, but each 2 TBSP serving is less than 5 calories, so they can call it "zero calorie." Actually, to keep us morbidly obese (as a culture) the FDA encourages food manufacturers to list zero calories if a serving is less than 5 calories. The serving size is also up to the manufacturer, so one salad dressing manufacturer may list 2 TBSP and the other may list 1 TBSP or 2 tsp, something like that.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Water and seasonings. It's not actually calorie free, but each 2 TBSP serving is less than 5 calories, so they can call it "zero calorie." Actually, to keep us morbidly obese (as a culture) the FDA encourages food manufacturers to list zero calories if a serving is less than 5 calories. The serving size is also up to the manufacturer, so one salad dressing manufacturer may list 2 TBSP and the other may list 1 TBSP or 2 tsp, something like that.

    I see. Thanks for the explanation!
  • Lizabelle1212
    Lizabelle1212 Posts: 252 Member
    Full fat dressing all day, every day! Fat free is disgusting and pointless - in my opinion.

    Also, I'm from Oklahoma, so naturally, I'm obsessed with ranch.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    Life is too short for fat free salad dressing. And, incidentally, fat aids in absorption of vitamins and minerals found in vegetables,so some fat on your salad is beneficial. If not from the dressing, avocado would be a nice choice. If forced, I'd dress my salad with a twist of lemon and maybe some balsamic. But actually I'd never do that, so lemon, balsamic, and olive oil is the way I'd go. It would still be only about 40 calories, depending on the amount of olive oil.
    Actually, to keep us morbidly obese (as a culture) the FDA encourages food manufacturers to list zero calories if a serving is less than 5 calories.

    I would like to meet the person who became morbidly obese by consuming food products labeled as zero calories but that actually contain fewer than 5 per serving. It would take a lot of Walden Farms to equal 100 extra pounds. Me, I became obese the old fashioned way: ice cream and chex mix.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
    i make one with 0% yogurt, Dijon, Red Wine Vinegar and, salt pepper and garlic. fat free until i add feta (most times i make it with a little feta or blue cheese)
    I don't buy dressing.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
    Life is too short for fat free salad dressing. And, incidentally, fat aids in absorption of vitamins and minerals found in vegetables,so some fat on your salad is beneficial. If not from the dressing, avocado would be a nice choice. If forced, I'd dress my salad with a twist of lemon and maybe some balsamic. But actually I'd never do that, so lemon, balsamic, and olive oil is the way I'd go. It would still be only about 40 calories, depending on the amount of olive oil.
    Actually, to keep us morbidly obese (as a culture) the FDA encourages food manufacturers to list zero calories if a serving is less than 5 calories.

    I would like to meet the person who became morbidly obese by consuming food products labeled as zero calories but that actually contain fewer than 5 per serving. It would take a lot of Walden Farms to equal 100 extra pounds. Me, I became obese the old fashioned way: ice cream and chex mix.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Fair point. I didn't communicate my case well. I just meant that in the midst of an "obesity epidemic" the FDA should probably be working FOR us, not AGAINST us by encouraging food manufacturers to hide calories.

    Example: "Zero calorie" spray butter. Five sprays = 0 calories, except it doesn't. There are .8 calories in 1 spray, 4 calories in 5 sprays with .085 grams of fat in each spray. The bottle has ~ 830 calories and ~ 90 grams of fat. If a person attempting to lose weight uses 1/2 bottle/week, they are getting about 415 uncharted calories. But that's just spray butter, what about Splenda, cooking spray, etc.?

    Every day, someone on MFP asks why they are gaining/not losing weight and every day at least one person asks if the OP is weighing/measuring their food to get an accurate calorie count. If the calories are hidden, an accurate calorie count, no matter how scrupulously weighed/measured is going to be off. Sometimes way off depending upon the "calorie free" food eaten.
  • LindaFromNH
    LindaFromNH Posts: 49 Member
    Light is good too :)
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    Life is too short for fat free salad dressing. And, incidentally, fat aids in absorption of vitamins and minerals found in vegetables,so some fat on your salad is beneficial. If not from the dressing, avocado would be a nice choice. If forced, I'd dress my salad with a twist of lemon and maybe some balsamic. But actually I'd never do that, so lemon, balsamic, and olive oil is the way I'd go. It would still be only about 40 calories, depending on the amount of olive oil.
    Actually, to keep us morbidly obese (as a culture) the FDA encourages food manufacturers to list zero calories if a serving is less than 5 calories.

    I would like to meet the person who became morbidly obese by consuming food products labeled as zero calories but that actually contain fewer than 5 per serving. It would take a lot of Walden Farms to equal 100 extra pounds. Me, I became obese the old fashioned way: ice cream and chex mix.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Fair point. I didn't communicate my case well. I just meant that in the midst of an "obesity epidemic" the FDA should probably be working FOR us, not AGAINST us by encouraging food manufacturers to hide calories.

    Example: "Zero calorie" spray butter. Five sprays = 0 calories, except it doesn't. There are .8 calories in 1 spray, 4 calories in 5 sprays with .085 grams of fat in each spray. The bottle has ~ 830 calories and ~ 90 grams of fat. If a person attempting to lose weight uses 1/2 bottle/week, they are getting about 415 uncharted calories. But that's just spray butter, what about Splenda, cooking spray, etc.?

    Every day, someone on MFP asks why they are gaining/not losing weight and every day at least one person asks if the OP is weighing/measuring their food to get an accurate calorie count. If the calories are hidden, an accurate calorie count, no matter how scrupulously weighed/measured is going to be off. Sometimes way off depending upon the "calorie free" food eaten.

    Fair enough. Labeling has so many loop-holes (foods labeled calorie or trans fat free that are NOT) that the best solution?

    Avoid most things with labels :)
  • LindaFromNH
    LindaFromNH Posts: 49 Member
    Thank you to those that actually answered my question :)
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    None of them. I think they all taste like crap. Just use less of the real deal.

    There are full-fat dressings that aren't super high in calories--Kraft's olive oil Greek vinegerette is 60 calories for 2 Tb.
  • adipace815
    adipace815 Posts: 112 Member
    Wishbone Fat Free Italian and Wishbone Fat Free Blue Cheese
  • gmoneycole
    gmoneycole Posts: 813 Member
    Italian.
  • climbing_trees
    climbing_trees Posts: 726 Member
    I like to use lemon juice or lime juice.

    Salsa also makes a great dressing.
  • ackman2002
    ackman2002 Posts: 69 Member
    Maple Grove Farms of Vermont - Sugar Free Rasberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing. I have only been able to find this at my local Bi-Los and it is not only fat free but sugar free (uses splenda).

    Maple Grove makes a good Fat Free Caesar too...a little bit spicy though. I think it's the pepper.

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