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What are Different Types of Low Calorie Salad Dressing?

J.Gunsch
J.Gunsch

Salads are not only an extremely healthy choice in food, but they can also help dieters to lose weight. However, pouring on the salad dressing to add some flavor to a meal can negate the low calories and healthy advantage of the salad. Fortunately, there are many varieties of low calorie salad dressing that are just as delicious as regular salad dressings.

There are many different types of commercial salad dressing targeted for different dietary needs. Reduced fat, fat free, oil free, sodium free, low calorie and reduced calorie dressings cater to how the body uses the ingredients’ calories, which can affect an individual’s health and weight. For example, a low calorie salad dressing that is oil free can benefit a person who has a problem not only with his or her weight, but with cholesterol as well.

Salad greens.
Salad greens.

Low calorie salad dressing is available in almost every flavor of regular dressing, like bleu cheese, Russian, Italian and so on. Sometimes, the reduction in fat and calories tends to make these types of dressing less tasty. To solve this problem, many gourmet recipes have been created that are naturally low in calories but do not lack in flavor.

It is very simple to make low calorie salad dressing at home by substituting high calorie ingredients with lower calorie ones that taste similar but are more healthful. For example, people who like using mayonnaise as a salad dressing can easily substitute hung curds. They can simply drain the whey from the curds and whip it up until it is the right consistency. Another do-it-yourself low calorie salad dressing is lime juice and vinegar.

Low calorie salad dressing is available in nearly every flavor of regular dressing.
Low calorie salad dressing is available in nearly every flavor of regular dressing.

When choosing a low calorie salad dressing, consumers should not be fooled by advertising claims. A dressing may boast that it contains only 59 calories per tablespoon (14.78 ml). However, 50 of those calories might come from fat, which dieters should avoid.

The caloric content of any given food is required by law in the U.S. to be posted on the food’s label. Calories from fat, located underneath the total amount of calories per serving, are what consumers should be most concerned about when choosing a low calorie salad dressing. The calories that are not from fat are burned for energy and generally do not cause people to gain weight.

Discussion Comments

anon68054

I found the best way to add flavor but not calories, is salsa. It adds flavor and has very few calories. In addition to this, there are multiple different types of salsa you can choose from to mix up the taste. The stuff I currently have has only 17 calories in 2 tablespoons.

anon43647

It is mentioned a couple of times in the article that dieters should avoid fat calories. If your goal is to lose weight, all that matters at the end of the day is your net calorie loss. Where those calories come from does not matter one bit (fat, protein, carbohydrates). The statement, "The calories that are not from fat are burned for energy and generally do not cause people to gain weight," is flat wrong.

Trying to stay healthy while losing weight is another issue.

anon31463

The only thing about adding fruits and nuts to your salad is that most fruit has a lot of natural sugars and most nuts have a lot of oil. It can still be better than high calorie dressing but you have to be careful when choosing the types of nuts and fruits.

sevenseas

A good ingredient in salad dressing is balsamic vinegar. A good balsamic is thick and sweet, and extremely low in calories. One tablespoon has 10 calories.

I like to add fruit to my salad, such as strawberries for sweetness, nuts, such as toasted walnuts for crunch and flavor, so that very little dressing is necessary.

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    • Salad greens.
      By: NataliTerr
      Salad greens.
    • Low calorie salad dressing is available in nearly every flavor of regular dressing.
      By: SunnyS
      Low calorie salad dressing is available in nearly every flavor of regular dressing.
    • Using yogurt in place of mayonnaise in salad dressing saves calories.
      By: angelo.gi
      Using yogurt in place of mayonnaise in salad dressing saves calories.
    • Olive oil can be a great low calorie option when making salad dressing.
      By: margo555
      Olive oil can be a great low calorie option when making salad dressing.
    • Low calorie dressings offer a healthy way to incorporate beneficial salads into the daily diet.
      By: valery121283
      Low calorie dressings offer a healthy way to incorporate beneficial salads into the daily diet.