Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 11-10-2012, 10:23 PM   #1  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Losing Myself's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Illinois
Posts: 30

S/C/G: 256/256/180

Height: 4'10"

Question Low Calorie Salad Dressing Suggestions Please

I am on the hunt for a great low calorie salad dressing. I found one from a local restaurant that is oil and vinegar based and only has 10 calories per 2 tablespoons. It’s okay, but a bit vinegary for my taste. I typically like ceaser or catalina dressings. Any suggestions?

I was also wondering about the zero calorie salad dressings from Walden Farms. Has anyone tried them?
Losing Myself is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2012, 10:44 PM   #2  
Senior Member
 
kelly315's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Columbus OH
Posts: 2,524

S/C/G: 290/ticker/145

Height: 5'4"

Default

If you like creamy dressings, you can mix up a packet of dressing flavor (ranch, cesar, dill- in the dressing aisle) with greek yogurt (just the yogurt for rich dips, or add some buttermilk or I suppose water would work for salad dressings). This yeilds just a bit more calories (for 0% yogurt, about 75 calories per half cup, which I guess is a little less than 20 calories per tbsp), and takes great with veggies! It's also a great way to get more lean protein. I like eating it after weight training.

There are a lot of salad dressings you can make with various combinations of oil, vinegar, and spices- have you tried searching online?

Last edited by kelly315; 11-10-2012 at 10:46 PM.
kelly315 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-11-2012, 01:16 PM   #3  
Fear does not = fate
 
owlsteazombies's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: WA
Posts: 514

S/C/G: 295/140/nogoal :)

Height: 5'2"

Default

I really love fat free italian dressing. A little goes a long way
owlsteazombies is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 10:36 AM   #4  
Moderator
 
Munchy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,202

S/C/G: 133.4/123.2/115

Default

If I'm lazy and going store bought, the two I usually buy are Trader Joe's Light Champagne Vinaigrette or Wishbone Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Otherwise, I make blue cheese dressing or a simple vinaigrette with whatever is on hand.
Munchy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 04:02 PM   #5  
Senior Member
 
toobig's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,042

S/C/G: 260/ticker/160

Height: 5'6 1/2"

Default

I like salt and pepper on my salad.
toobig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 04:11 PM   #6  
onedayatatimer
 
luckymommy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,277

S/C/G: 224/ticker/145-155

Height: 5'9.5"

Default

I like the ranch flavor from Walden Farms. It's not anything amazing but it's easy and I don't like to make my own. I'm too lazy! Some people can't tolerate it so it's just a matter of how your respond and my liking it doesn't mean you will, but I sure hope you do.
luckymommy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 04:12 PM   #7  
Senior Member
 
KateB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Rural Minnesota
Posts: 643

S/C/G: 319/238/160

Height: 5' 6"

Default

I often eat salad without dressing. However I put lots of different veggies on my salad. i will also put 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado on my salad. I find the fat helps keep me satisfied and I do seem to lose weight a a better rate f I eat some healthy fat regularly. If I have diced tomatoes (cherry/grape tomatoes cut in half) and some avocado and mix it into the salad well I don't miss not having dressing. Smetimes I will throw ona table spoon of cottage cheese and mix that in well also. The "juicey" part of the cottage cheese lends a dressing like creaminess. Also a fresh dashes of balsamic vinegar are a nice flavor boost and help "moisten" the salad.
KateB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 04:46 PM   #8  
Fear does not = fate
 
owlsteazombies's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: WA
Posts: 514

S/C/G: 295/140/nogoal :)

Height: 5'2"

Default

I'm having a huge problem with creamy fat free dressings. Why do they have a slimy texture? It makes me gag just to think about it!
owlsteazombies is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 05:44 PM   #9  
Senior Member
 
kaplods's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Wausau, WI
Posts: 13,383

S/C/G: SW:394/310/180

Height: 5'6"

Default

Rice wine vinegar is my "secret weapon" for making low-calorie dressings that require little or no oil. It's a much milder vinegar, so it makes a pretty good salad dressing just on it's own. I usually add a bit of sweetener (Splenda, xylitol, stevia, or nutrasweet) and whatever spices I feel like (from ranch dressing mix powder to garlic powder and lawry's seasoning salt...).

