A witty anonymous quote says,‘It takes four men to dress a salad: a wise man for the salt, a madman for the pepper, a miser for the vinegar, and a spendthrift for the oil.’Well, that is precisely how the author presumes a salad should be seasoned. A salad is a dish of vegetables, legumes, eggs, pasta, meat, seafood or any mixture of these, tossed together and seasoned with spices, herbs or sauces, such seasoning being known as dressing. Salad dressings may be impromptu, kitchen made or commercially manufactured. Salads are extremely popular among weight watchers and fitness freaks. This is how salad dressings and their calorific contribution caught global attention! So, what is all this brouhaha over low calorie salad dressing? Popular salad dressings include vinegar, olive oil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cheese, yogurt, etc. Any one or a combination of these and more dressings may be used to impart an individual flavor to your salad. Most of these dressings have high calorific values and may hinder our weight loss efforts. Although the basic ingredients of most salads comprise of fresh, unprocessed food items such as vegetables and sprouts, the dressings that spice ‘em up may be a bit too benevolent to those curves-converting-to-bulges areas of the body. This is where low calorie salad dressing ideas and recipes make a grand entrance!
Low calorie salad dressing ideas and recipes are here to make sure you don’t lose out on the taste while still being able to keep an eye on your calorie intake. Nowadays, many different types of commercial low calorie salad dressing packets are available where different salad types cater to different dietary and weight loss needs, such as, low fat salad dressings, fat free salad dressings, oil free salad dressings, sodium free salad dressings, low-carb and carb-free dressings, etc. Some prominent brands marketing these low calorie salad dressings are Walden Farms, Kraft, Wish Bone, Briannas, Drew’s All Natural and Newman’s Own. These ready made dressings come in a wide variety of flavors and you’ll have a hard time deciding which ones NOT to include in your salad bar! Apart from these, you can put together some simple and easily available ingredients in your own kitchen and whip up your very own low calorie salad dressing. Homemade low calorie salad dressings lend your salad that fresh feel, flavor and aroma, besides allowing you to improvise on the ingredients and their quantity to come up with some individual flavors! Let’s take a look at some low calorie salad dressings that you can make at home to cut out on those salad calories!
Make-it-Yourself Low Calorie Salad Dressing Recipes
Creamy Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
Balsamic Vinegar – ¼ cup
Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
Fat free yogurt 3 tbsp
Dijon mustard 1 ½ tbsp
Honey 1 ½ tbsp
Extra virgin olive oil – ½ tbsp
Method: Mix all the ingredients well and store in the refrigerator.
Calories per Tablespoon: 31
Low Calorie Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Low fat yogurt – ½ cup
Low calorie mayonnaise – ¼ cup
Lemon juice – ¼ cup
Fresh chopped parsley 2 tsp
Parmesan cheese 2 tsp
Water 2 tsp
Minced garlic 2 cloves
Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp
A few fresh oregano or basil leaves minced
Method: Mix all the ingredients and whisk till smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
Calories per Tablespoon: Less than 20
Creamy Low Calorie Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Low fat cottage cheese 1 cup
Lemon juice or white vinegar – ¼ cup
Tomato juice – ½ cup
Method: Blend with a hand beater till very smooth and store covered in a refrigerator.
Calories per Tablespoon: 7
Ranch Style Salad Dressing with a Low Calorie Twist
Ingredients
Ranch style dry salad dressing 1 oz.
Buttermilk 1 cup
Low fat yogurt 1 cup
Method: Mix till smooth and creamy. Refrigerate well in advance before serving.
Calories per Tablespoon: 10
Low Calorie Lemon-Olive Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Lemon Juice – ¼ cup
Strong flavor olive oil 3 tbsp
Mustard powder – ¼ tsp
Paprika – ¼ tsp
Celery Salt – ½ tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
A pinch of cayenne
Method: Mix the dry ingredients together in a tight lidded jar and then stir in the liquids. Shake well and store in a refrigerator.
Calories per Tablespoon: 20
Apart from the above low calorie salad dressing recipes, using low calorie substitutes for making regular salad dressings is also a great way to lean down your salads! Substitute mayonnaise with whipped up hung curd; swap those mozzarella chunks with Parmesan cheese shavings; add more herbs like pepper, basil, coriander or onion chutney, mint and garlic! If you must use oil in your dressing, use olive oil it is a great cholesterol buster! Apart from the dressings, add punch to your salad turn it to a power food rather than just a weight loss meal! Adding lean protein foods such as grilled chicken, tuna, low fat cottage cheese, salmon and eggs to your regular salad ingredients is a good way to promise your body wholesome nutrition while losing weight. Using abundant fresh green leaves like lettuce, mustard leaves, spinach, etc. ensures that you get those vital vitamins as well. Try these ideas and turn your salad into a main course meal rather than just a cameo at the supper table!