Salad dressing is one of the first adjustments you can make on the way to a healthier lifestyle with less calories. Whether you’re into creamy varieties or vinaigrette, you have plenty of delicious options to choose from. Find out which low calorie salad dressings keep the taste you want while cutting down on fat and even sodium.
If you’re looking for the healthiest options when it comes to low calories salad dressings, the oil and vinegar based ones are the right fit. Eating it every weekday can lower the risk of fatal coronary artery disease by 50%, according to a 2020 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Most salad dressings can have up to 160 calories and 17 grams of fat for every serving consisting of 2 tablespoons.
Delicious low calorie versions can go as low as a quarter of that, but just because you picked the right product doesn’t mean you should simply pour it on. Spray bottles of salad dressing are a great idea and you can always move the dressing from the original bottle into a spritzer if you really care about portion control.
Even if you’re using delicious low calorie options, don’t pour it on with little regard to the right quantity that can dress up even big salads: 2 tablespoons. Remember to also look up the number of ingredients on the bottle before you buy; the fewer ingredients, the better. Try one of the best options, from vinaigrette to blue cheese low calorie salad dressing.
Low Calorie Vinaigrette Dressing
The healthiest option when it comes to low calorie salad dressing is often delicious. If you’re also careful about the level of sodium in your dressing, you can easily choose the right option for your healthy lifestyle based on the nutritional info for a 2 tablespoon serving.
Newman’s Own Light Honey Mustard– 70 calories– 4 g fat– 290 mg sodium
Wishbone Raspberry Hazelnut Vinaigrette– 80 calories– 5 g fat– 260 mg sodium
Kraft Italian Vinaigrette with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil– 60 calories– 4.5 g fat– 300 mg sodium
Low Calorie Ranch Dressing
Substituting sour cream with yogurt is the right way to keep the flavor but cut calories if you want to make your own low calorie salad dressing. Good store-bought options that keep the taste you love while cutting down in fats include. Unfortunately, when it comes to ranch dressing, you have to compromise between either less calories or less sodium.
Wish-Bone Light Ranch– 70 calorie– 5 g fat– 280 mg sodium
Kraft Ranch Lite– 70 calories– 4.5 g– 300 mg
Hidden Valley Fat-Free Ranch– 25 calories– 0 g fat– 310 mg sodium
Low Calorie Italian Dressing
If you love the taste of classic Italian salad dressing, remember that the delicious aromas you enjoy are based on the herbs you use, not on the level of sugar you put into it. When you don’t have time to make your own, there are the low calorie salad dressings you should try. The least fatty option has high sodium levels, so don’t use too much.
Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Italian– 50 calories– 5 g fat– 440 mg sodium
Wish-Bone Light Italian– 35 calories– 2.5 g fat– 240 mg sodium
Kraft Fat Free Italian– 20 calories– 0.3 g fat– 430 mg sodium
Low Calorie Thousand Island Dressing
Regular Thousand Island dressing is based on fatty mayonnaise. Low calories salad dressings can offer the same flavour my mixing low fat yogurt and mustard for the same aroma with a lot less calories. Go for the fat free version if you’d like to indulge with a great dessert after your meal.
Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Thousand Island– 70 calories– 5 g fat– 270 mg sodium
Wish-Bone Light Thousand Island– 60 calories– 5 g fat– 360 mg sodium
Kraft Fat-Free Thousand Island– 45 calories– 0 g fat– 260 mg sodium
Low Calorie Blue Cheese Dressing
The best thing about blue cheese is that you can get the same taste will a little less. Replacing part of it with Greek yogurt is the way to go for home-made low calorie salad dressings. Good options to buy at the store include:
Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Chunky Blue Cheese– 77 calories– 6.8 g fat– 368 mg sodium
Wish-Bone Light Blue Cheese– 70 calories– 6 g fat– 280 mg sodium
Kraft Fat-Free Roka Blue Cheese– 50 calories– 0 g fat– 350 mg sodium
Related: Low Calorie Cocktail Recipes5 Low Calorie Late Night Snacks
