Salad struggles

irshkds6295
irshkds6295 Posts: 12 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I never knew the biggest salad struggle is the dressing. Its where all the fat grams are. Watch those dressings. Maybe homemade are better

Replies

  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    I've been making my own dressing for a couple of years now. I generally stay away from anything creamy, save for the rare occasion where I'll make bleu cheese. Vinaigrettes of all kinds are my jam. Homemade tastes much better than store bought, IMO, and I tend to make them in small quantities which gives me more variety in a given week.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    It's good to have some fat (and protein) with your veggies. Will leave you feeling more satisfied too. Man cannot live on lettuce alone. Now if your salad has an outrageous amount of calories that's a totally different story.
  • indiacaitlin
    indiacaitlin Posts: 691 Member
    Unfortunately salad dressing can be awful :( vinaigrettes tend to be slightly better but I usually just put a little salt and pepper on mine. Maybe some cottage cheese if I feel like it!
  • jnananamaste
    jnananamaste Posts: 72 Member
    CafeRacer808 wrote: »
    I've been making my own dressing for a couple of years now. I generally stay away from anything creamy, save for the rare occasion where I'll make bleu cheese. Vinaigrettes of all kinds are my jam. Homemade tastes much better than store bought, IMO, and I tend to make them in small quantities which gives me more variety in a given week.

    Got any good sources for recipes? I'd try this, especially in farm share season. Thanks!
  • jnananamaste
    jnananamaste Posts: 72 Member
    I also mix guacamole into mine sometimes. Although it still has fat, I do find it tasty & satisfying. Another thing I sometimes do is mix in a little olive oil and seasoning (garlic powder, salt, pepper). If you don't mind standing in the dressing section if your grocery store reading labels for 15-20 min you might find a few that meet your nutritional and taste preferences - sometimes I find something new that I like that way. Good luck!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I prefer homemade and usually made my own. Takes no time. I like vinaigrettes, but you can make them taste just as good with mostly a good vinegar plus just a little olive oil, IMO. Red wine vinegar plus mustard or a balsamic are go-tos if I want to save calories, also (I always have some fat on the salad so don't need that from the dressing).
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Look in the fridge at the market for Bolthouse dressings. Yoghurt based, amazing taste/cals. Like 40 cals for 2 tbsp.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    edited January 2017
    jnananamaste wrote: »
    CafeRacer808 wrote: »
    I've been making my own dressing for a couple of years now. I generally stay away from anything creamy, save for the rare occasion where I'll make bleu cheese. Vinaigrettes of all kinds are my jam. Homemade tastes much better than store bought, IMO, and I tend to make them in small quantities which gives me more variety in a given week.

    Got any good sources for recipes? I'd try this, especially in farm share season. Thanks!

    I don't really do recipes for vinaigrettes. I normally just stick to a 2:1 ratio of fat:acid with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. A 3:1 ratio also works, but I usually find this ratio a bit too oily for my taste. For fats, I usually go with either extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil. For acids, any vinegar or citrus juice will work, but basalmic, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, lemon and orange are my favorites. Sometimes I'll add an emulsifier (up to a tsp of something like dijon mustard, depending on the quantity you're making. i always add an emulsifier to basalmic vinaigrette though) or other ingredients like garlic paste, minced shallots. If I'm feeling decadent, a drizzle of honey or a pinch of brown sugar adds some extra sweetness. Just play around with it. As long as you stick to either a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio, you can't really go wrong. :)
  • jnananamaste
    jnananamaste Posts: 72 Member
    CafeRacer808 wrote: »
    jnananamaste wrote: »
    CafeRacer808 wrote: »
    I've been making my own dressing for a couple of years now. I generally stay away from anything creamy, save for the rare occasion where I'll make bleu cheese. Vinaigrettes of all kinds are my jam. Homemade tastes much better than store bought, IMO, and I tend to make them in small quantities which gives me more variety in a given week.

    Got any good sources for recipes? I'd try this, especially in farm share season. Thanks!

    I don't really do recipes for vinaigrettes. I normally just stick to a 2:1 ratio of fat:acid with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. A 3:1 ratio also works, but I usually find this ratio a bit too oily for my taste. For fats, I usually go with either extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil. For acids, any vinegar or citrus juice will work, but basalmic, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, lemon and orange are my favorites. Sometimes I'll add an emulsifier (up to a tsp of something like dijon mustard, depending on the quantity you're making. i always add an emulsifier to basalmic vinaigrette though) or other ingredients like garlic paste, minced shallots. If I'm feeling decadent, a drizzle of honey or a pinch of brown sugar adds some extra sweetness. Just play around with it. As long as you stick to either a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio, you can't really go wrong. :)

    Great, thanks! I'll try it. :)
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    Homemade is definitely the way to go. Store-bought dressings make me gag! If you like Ranch dressing, this recipe is a proven winner (and also kid-approved). It's 30 calories for 2 tablespoons and so easy to make.

    http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/the-best-skinny-ranch-dressing-3-ingredients

/
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    A little pickle juice, habanero pickle juice, and olive oil are the salad dressing for me.
  • alg42
    alg42 Posts: 45 Member
    I totally agree with the pickle juice idea! The base of most of mine is a splash of olive oil, whole grain mustard, lemon juice and shredded herbs - basil or thyme freshly chopped are great.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    My go-to salad dressing is sambal olek (chili paste) mixed with apple cider vinegar. It's very low calorie. Sometimes I'll mix in a bit of PB2 for spicy peanut dressing.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories