Save Calories

with Dips and Dressings

To save calories and still have lots to eat we need to get more low calorie vegetables and salads into our daily diet. These are especially nutritious raw or lightly cooked.

Sound boring?

You don't like many vegetables?

In countries where salads are a big part of daily meals women know how to dress them in hundreds of different ways. Tempting the palette with zesty, sour, tangy, tart, crunchy and creamy dressings

Below you'll find a few low calorie versions of popular dips and dressings to help you save calories. Each one can be changed in lots of ways to suit different low calorie meals.

Saving calories is easy if you know how.

Experiment with these dips and dressings, turn simple dishes into mouthwatering treats and save calories at the same time.

Tomato Vinaigrette

• 140g finely chopped tomatoes
• 2 1/2tbsps red wine vinegar
• 1 dash worcestershire sauce
• 1 small tsp ketchup
• 1 small tsp Dijon mustard
• A little fresh or dried basil
• A little fresh or dried thyme

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and serve with any salad for a fresh, tangy taste. This is great served with meat or fish too. Serves 2 about 20 calories per serving.

Honey and Mustard Dressing

• 1 lime
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Combine the zest of half the lime and all the juice with the honey mustard and oil with a whisk or whizz for more volume. Use the tangy flavour to jazz up salads or as a marinade for chicken. Serves 2 about 120 calories per serving.

Creamy Dip

• 125g cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp buttermilk
• 1 small tsp lemon juice

Whizz all the ingredients until smooth and serve with sticks of celery, carrot, peppers or cucumber. Makes a very satisfying, creamy topping for a small baked potato or spread thickly on crispbreads for a snack. Serves 2 about 70 calories per serving.

Tzatziki skinny

• 125g 0% Greek yoghurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp chopped mint
• salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and leave in the fridge for at least an hour to blend flavours. Serve with very thin slices of cucumber to accompany any spicy meal or meat dish. Great in a baked potato or in a small pitta with salad leaves. Serves 2 about 90 calories per serving.

Create your own

The best salad would taste bland and dull without a good salad dressing. But to save calories you don't have to use cream or mayonnaise.

Classic vinaigrette is based on 1 dessert spoon of vinegar to 3 of oil. However saving calories means reducing fat so try replacing 1 or 2 dessert spoons of oil with a little mustard or vegetable stock(cooked down to be concentrated.) For a creamier dressing try low fat yoghurt, quark, buttermilk or even a splash of mineral water.

Saving calories and adding interest

To stretch a dressing and save calories try adding a little orange juice, apple juice, tomato juice, mango chutney or honey.

Always buy the best oil you can afford, cold pressed virgen oil is best but there are lots of other good oils like walnut oil or pumpkin seed oil to ring the changes. Try vinegar with berries or herbs, these add loads of taste and save calories at the same time.

A whisk is good for mixing ingredients but a blender will froth up the dressing giving it a silky, voluminous appearence. Try creating your own dressings based on these tips.

Enjoy your salads and saving calories!

More Tips on Losing Weight

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