Lowest Cal Dressings?!

2

Replies

  • 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: 1,819 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: 1,819 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: 6,970 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: 6,476 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    LyndaBSS 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.
  • kelly_c_77
    kelly_c_77 Posts: 5,658 Member
    I use vinegar, mustard, and spices (garlic powder or onion powder, salt or seasoned salt, ). I also love using the leftover pickle juice once my pickles are gone.
    Also agree with salsa, hot sauce, or bragg's liquid aminos.
  • flotek72
    flotek72 Posts: 498 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    flotek72 wrote: »
    Do you have Walden Farms?

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

    It's not going to taste like something that has 120 calories, but it is decent enough to enjoy. To each their own.
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    flotek72 wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    flotek72 wrote: »
    Do you have Walden Farms?

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

    It's not going to taste like something that has 120 calories, but it is decent enough to enjoy. To each their own.

    But thats the thing. You CANNOT enjoy this unless your taste buds are shot. Its like tasting chemistry lab.
    There are plenty of low calorie dressing for 20cal/tbsp that actually taste good.

    Like the dressing I commented with "Marzetti Simply 60 dressings are delicious and have 60 calories/2 tbsp"
  • xelsoo
    xelsoo Posts: 194 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    flotek72 wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    flotek72 wrote: »
    Do you have Walden Farms?

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

    It's not going to taste like something that has 120 calories, but it is decent enough to enjoy. To each their own.

    But thats the thing. You CANNOT enjoy this unless your taste buds are shot. Its like tasting chemistry lab.
    There are plenty of low calorie dressing for 20cal/tbsp that actually taste good.

    I'm always surprised by the fact people think Walden Farms tastes "ok". Positive reviews are the reason I ever gave them a go, and it was such a disappointment. Again, to each his own but I wouldn't recommend the OP to make that investment seeing as it's more expensive to ship to NZ and there's a high probability she'll find the taste of chemicals unappealing.

    As for all the recipe suggestions with yogurt, you can try to substitute for cream cheese, cottage cheese or silken tofu. This last one is the soft variety of tofu, which can be easily whipped into a cream, but you have to add a lot of flavorful herbs, spices, mustard, tahini, lemon juice etc of your liking to make it taste nice. If you nail the taste, the texture will be great with this.
  • oktoberost
    oktoberost Posts: 1 Member
    I personally just use some white/red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. No oil. No calories. You can easily add some herbs/spices in with it to pump up the flavor.
  • beulah81
    beulah81 Posts: 168 Member
    Salsa with LF sour cream or Greek yogurt; mustard with LF sour cream or Greek yogurt with a touch of cayenne thinned with a little water, if you like it on a sweeter side add a little SF sweetener.
  • perfectscents
    perfectscents Posts: 1 Member
    10g Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, chilli, whatever spices you like. Mix together. Yum!
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    edited November 2019
    sheldonz42 wrote: »
    I often use just plain balsamic vinegar, which you could probably get there.

    This👆 ... Dressing up balsamic, fig, apple cider, wine vinegars et al with herbs as just_Tomek suggested or powdered add-ons as acpgee posted should be doable in NZ.

    * Mustard powder or good quality mustard wouldn't be amiss.
    * Braggs is available in the Pacific, so I will guess it's available in NZ too - liquid aminos, coconut aminos ... Yum!
    * Caribbean Escabeche liquid is fantastic over salads, meats and fish. The fruit escabeche liquid can be added to fresh fruit or hot cereals like almond or oat porridge and even cream of wheat.
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    10g Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, chilli, whatever spices you like. Mix together. Yum!

    This is delish!
  • marlamx
    marlamx Posts: 1 Member
    I am currently using Walden Farmers it 0 cals.