Salad Dressing?!?

arielnorth237
arielnorth237 Posts: 21 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone know of any DELICIOUS, low fat or light salad dressings? I have a salad for lunch everyday and I love them but sadly if the dressing is not great than the salad is not either. I find that most low cal dressings have a sweet or sour taste. Im more of a fan of savory dressings. I've been trying a new one every week with no luck :-( Any recommendations?
Im up for anything savory!
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Replies

  • Rocky791
    Rocky791 Posts: 52 Member
    I use either a dressing that comes in a spray bottle so you get the flavor without using too much or I also like to use a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar.
  • MrsGilligan12
    MrsGilligan12 Posts: 21 Member
    I love Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette!
  • kinkyslinky16
    kinkyslinky16 Posts: 1,469 Member
    Try vinaigrettes. They are usually lower calorie and come in all kinds of flavors. I like raspberry and Caesar vinaigrettes. What kinds of dressings do you like?
  • saralukies
    saralukies Posts: 24 Member
    The ones called Opa from Lighthouse are really good. They have a blue cheese with greek yogurt that is 30 cals a tablespoon. So yummy! I haven't tried the other flavors yet, but I will.
  • arielnorth237
    arielnorth237 Posts: 21 Member
    Try vinaigrettes. They are usually lower calorie and come in all kinds of flavors. I like raspberry and Caesar vinaigrettes. What kinds of dressings do you like?

    I usually like ranch, ceasar, italian. None of the fancy stuff lol
  • sprintto50
    sprintto50 Posts: 410 Member
    Try local made vinaigrettes. We have one locally that features several oil free ones based on maple syrup that are about 20 cals per Tablespoon.
  • pteryndactyl
    pteryndactyl Posts: 303 Member
    I buy this brand: http://www.maplegrove.com/products/dressings

    Their sugar free raspberry vinaigrette is only 5 calories per serving. YUM! There are lots of kinds, though, so perhaps you can find something you'd enjoy.
  • ehlanadriscoll
    ehlanadriscoll Posts: 6
    Salad dressing really isn't that bad as long as you eat it in moderation, just figure out how many calories you can afford to add to your salad and eat that serving size. You'll be surprised how little salad dressing you need to add a lot of flavor. And salad dressing gets a bad rap, as long as you eat it in moderation you should be able to diet. You can also buy the dressing in little packets to portion it out.
  • just2months
    just2months Posts: 51 Member
    The Trader Joe's Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinagrette is tasty and savory. :smile:
  • kinkyslinky16
    kinkyslinky16 Posts: 1,469 Member
    I usually like ranch, ceasar, italian. None of the fancy stuff lol

    Oh, ok then try Caesar vinaigrette. All the flavor of Caesar but without all of the calories. I also think spritzing is a good idea because vinaigrettes can be stronger than the creamy salad dressings with regards to flavor, so you usually need less.
  • Barbellarella_
    Barbellarella_ Posts: 454 Member
    Trader Joes has a Cilantro one thats super good.
  • tierra85
    tierra85 Posts: 300 Member
    Honestly, i love renees poppyseed dressing. It's not low in calories or anything, but it keeps me enjoying my salads and eating extra greens. I just make sure it fits within my calorie intake. Just because we've chosen to shift our lifestyles for the better and make healthier choices, doesn't mean we have to give up everything we love :)
  • RestartingAgain1
    RestartingAgain1 Posts: 47
    kraft fat free ranch. tastes very similar to regular ranch and has 25 cals per 2 tbsp
  • kinkyslinky16
    kinkyslinky16 Posts: 1,469 Member
    Just because we've chosen to shift our lifestyles for the better and make healthier choices, doesn't mean we have to give up everything we love :)

    Agreed!
  • MzFyreKitty
    MzFyreKitty Posts: 93
    I'm a vinegar freak and my favorite is to use seasoned rice wine vinegar on a salad, if I want something more "creamy", I will use a very small amount of Ranch and mix it with the vinegar and yummy. Also, you can try different seasoned vinegars (I use to use Taragon Vinegar a lot as a pre-teen cause I liked it so much). The Walden Brands are pretty good too

    I have to leave the red pepper out due to it killing my stomach (history of ulcers) but this one is good (depends on your taste tho)
    Ingredients:

    Serves:12
    Yield:12oz. Units: US | Metric
    1/4 cup smucker's simply fruit red raspberry spreadable fruit
    3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
    1 cup water (or less for a thicker dressing)
    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    1/4 teaspoon table salt
    Directions:

