Lowest Cal Dressings?!

xDaynie
xDaynie Posts: 35 Member
in Recipes
Hey all, just looking for some low calorie dressings. I use a dip from the supermarket that works out to be 20cal to add to my tuna, real creamy and yum! I also use a supermarket gravy packet which works out to be 35cal per serve, I am looking now for some home made dressings to use in my salads now that in little New Zealand summer is about to hit! I love creamy, but vinegarettes are good too. Either way, the lower the calorie and the more nutrient, the better! (P.S, yoghurt is a no go for personal taste)

Thanks!
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Replies

  • xDaynie
    xDaynie Posts: 35 Member
    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    Bolthouse Farms dressings. They’re low calorie and delicious.

    Unfortunately I am in little New Zealand and I cant find that here!
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    99% of the time I don’t use salad dressing but if I do feel I want to add a little dressing I’ll just squeeze lemon or lime juice or a mere drizzle of white or red wine vinegar.

    I also have a couple of supermarket brands (U.K. supermarkets but I’m sure your local ones have equivalents) of low calorie dressings in the fridge. Currently, I have French Dressing and Caeser I think.

    Again, most of the time I really don’t think a salad made from varied beautiful fresh ingredients needs anything!
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    Depending what's on my salad, I like to use Greek yogurt mixed with salsa. But most of the time I make a homemade vinagrette with garlic, dijon mustard, a dab of honey, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil. You can adjust the amount of olive oil or even add some water or juice to thin it out to the calorie count you are looking for.
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    cottage cheese or yoghurt, variety of fresh herbs, lemon juice, capers for a bit of zap or ginger for a bit of zing. Voila!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,950 Member
    No fat yoghurt mixed with ranch dressing mix, the powdered stuff you can buy on amazon. Thin with a little milk if necessary.

    Vietnamese nuoc cham is oil free.

    Cambodian lime pepper sauce is oil free.

    I also like a vaguely asian dressing of 1 part balsamic, 1 part nut oil (hazelnut, walnut or sesame), 1 part soy.
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
    Marzetti Simply 60 dressings are delicious and have 60 calories/2 tbsp
    I use the Caesar dressing with red onions, grape tomatoes and a little bit of Sriracha sauce.
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
    xDaynie wrote: »
    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    Bolthouse Farms dressings. They’re low calorie and delicious.

    Unfortunately I am in little New Zealand and I cant find that here!

    Amazon?
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    I’ve been using 1 tablespoon of honey mustard dipping sauce, which is 50 calories. Looks like you may consider that high calorie, but I love it.
  • redgrudge19
    redgrudge19 Posts: 10 Member
    I like Bragg’s aminos (zero cal) to add major flavor with just a few dashes/drops. Then I may add a touch of mustard. For premade, I like annie’s reduced fat goddess :)
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    cottage cheese or yoghurt, variety of fresh herbs, lemon juice, capers for a bit of zap or ginger for a bit of zing. Voila!

    I’d actually never thought about putting fresh herbs in a salad! Genius! 🥗
  • xDaynie
    xDaynie Posts: 35 Member
    BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »
    Wondering why people respond without properly reading the post?

    OP clearly says she is in New Zealand and doesn’t like (or can’t have) yoghurt based stuff. Still, the majority are suggesting yoghurt based dressings or specific brands that she is massively unlikely to be able to get in New Zealand! As for the Amazon suggestion - even if she could find the brands available they’re really going to be off the charts expensive when import tax etc is factored into the price! 🤷‍♀️

    Thank you, a lot of these suggestions I have to bypass as I don't use yoghurt, and I won't pay $20 shipping for a $3 bottle of dressing. I have plenty of alternatives of those which I could get here. I am really after low calorie recipes or toppings used in salads instead of those premade high cal options
  • flotek72
    flotek72 Posts: 500 Member
    Do you have Walden Farms?
  • xDaynie
    xDaynie Posts: 35 Member
    flotek72 wrote: »
    Do you have Walden Farms?

