Ranch dressing!!!

mkh858
mkh858 Posts: 93 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Whenever I eat a salad, it has to have Ranch dressing. Please I'm open to suggestions, but I have to have something with my Salad. Anyone out there started out eating their salad with ranch dressing and now never touch that stuff anymore?

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    I still use salad dressing but I mix it with water to thin it out so that it coats everything in the salad without needing as much dressing.
  • momo_t90
    momo_t90 Posts: 288 Member
    When I was eating ranch with my salad I would get it on the side and dip my fork-full in the dressing. I ate less dressing that way.
  • KatyP86
    KatyP86 Posts: 164 Member
    If I have enough calories I still eat ranch dressing on my salad but if not I'll go for a low calorie dressing, lemon juice, or vinigar. Whatever fits into my daily calorie intake, I'm happy with :)
  • mkh858
    mkh858 Posts: 93 Member
    I'm so glad to hear that all of you still in some way eat ranch dressing! It's one of those things I can't seem to give up. :)
  • rpachigo
    rpachigo Posts: 96 Member
    Avocado vinaigrette or sometimes tzatziki or hummus
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    mkh858 wrote: »
    I'm so glad to hear that all of you still in some way eat ranch dressing! It's one of those things I can't seem to give up. :)

    Figuring out how to work with your foods works much better in the long run than giving them up while losing weight and then going back to them without learning how to eat them in moderation.
  • Spacelamb75
    Spacelamb75 Posts: 1 Member
    I'm a big fan of buffalo ranch myself. If your salad is crafted using mostly low-calorie ingredients then you can afford to use a higher calorie dressing, such as ranch or honey mustard. My trick is to put all my ingredients in a plastic lunch box, then add a measured amount of dressing (usually two tablespoons), then put the lid on and shake it up. Every ingredient gets covered in dressing so I'm not missing out on any flavour. As long as your salad isn't primarily made up of nuts, cheese and bacon, you should be able to enjoy it with ranch without overdosing on calories.
  • mkh858
    mkh858 Posts: 93 Member
    Spacelamb75 wrote: »
    I'm a big fan of buffalo ranch myself. If your salad is crafted using mostly low-calorie ingredients then you can afford to use a higher calorie dressing, such as ranch or honey mustard. My trick is to put all my ingredients in a plastic lunch box, then add a measured amount of dressing (usually two tablespoons), then put the lid on and shake it up. Every ingredient gets covered in dressing so I'm not missing out on any flavour. As long as your salad isn't primarily made up of nuts, cheese and bacon, you should be able to enjoy it with ranch without overdosing on calories.

    No more cheese or bacon, it was easy giving up that stuff. Never was big on nuts on a salad. Ranch dressing is so good! I'll have to try shaking it up..thanks!
  • mkh858
    mkh858 Posts: 93 Member
    seska422 wrote: »
    mkh858 wrote: »
    I'm so glad to hear that all of you still in some way eat ranch dressing! It's one of those things I can't seem to give up. :)

    Figuring out how to work with your foods works much better in the long run than giving them up while losing weight and then going back to them without learning how to eat them in moderation.

    So true! This time I wanna keep healthy.
  • knelson095
    knelson095 Posts: 254 Member
    I always made it fresh with the powder packets so I switched out the Mayo and sour cream with 0% fat Greek yogurt. Still tastes like ranch with less calories.
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 648 Member
    mkh858 wrote: »
    Spacelamb75 wrote: »
    I'm a big fan of buffalo ranch myself. If your salad is crafted using mostly low-calorie ingredients then you can afford to use a higher calorie dressing, such as ranch or honey mustard. My trick is to put all my ingredients in a plastic lunch box, then add a measured amount of dressing (usually two tablespoons), then put the lid on and shake it up. Every ingredient gets covered in dressing so I'm not missing out on any flavour. As long as your salad isn't primarily made up of nuts, cheese and bacon, you should be able to enjoy it with ranch without overdosing on calories.

    No more cheese or bacon, it was easy giving up that stuff. Never was big on nuts on a salad. Ranch dressing is so good! I'll have to try shaking it up..thanks!

    That's what I like about having dressing on my salad as opposed to the side...shaking it up so all of it is covered. I'll have to try watering down the ranch, that's a good idea. I'm not very creative and don't think about doing things like that.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    Bolthouse Farms 45 cal for 2 Tblsp Yummy!
  • windee52
    windee52 Posts: 1,690 Member
    momo_t90 wrote: »
    When I was eating ranch with my salad I would get it on the side and dip my fork-full in the dressing. I ate less dressing that way.

    Start with that. If you like avocado you could top your salad with that and use a vinaigrette on the side. Healthy fats help you absorb the nutrients from the salad. Low fat is not necessarily better either, the fat is usually replaced with sugar.
  • mawhite717
    mawhite717 Posts: 202 Member
    257_Lag wrote: »
    Bolthouse Farms 45 cal for 2 Tblsp Yummy!

    Yep!! That is what I use on my salads and its amazing!
  • augustremulous
    augustremulous Posts: 378 Member
    Keep your ranch dressing!

    By the way, this recipe is amazing. I did the math with the MFP recipe calculator, and if you use lowfat sour cream, lowfat buttermilk, and light mayo, this recipe is only 15 calories per tablespoon. If you're willing to have a little more fat that's great (I personally use regular buttermilk) but even if you don't, the fresh herbs make this ranch amazing.

    http://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/buttermilk-ranch-dressing/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=pbsfood_freshtastes
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    Just measure it and log it. You might also try a lower cal version. I really like Bolthouse Farms yogurt based ranch. It's not Hidden Valley or anything, but it's better than fat free for sure, and two tablespoons is 45 calories.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
    I haven't found anything I can't eat, it's just a matter of determining how much. I still love my ranch dressing, I make my own, but don't just pour a bunch on, I measure.
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
    Bolthouse has a ranch with a yogurt base that is pretty good.

    I've seen a lot of paleo recipes online. I'm not paleo, so I've never used them, but maybe try some and see if you like any?
  • rsleighty
    rsleighty Posts: 214 Member
    I refuse to give up ranch. I use it more sparingly but no. I refuse to give up ranch.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I never was partial to Ranch. I liked French and Thousand Island when I was younger, so the principle is the same. Fat, salt, and sugar are concentrated in an addicting blend for you to feel you simply must have.

    I buy Harold's Gormay Texicun Pickuls. I use the pickle juice, infused with salt, garlic, habanero, and dill seed, as my salad dressing. It's quite sublime. I add some avocado or olive oil to aid digestion.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i use the bolthouse farms ranch. its yogurt based and i really like it .
  • Vanessalookingood
    Vanessalookingood Posts: 135 Member
    I love ranch dressing too. I used to load my salad with it before I started trying to lose weight, and now I use about 2 tbsp, and mix it around a bit and I still enjoy it just as much. I also like fresh parmeasan grated on it as well. It is very low in calories and has a nice punch of flavor too.

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