    1
    Warm fruit spread slightly to melt a bit.
    2
    Add other ingredients and combine with a whisk. Enjoy!
    Supposedly 4.5 calories per serving
    found the recipe on food dot com site:)
  • Sapphire_Marie
    Sapphire_Marie Posts: 8
    I make my own. I use 1 Tablespoon sugar free preserves of whatever (strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, etc.) and 2 Tablespoons apple cidar vinegar. Microwave for 20 seconds and mix. It's great for single serving dressings and only has 20 calories. Tastes exactly like a vinaigrette with whatever flavor you want.
  • MissKris14
    MissKris14 Posts: 65 Member
    If you shop at Trader Joe's, get their Champagne Pear Vinaigrette. You will never want another salad dressing again, ever. It's super low in calories too! Only 45 calories for 2 tablespoons :)
  • Krikit34
    Krikit34 Posts: 125 Member
    I like Kraft Lite Asian Toasted Sesame on a salad with chicken, almonds, wonton strips and a little cilantro. (Knock off of Panera Bread salad.)

    I also make my own with this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/no-salt-vinaigrette/ Super easy. It's pretty much like a bottled Italian dressing - but better!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,958 Member
    Here's a classic ranch recipe. Main ingredient is butttermilk which is low cal as it is a by product of making butter so all fat is removed. Just use the lower amount of high fat ingredients such as mayo and sour cream. I don't bother with fresh garlic and herbs and just use garlic powder and dried herbs.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/19/ranch-dressing-recipe_n_3769342.html
  • tgraves9875
    tgraves9875 Posts: 16 Member
    They discontinued the Wish Bone salad spritzers:(! Do you know of another spray style dressing?
  • JustineMarie21
    JustineMarie21 Posts: 437 Member
    YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS!
    http://mommyondemand.com/healthy-copycat-applebees-oriental-chicken-salad/

    I only made her dressing and I skipped the mustard (yuk)
    I made a Greek salad with chicken and almonds topped with this yummo dressing!
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
    I use yogurt dips now for salad dressing. Usually 25-35 cals for 2 tbsp. put dip in closed container with salad. Shake the crap out of it and voila, dressed salad.
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    I've had good luck with the Newman's Own light dressings. Intense flavors and none of that funny aftertaste you get with some low-fat dressings. I'm a big fan of the Asian Sesame, but the variations on Italian aren't bad. I keep a bottle around since I eat tons of salad, but usually I just make my own with oil, vinegar or citrus juice and various spices. I use .5 TB on a good-sized side salad, 1 TB on a huge meal salad, so it's not a big deal.
  • stephanieblay
    stephanieblay Posts: 3
    Bolthouse yogurt dressings 2 tablespoons is 45 calories, my favorite is the honey mustard
  • missvie
    missvie Posts: 21 Member
    Generally i just use 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
    and 3 tsps grainy dijon which tastes great and is like 30 calories

    I have started pinning some marinades and dressings for more variety

    http://www.pinterest.com/misvie/marinades-and-dressings/
  • angie007az
    angie007az Posts: 406 Member
    I don't like sweet tasting dressings. I usually just use less and select the Ranch or Blue Cheese.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Try vinaigrettes. They are usually lower calorie and come in all kinds of flavors. I like raspberry and Caesar vinaigrettes. What kinds of dressings do you like?

    I usually like ranch, ceasar, italian. None of the fancy stuff lol

    Newman's Lite Italian is actually not that bad and only like 70 calories a serving.
  • sheltrk
    sheltrk Posts: 111 Member
    I like a dash of balsamic vinegar on my salad. Sometimes I'll do a few tablespoons of salsa. Both are low-calorie, but pack a lot of flavor. When I reach for an actual bottle of salad dressing, I like the Maple Grove sugar free Raspberry Vinaigrette (also very low calorie, but lots of flavor).
  • GothyFaery
    GothyFaery Posts: 762 Member
    Kraft Fat Free Ranch. 35g for 50 calories. If you want more, you can also water it down a little bit. You get all the flavor and still get to "smother" your salad in ranch.

    Also, you can order Olive Garden dressing on Amazon. Not 100% sure about the cals but I think it's like 70 or 80 and they have a light verson of it too.

    ETA: Kraft Fat Free Zesty Italian is only 15 cals for 30g.
  • d0v3r13
    d0v3r13 Posts: 61 Member
    i love salad too. one of my favorites is to take a can of beans, a can of corn and 1 1/2 cups of salsa and mix it all together. then i just split that into 4ths and use it for a couple days. plus, if still want a creamy dressing i use the fat free wishbone ranch. it ends up going a lot further since i use the salsa also, because it thins it out, and i don't notice the off flavor from it being a "diet" version because of the salsa also. its a really great flavor and makes for a delicious and hearty salad.

    eta: i forgot to say i put the corn and bean mix in my salad, that's not the whole salad. i bought a weeks worth of dole iceberg salad mixes and just use one regular sized bag per salad with one serving of my bean and corn mix and one serving of ranch. i added avocado to it today too. its yummy.

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