[LoveMyah10]

What is your favorite low cal salad dressing?
I *love* salad. I love RANCH! I could eat salad with regular ranch all.day.long!
I hate FF and LF Ranch to me. It just doesn't taste good to me. I have a hard time eating any salad because I just don't like the taste of FF salad dressing... or at least the ones I have tried.
So, what are your favorites?

[Suzanne 3FC]

I love Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette and their Lighten Up Raspberry Walnut Dressing. I also love Maple Grove Farms Strawberry Balsamic dressing, which is fat free but doesn't need it anyway. Fantastic flavor.

These dressings have simple ingredients and are delicious.

I also love a good aged balsamic vinegar without anything else.

[CorinneIrene]

Good choice- love Newman's own balsamic!

I don't tend to use salad dressing but if I do, I'll use a bit of Marzetti's simply dressed blue cheese. Yep, not low calorie, but it's more important to me to have simple, non-engineered (lol) ingredients. Plus, since I never use dressing I only use a little bit, and it's so good! I haven't tried the other varieties they have but they make some very interesting flavors.

A much lower calorie option that I just saw in the grocery store would be Marie's Yogurt dressings. 70 calories per serving for the ranch- sounds interesting!

[Dorian5]

Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger is SO good, just like the dressing at japanese steakhouses -- I put it on salads with avocado and bell peppers and LOTS of carrots.

I also have Maple Grove Farms Fat Free Poppyseed dressing for sweet salads with lots of fruit (pineapple, strawberries and blueberries with grilled chicken -- yum!)

[Thighs Be Gone]

I love straight balsamic vinegar. I also like to use Miracle Whip Light diluted with skim milk.

[Michi702]

I have a similar issue; I prefer creamy salad dressings because I find most oil based ones to be too sweet. Kraft makes a lot of good fat free or light dressings, and their light caesar dressing I find is good once in a while. I don't like to have too much of it too often, but it works when I'm looking for a creamy option. I also like their light balsamic vinaigrette with roasted garlic in it. I'm also a fan of honey mustard, which can be a bomb for calories, but Maple Grove Farms makes a lite version that comes in at 35 calories per tablespoon.

You can also try using the ranch dressing seasoning packets and making your own light ranch. If you use 1 cup of kraft light mayo (45 calories per tbsp, or 720 calories a cup) plus 1 cup skim milk (90 calories) plus the mix itself (80 calories) you'll make 16 servings of 2 TBSP of ranch meaning that each serving comes out to just over 55 calories. If you don't like light mayo from any brand out there, that could pose the same problem as not liking the reduced fat or fat free ranches on the market though.

[Munchy]

THIS is the best blue cheese dressing I've ever had, hand's down.

I also love Trader Joe's light champagne vinaigrette or the Wishbone olive oil balsamic vinaigrette.

[BigChiefHoho]

Originally Posted by CorinneIrene

I don't tend to use salad dressing but if I do, I'll use a bit of Marzetti's simply dressed blue cheese. Yep, not low calorie, but it's more important to me to have simple, non-engineered (lol) ingredients. Plus, since I never use dressing I only use a little bit, and it's so good!

Same (well, not same BRAND, but same general idea). I go with the full-fat stuff and just use a little, partially because the fat-free stuff tastes like crap and partially because I'd rather eat real food than chemicals. I only use a tiny measured portion, so I figure it's not too bad. Most of the time I just go with a little olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice, though.

[jessica2231]

i actually prefer the salad ready pacs! they are like 300 calories and plenty of sald and i eat the whole bag. it comes with toppings and dressing to so its perfect!

[Suzanne 3FC]

Originally Posted by CorinneIrene

, but it's more important to me to have simple, non-engineered (lol) ingredients.

Agreed! I eat food prepared in a kitchen, not a laboratory Most salad dressings have frightening ingredient labels. It's hard to find dressings with real ingredients, but they are out there.

[lin43]

Originally Posted by BigChiefHoho

Same (well, not same BRAND, but same general idea). I go with the full-fat stuff and just use a little, partially because the fat-free stuff tastes like crap and partially because I'd rather eat real food than chemicals. I only use a tiny measured portion, so I figure it's not too bad. Most of the time I just go with a little olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice, though.

I do the same. I have yet to find a lf or ff salad dressing that's palatable.

[K1234]

Actually Hidden Valley Light Ranch is delicious, it doesnt taste anything like light at all. Also, Kens steakhouse light Blue Cheese is very good too.....those are my two go-to's for creamy light dressings. I think both have only 70 or 80 calories per 2 tbsps....not bad!

[celly123]

Usually I jsut drizzle my salad with a capful of olive oil and a capful of balsamic vinegar. Lately I've been doing just the balsamic - even less cals

Litehouse brand Lite Dressings are a good option too -70 cals per 2 tbsp.

[ScottieMama]

Originally Posted by BigChiefHoho

Same (well, not same BRAND, but same general idea). I go with the full-fat stuff and just use a little, partially because the fat-free stuff tastes like crap and partially because I'd rather eat real food than chemicals. I only use a tiny measured portion, so I figure it's not too bad. Most of the time I just go with a little olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice, though.

Agreed. The salad I mix is 40-50 calories of greens and mushrooms, so I'm cool putting full fat ranch dressing on it at 110 calories. TMI ALERT: I burp up non-fat or low-fat dressing, so it's a even better reason to stay away from the stuff!

[Riemontana]

I use the ranch mix packet and add twice the amount of skim milk. It is a little runny (though it thickens by the next day) but you are reducing the total calories and fat.