    I found a NZ supplier who sells them shipped to me for $9 NZD plus $6 shipping... BUT THEY DO LOOK WORTH IT! 5cal a serve, and it would last quite a while, that's something I would justify! Thanks for that, I never knew something like that existed. We are very "behind" on that sorta stuff here ;)
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    There are a lot of recipes for low calorie, fat free dressings, just Google it. There’s one I really like using frozen raspberries. Really refreshing! Like another poster said, the high calories in dressings come from oil. Flavored vinegars are an option too.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    I order some dressings from Thrive Market on-line. Don’t know if they ship overseas.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    edited November 2019
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    cottage cheese or yoghurt, variety of fresh herbs, lemon juice, capers for a bit of zap or ginger for a bit of zing. Voila!

    I’d actually never thought about putting fresh herbs in a salad! Genius! 🥗

    Reaelly? I dump a handlful of fresh chopped parsley, cilantro, dill, chive etc. every time. Fresh herbs can do soooo much to any dish.

    What can I say? I’m a slow learner. 😆

    Just added them to my grocery list.
  • fnarrrrrr
    fnarrrrrr Posts: 9 Member
    I use lemon juice, smoked salt and dried parsley as a quick dressing for salad or steamed green vegetables.
    Sometimes I add nori flakes (seaweed) to the above it gives a depth of flavour .
    Sometimes I add pickled vegetables in a salad and a bit of extra pickle juice as dressing.
    Hope this helps someone! I am also trying to use dressings which don’t have oil in.
  • sheldonz42
    sheldonz42 Posts: 233 Member
    I often use just plain balsamic vinegar, which you could probably get there.
  • jrochest
    jrochest Posts: 119 Member
    edited November 2019
    If you do a google search for "low calorie salad dressings -yogurt" you get an interesting selection -- the "-" tag lets you exclude a particular item from a search. Useful if you have allergies or just hate things, like pinterest.

    Using beans, blended cottage cheese or broth as a base seems to be the trick for many of these.

    https://myplantbasedfamily.com/2014/04/30/creamy-italian-salad-dressing-oil-free/

    https://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/10/Zero-Calorie-Dressing73911.shtml

    https://www.thespruceeats.com/low-calorie-asian-salad-dressing-2238967
  • armyvet25
    armyvet25 Posts: 48 Member
    edited November 2019
    Apple cider vinegar-2tbsp = 6-10 calories, add whatever fruit you were already incorporating in your salad, berries etc, blend, pour on salad, add some cracked pepper if you like or other spices, literally, not adding calories to your healthy salad, basically, make your own flavored vinaigrette's. You said you like creamy etc, as long as your ok with adding 40-50 cal, sour cream, same process with fruit.
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,817 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    flotek72 wrote: »
    Do you have Walden Farms?

    Except that their salad dressings are disgusting. Just horrible stuff.

    YEP. They literally taste like vomit.
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,817 Member
    I use the bolthouse farms yogurt dressings, so unfortunately I’m no help OP! 🤷🏼‍♀️
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    A little apple cider vinegar adds zing with no calories.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    MichSmish wrote: »
    I use the bolthouse farms yogurt dressings, so unfortunately I’m no help OP! 🤷🏼‍♀️

    I absolutely love these, especially the cucumber ranch. 💕
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,069 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    cottage cheese or yoghurt, variety of fresh herbs, lemon juice, capers for a bit of zap or ginger for a bit of zing. Voila!

    I’d actually never thought about putting fresh herbs in a salad! Genius! 🥗

    Reaelly? I dump a handlful of fresh chopped parsley, cilantro, dill, chive etc. every time. Fresh herbs can do soooo much to any dish.

    Basil is great in salads too, I'm going to miss it in winter! Parsley is dying off too but it's easy to find in stores.
  • etguillemette
    etguillemette Posts: 16 Member
    I like using mustard as a base, particularly if I can find some that doesn't have added salt. I usually mix it up with some fresh squeezed lemon juice, or maybe some hot sauce. Lemon, mustard and hot sauce are usually so low calorie as to be essentially 0 calorie (legally in the states you can list anything under 5 calories as 0 calorie).

    Though truth be told I what I do most often is mix fresh avocado with lemon juice, muddle it up into a sort of backwards guacamole, and toss it on salad. It's not low-calorie, but it's a great use of calories. Also, you get a fat in there without losing all the fiber and nutrients.

    But I'd really suggest home-made over store bought. In a low-calorie dressing, the 30 cals could be coming from anything. Maybe half a teaspoon of olive oil, but maybe 2 teaspoons of sugar.
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
    One of my favorite "dressings" on salads is actually salsa. You can make your own, but I get store bought stuff.

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