Low Calorie Salad Dressing Toppings
You love your big salads at lunch and you feel you are making great steps towards a low calorie diet but did you know that 1 Tbsp of oil contains 140 kcal? Check your salad dressing labels, even though they are mixed with some vinegar, they are still mostly fat and we typically don’t only use 1 Tbsp. Some dressings contain 120kcal/2Tbsp serving and many salads eaters cover those leaves with 4 Tbsp (240kcal). Add some nuts, cheese and fish or meat and you are looking at a 700kcal salad (and you thought you were eating low calorie). It is time to take note not only of what dressing you are using but how much. Measure it out so you can actually see how much you use.
Some low calorie options include using vinegar only such as Balsamic or make your own dressing with ½ the oil. I like to use the juice of ½ an orange or a squeeze of lemon. Other options include adding extra juicy fruit to the salad and no dressing at all. Delicious ingredients to consider adding to your own dressing include fruit jams, Dijon mustard, sesame oil, soy sauce, lemon, lime, honey, herbs, spices, fruit juice, yogurt, avocado, silken tofu or nut butters.
Other great inventions include the new Hellman’s salad Spritzers that contain only 15 kcal for 10 sprays and come in 5 great flavours. Visit your local grocery store and try one today. Consider using your own dressings in a spray bottle for easy coverage.
The Bottom Line:
Eat your salads and all kinds of vegetables and fruit but be mindful of what you put on them.
