OP, I really don't see why you can't allow this to be your guilty pleasure. How much ranch dressing are you actually eating per salad?

Love the ideas on this thread! I'll be trying out a few. . .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about making a dressing with walnut oil and either some champagne vinegar or lemon or fresh orange juice, and some full fat yogurt. Add salt and pepper and dill or garlic powder. Mix everything in a jar and shake with lid on. I am not a big fan of soy because in large amounts it is not great for your health, but you could also use Nayonaise or veganaise in place of mayo in your recipe. Also, for a creamy dressing, I like to mix sour cream and salsa or cottage cheese and salsa.

How exactly is full fat yogurt going to be healthier than ranch? Might as well eat the ranch.

I guess it depends on your idea of healthy foods and the pp's reason for not using ranch. I am the pp who posted the above recipe. My own health philosophy is that full-fat dairy products are much better than low/non-fat, and Harvard research studies even show that consuming full-fat dairy keeps you trimmer and also lowers risk of infertility and breast cancer. Let me know if you want links. I also think fats from avocados, walnut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds, and fatty fish, are good for you.

My guess is that the op wanted to avoid conventional ranch dressing because all of the chemicals. Not only are there bad fats like soybean oil, and canola oil, but ranch typically has lots of chemicals like MSG (disguised as natural flavors), stabilizing gums, and sugars. Just google popular brands and read the ingredients.

Someone posted a recipe from the blog - find your balance. I know Michelle from yoga teacher training years ago, and am guessing that she would agree about good fats vs chemicals, sugars and bad fats. Her recipe is probably pretty good.

Trader Joes makes a Parmesan Cowboy Ranch dressing that I like. It's in the produce section. It's 30 calories and 1.5 grams of fat for 2 tablespoons. It's thinner than most ranch dressings but the taste is quite good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I could eat nothing but salad all day long and be perfectly happy. But I have a weakness for ranch dressing and I'm trying to clean up my diet. I don't eat too many packaged products so I feel like that finally needs to go. Help me come up with a recipe for a good creamy salad dressing that will be just as good, but free of chemical-y stuff.

This recipe isn't bad, but I need to replace the mayo with something lower fat. I an probably use greek yogurt instead of sour cream, but what to do instead of mayo? http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ranch-dressing-ii/

There is nothing wrong with full fat foods. Just make this as is. Or thin it with buttermilk as suggested or a little vinegar. Up the herbs. Also, I think it tastes better if you toss the salad together with the dressing such that every leaf gets a thin coat.

I totally agree. Full fat foods are the way to go.

I make a ranch dressing that is basically the same as the one OP linked to above. But I make it with my homemade mayo, which is a mix of olive oil and avocado oil.

If you are trying to loose weight, reduce your carbs, not your fat intake.

Anonymous wrote:I could eat nothing but salad all day long and be perfectly happy. But I have a weakness for ranch dressing and I'm trying to clean up my diet. I don't eat too many packaged products so I feel like that finally needs to go. Help me come up with a recipe for a good creamy salad dressing that will be just as good, but free of chemical-y stuff.

This recipe isn't bad, but I need to replace the mayo with something lower fat. I an probably use greek yogurt instead of sour cream, but what to do instead of mayo? http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ranch-dressing-ii/

There is nothing wrong with full fat foods. Just make this as is. Or thin it with buttermilk as suggested or a little vinegar. Up the herbs. Also, I think it tastes better if you toss the salad together with the dressing such that every leaf gets a thin coat.

Anonymous wrote:Tessame's, found at Whole Foods, makes an oil & vinegar-based ranch. Their dressings are delicious and have all natural ingredients.

I have a bottle of this but haven't tried it yet. I will report back when I do! We love their balsamic vinaigrette.

Tessame's, found at Whole Foods, makes an oil & vinegar-based ranch. Their dressings are delicious and have all natural ingredients.