Recently I've started using greek yogurt in place of mayo in salad dressing recipes. It knocks fat and calories way down and tastes better in my opinion, particularly with tangy dressings. My favorite so far is the Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix. 20 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving when substituting yogurt and nixing the mayo.
Please note these are member-submitted secrets and are not reviewed by SparkPeople's health experts for accuracy. If you feel a secret is inappropriate, please click Report Inappropriate Secret and our staff will review it.
SparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
I use Dannon Low fat plain dressing the same way. I do find it spreads through the salad much better.This yogurt costs much less it is low fat, that way I can use the greek in place of cream cheese on crackers or a baked potato. My favourite is hidden vally powder too.Pat in maine.
KCKITTY4312/20/2011 5:04:00 PM
thanks for info,i like both products so will give it a try
CTUPTON12/9/2011 10:11:00 AM
HAWKTHREE12/8/2011 11:01:00 AM
I like this idea a lot. I don't use salad dressing very much, but hubby simply pours it on. This is great for him. Thanks!
Related Secrets
Weaning Yourself from Salad Dressing
Regular salad dressing is full of fat and the healthier ones don't taste too good. Using plain yogurt or Greek yogurt is great, but sometimes you just want a familiar taste. I sometimes use 1Tbsp of my favorite regular salad dressing along with some citrus juice and dried herbs and seasonings. It's the salad dressing I love, but not so much of it! It helps me to "wean" myself from the unhealthier dressing as I go through my journey.
MORE INFORMATION:
If I'm not over my fat limit I would also add 1tsp of olive or coconut oil. I also chop onions and add habanero (or some other spicy pepper) for more flavor. Sometimes, I even omit the oil and add chopped green olives.
make salad dressing with mortar and pestle. pound one half clove garlic with course salt. add one tablespoon olive oil. Then mix well with pestle. Add a pinch of sugar and a tiny bit of mustard. Then add 3 large tablespoons of plain yogurt, and two tablesp. vinegar. adjust seasoning
MORE INFORMATION:
If you use some plain yogurt instead of OIL in the salad dressing, you get a delicious creamy salad dressing
Most salad dressings are empty calories. Instead of regular salad dressing, try salsa, hummus thinned out with water or lemon juice, or any kind of yogurt sauce (greek tzatziki, indian raita, etc.) Any of these have lower calories and more nutrition than the empty fat/sugar calories of salad dressing.
Summer produce is overflowing--and cheap! Whether you grow it or buy it, it's easy to preserve your food so that you can save money and eat better long after the harvest is over.