Dressing alternatives

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2

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  • WhyLime113
    WhyLime113 Posts: 104 Member
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    And you don't have to entirely forgo your favorite dressings, just learn to use less. A big thing I used to do was just but a bunch of dressing on top, then I'd need more to cover the lower leaves of salad that didn't get touched. Now I mix the salad with the dressing in a bowl so everything is lightly coated, which uses much less dressing and it tastes a lot better IMO. I used to consume upwards of 100 calories per salad from the dressing alone, now it's somewhere between 40 and 60 calories depending on the dressing and the size of salad (obviously a huge salad involves using more dressing).
  • h7463
    h7463 Posts: 626 Member
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    I like non-fat plain yogurt, lemon juice, and a ton of different chopped up fresh herbs, pepper, olive oil, and some salt alternative to taste. Someone mentioned the powdered ranch dressing mix before, and I have tried some of it.....the sodium content in it is literally screaming 'water retention'......
  • mom2aeris
    mom2aeris Posts: 98 Member
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    I don't normally use dressing, but if I do, I will just measure out however much I want before hand so it's only one serving, and then dip it in rather than pour it over. I have tried the low-fat ranch, and it is nasty. But eh... Just don't use a lot and the full fat stuff is ok. If you like to slather your dressing then maybe try some other people's suggestions.
  • MyCabbages
    MyCabbages Posts: 33
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    This is going to sound a bit weird, but stay with me:

    light sour cream
    drop of water

    Seasoning variations: hot sauce, Italian (parsley, basil, etc), cumin, crushed red pepper, lemon pepper, garlic, etc etc

    it's creamy and a tablespoon goes a long way.
  • FrankWorsley
    FrankWorsley Posts: 106 Member
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    bump
  • momsfavoritechild
    momsfavoritechild Posts: 48 Member
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    thanks everyone, this is great!!
  • watchhillgirl
    watchhillgirl Posts: 597 Member
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    olive oil and lemon juice.

    This and add a pinch of dried mint. It is awesome and makes the salad so fresh tasting! Love it
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,626 Member
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    Classic homemade vinaigrette recipes are 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar or lemon juice. Some dressings which reduce the amount of oil I use are::

    Buttermlk ranch: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/19/ranch-dressing-recipe_n_3769342.html

    Asian: 1 part soy sauce, 1 part balsamic vinegar, 1 part nut oil (hazelnut, walnut or sesame)
  • momsfavoritechild
    momsfavoritechild Posts: 48 Member
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    Thank you!!
  • andreamaym
    andreamaym Posts: 179 Member
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    I just put a couple dashes of hot sauce on my salad. My boyfriend thinks I'm insane hah but I love it!
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    I am seeking suggestions for alterntatives to a healthier dressing to use on my salads. My all time favorite is Ranch dressing. I tend to favor the creamy dressings. This really eats up my calories/fat for the day. I don't like any type of vinegrette dressings. I will do italian dressings from time-to-time.

    I hear a lot of low fat/low cal dressings are loaded with sugars and bad for you ingredients.

    Does anyone have any great ideas, or possible home made recipes they are willing to share?

    I agree dressings can be muck.

    My goto "recipe" is more of a template.

    1 part acid (vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, pickle juice etc.)
    1 part oil (olive, mayo, peanut oil, bacon fat, etc)
    dash of anything else (mustard, cayenne, spices, etc)

    I just use this guideline and make dressing out of whatever I have....by combining ingredients in a bowl whisking then adding salad parts and tossing.

    Usually one Tablespoon of each and it goes a long way.
  • earthsember
    earthsember Posts: 435 Member
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    I tend to do oil and vinegar, or sometimes I'll do salad dry with something like avocado or cheese on it. I know you said you like creamy - if you like a Mexican food type taste try mixing 2tbsp sour cream (around 50cal) with salsa and putting that on top :) I do fish taco salads this way and it's delicious
  • Pudding1980
    Pudding1980 Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Hummus can also work nicely as a dressing if you warm it up a bit to thin it out, or mix it with some olive oil or lemon juice.
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
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    I use plain greek yogurt with seasonings or a bottled dressing, also cottage cheese pureed. Both of these add protein and provide that creamy goodness. I saw a few others using avocado and salsa which are also great ideas.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
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    I've found the best way is to not eat salads.
  • OccamsDisposableRazor
    OccamsDisposableRazor Posts: 49 Member
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    bump!
  • Flab2Fab27
    Flab2Fab27 Posts: 461 Member
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    Use less dressing, measure it and fit it into your daily goal.
  • Alice_in_VVonderland
    Alice_in_VVonderland Posts: 67 Member
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    Litehouse has the most AMAZING Greek Yogurt dressings called OPA.

    They have a Feta Dill, and Blue Cheese that are 25-30 calories per Tablespoon. They also have Ranch and Caesar that I haven't tried yet.

    Off the top of my head here's a low-cal ranch you can throw together:

    2 Tablespoons of fat free sour cream (20 calories)
    1 Tablespoon of reduced fat/cal olive oil based mayonnaise (35 calories)
    a dash or pinch of each of the following seasonings to taste:
    Freeze dried chives (optional)
    Dill (optional)
    Salt
    Pepper
    Garlic powder (or granulated garlic)
    Onion powder
    Parsley

    That would be a single serving of dressing, but it would be easier if you made a small batch of about 5 servings at a time so you have some wiggle room on the amount of seasoning. Let it sit for a few hours in the fridge.
  • auntiemsgr8
    auntiemsgr8 Posts: 483 Member
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    Stop buying pre-made dressings.

    1. MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE 1 T. olive oil + 1 T. GOOD (not cheap, it will taste bad) balsamic vinegar add freshly ground black pepper (yes, you need the pepper). Honestly I don't even need to have the oil when I'm using a good balsamic. mmmmmmm. If you have a Baker and Olive store near you, the Traditional Balsamic is wonderful, and they have a million other flavors you can try too. Yes, expensive, but worth it. Life is short. A big bottle of balsamic lasts a LOOOOONG TIME. Often street fairs have vendors sampling and selling balsamics.


    2. 1 T olive oil + juice of fresh lemon, lime, or orange (maybe even grapefruit). Microwave your fruit 20 seconds, roll it HARD on the counter to maximize the juice; cut & ream with a fork or reamer. ADD FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER.

    3. Oil + Red wine vinegar + pepper

    4. Try other oils and other vinegars - almond, walnut, sesame . . . visit your local kitchen store.

    Just google salad dressings. It is seriously so easy to make your own. Don't buy that garbage from the stores.

    Stop buying pre-made dressings.


    So we should stop buying pre-made dressings??

    These dressings sound easy and good. Thanks for sharing
  • mikeyboy
    mikeyboy Posts: 1,057 Member
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    Different things I put on my salads:

    Salsa
    Chicken tossed in wing sauce
    Roasted garlic rice vinegar
    Hummus
    Taboule
    Olive oil
    Key lime juice mixed with greek yogurt
    Kraft lite chipotle mayo with lemon juice

    There are endless combos if you think differently about salad toppings.

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