Oil-free salad dressings

susanna97
susanna97 Posts: 8 Member
edited November 18 in Food and Nutrition
I usually have olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salads, sometimes with a little lemon juice and garlic added. I love the taste of it, but the calories from the olive oil really add up. What are your favorite low-calorie dressings?

Replies

  • ChiliPepperLifter
    ChiliPepperLifter Posts: 279 Member
    I will blend some cilantro, green onions, ginger, garlic, lime juice, and some peanut butter. It is delicious, somewhat Thai inspired, and fairly low calorie.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Sometimes, just a squeeze from a lemon with salt and pepper is all that's needed, but a teaspoon of olive oil is only 40 calories. A little fat is good because some of the vitamins in your veggies are fat soluble.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I would use half the oil and use less dressing. That way you still get the dressing you like.

    Store bought (fat free) dressings typically don't taste right. The Hidden Valley Ranch for example has a weird aftertaste. One fat-free dressing I did like (Ken's Raspberry Vinaigrette) was really high in sugar. Replaced the fat with sugar....back to square one.

    Newman's Sesame Ginger dressing is light. Yummy on grilled chicken salad with mandarin oranges, snap peas, and a few chow mien noodles for crunch.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    susanna97 wrote: »
    I usually have olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salads, sometimes with a little lemon juice and garlic added. I love the taste of it, but the calories from the olive oil really add up. What are your favorite low-calorie dressings?

    my advice would be to use a bit less oil..but not eliminate it. your salad is going to have fat soluble nutrients in it for which you need dietary fat.

    i like Newman's light Italian and light balsamic...they still have olive oil, just less of it and a couple Tbsps of the dressing is only 60 calories or so.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    Newman's has a light vidalia onion dressing that's pretty good. Don't know the calories on it though, been a while since i had some.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    I honestly don't care about some calories nor the fat from olive oil, it's all good.

    But if I was tight for the day and wanted to up my protein, or if I just want a change and go for a more creamy dressing, I use plain Greek yogurt mixed with some crushed garlic, a swack of dill weed (fresh best, dry perfectly ok) a tiny bit of salt, pepper (or a dash of cayenne. That's a simple 'ranch' style. Low calorie for what it is and has good protein.

    Or, reduce or eliminate the dill; substitute grated drained cucumber, squeeze a little lemon juice in to taste - that's a basic Greek Tzatziki sauce, great for veggie dip or on salads. Need it a bit thinner, add some buttermilk.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    edited May 2015
    I really like the Bolthouse Farms yogurt based dressings - very low in calorie and tasty without a TOO many added ingredients. I definitely use those when I need a light day!
  • capnrus789
    capnrus789 Posts: 2,736 Member
    Use your favorite salsa.
  • groodlesuk
    groodlesuk Posts: 34 Member
    Chimay Habanero Verde!
  • chandramiller68
    chandramiller68 Posts: 189 Member
    I have recently tried Opa Greek Yogurt Dressings by Litehouse. I really like the Ranch and Kalamata Feta. They have other flavors, but I have not gotten around to them. For 2 tbsps it is 60 calories. They are thick so you could add a little water to thin them out and use less than 2 tbsps.
  • Pie319
    Pie319 Posts: 129 Member
    small dice a shallot, mix in red wine vinegar and dijon mustard.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    Maybe just use less by using a big bowl to stir your salad into the dressing rather than pouring over the top of the salad?
  • jetortola
    jetortola Posts: 198 Member
    I've thinned ranch dressing with water, it makes a little go a longer way (to cut calories).

    This is a recipe I'm trying soon:
    http://www.simple-balance.ca/2015/05/green-goddess-dressing/
  • jessica22222
    jessica22222 Posts: 374 Member
    I like juice of a lime, honey and Siracha and some cilantro. So yummy.
  • debsdoingthis
    debsdoingthis Posts: 454 Member
    mwyvr wrote: »
    I honestly don't care about some calories nor the fat from olive oil, it's all good.

    But if I was tight for the day and wanted to up my protein, or if I just want a change and go for a more creamy dressing, I use plain Greek yogurt mixed with some crushed garlic, a swack of dill weed (fresh best, dry perfectly ok) a tiny bit of salt, pepper (or a dash of cayenne. That's a simple 'ranch' style. Low calorie for what it is and has good protein.

    Or, reduce or eliminate the dill; substitute grated drained cucumber, squeeze a little lemon juice in to taste - that's a basic Greek Tzatziki sauce, great for veggie dip or on salads. Need it a bit thinner, add some buttermilk.[/quote]
    Thank you for the awesome idea <3 I actually have all that in the fridge right now!
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