For a red french, I'll pour a bit of rice wine vinegar and sweetner in a bowl and add a squirt of ketchup or tomato powder.

Some champagne vinegars are nearly as mild, but other wine vinegars usually aren't.

I'll also do a buttermilk/ranch by diluting sour cream or my homemade yogurt with skim milk or almond milk until it's pretty runny but still has a little bit of body and I'll add ranch dressing mix powder to that. I buy ranch dressing mix powder in bulk and don't measure I just keep adding powder until the dressing is as strong as I like it.

The thinner the salad dressing the less it takes to coat the salad (but the more dressing mix because you want the consistency diluted, not the flavor).

I also will put my salad greens in a zip loc bag or tupperware container along with dressing and then shake to coat the lettuce. If you shake a salad instead of stirring, you can often use a lot less dressing.
kaplods is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 06:00 PM   #10  
Member
 
mscreneet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 58

Default

So far ive only tried the Balsamic Vinegar by Walden Farms...its pretty good.
Just dont pour too much on then it starts to taste funny but overall pretty decent for no calories .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Losing Myself View Post
I am on the hunt for a great low calorie salad dressing. I found one from a local restaurant that is oil and vinegar based and only has 10 calories per 2 tablespoons. It’s okay, but a bit vinegary for my taste. I typically like ceaser or catalina dressings. Any suggestions?

I was also wondering about the zero calorie salad dressings from Walden Farms. Has anyone tried them?
mscreneet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 08:57 PM   #11  
Krissy Missy
 
Missy Krissy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Michigan
Posts: 912

S/C/G: 181/see ticker/120

Height: 5'2"

Default

Newman's Own light dressings are tasty - I especially like the light lime. It isn't creamy, but it adds variety.
Missy Krissy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 09:21 PM   #12  
Member
 
Moxie574's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Posts: 98

S/C/G: 372/224/186

Height: 5'7

Default

Bolthouse makes a line of Yogurt dressings that are divine! From Ranch, french, blue cheese, thousand island to ginger sesame and Mango vingerette..they are 35-45 calories for 2 tablespoons and no artifical stuff in em
Moxie574 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 09:22 PM   #13  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Losing Myself's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Illinois
Posts: 30

S/C/G: 256/256/180

Height: 4'10"

Default

Thanks everyone!
Losing Myself is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 10:19 PM   #14  
Leveling Up
 
sontaikle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 3,651

S/C/G: 200+/115/115

Height: 5'3"

Default

Have you ever tried eating a salad sans dressing? I always avoided salads because I found I didn't really care for a lot of dressings, but the expectation was that one would have dressing with the salad.

I decided to toss that out the window, and provided that my salads are just more than lettuce, I find that I LOVE a good salad without dressing (why waste the calories on something I don't like anyway??).

People think I'm absolutely nuts when I refuse salad dressing, but considering that I'm already going against the norm in the way I eat in order to maintain my weight I might as well add one more oddity to the mix.
sontaikle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2012, 10:26 PM   #15  
Ailsa
 
AilsaPearl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 224

S/C/G: 189/ticker/140

Height: 5'7

Default

I like the Maple Grove Farms Balsamic Vinaigrette, it's pretty mild but powerful enough for some twang in a salad, it's 15 calories for 2tbsp! I just use balsamic vinegar sometimes, but dilute it with a little water cause it's pretty potent, and mix some pepper and a dash of salt. Dunno if that's just my taste though :-)
AilsaPearl is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Related Topics
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
my weight loss plan thoughts please skinnypie Weight Loss Support 11 06-26-2012 01:26 PM
Am I eating too much, or not enough? Please help xbubloox 100 lb. Club 39 01-19-2009 12:38 AM
I have been plateaud for over a month - looking for some advice please... Pastrey LA Weight Loss 31 08-27-2007 03:58 PM



Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:09 PM.


We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.