Make Your Own Salad Dressing
Trying to manage your weight? If you are, salad is a great choice for a fresh, nutrient-packed meal. Too often though, creamy and fat-laden dressings make salads a high-calorie meal.
To stick to your weight loss goal, you can learn to make healthy, tasty dressings!
Splurge on flavor but, skimp on calories by trying fresh, citrus or yogurt-based dressings. In the first 2 dressings, mustard provides the body that gives you that pleasant feeling we associate with fatty foods. In the third recipe, yogurt supplies a creamy texture and tangy taste.
Here are 3 low-calorie dressings to try. The serving size is 2 tablespoons.
Orange-balsamic dressing
82 calories
This citrus-based dressing also works well as a marinade for chicken. Mix together:
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
Juice of 1 large orange.
French dressing
88 calories
A low-calorie take on the classic dressing. Mix together:
1 garlic clove, minced.
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar.
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
1 tablespoon of honey.
Ranch-style dressing
51 calories
Yogurt provides a lower-calorie tang. For an even more creamy dressing, use Greek-style yogurt. Mix together:
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, crushed.
3 tablespoons of fat-free yogurt.
Juice of 1 large lemon.
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar.
Now that you know about healthy dressings, treat yourself to a fresh salad. Throw in cucumbers or carrot slices to provide added crunch without added fat.