| Here are some delicious alternatives, all much lower in calories (about 5 to 25 calories per two-tablespoon serving). In most cases, they’re far lower in sodium, too.
Vinegars
Ask for traditional varieties like balsamic and red wine vinegars or new combinations like champagne vinegar and muscat grape vinegar. Simply ask your server: “What’s in the kitchen? What type of vinegars is the chef using?” Then request that a bottle be brought out for your salad.
Lemon Juice
At home or in restaurants, always squeeze fresh lemon juice on cut pieces of apple and avocado to keep them from turning brown. And use lemon juice to add zest to many vegetables. It may even suffice as a salad dressing when you’re really trying to lose weight.
Fresh Salsa
Again, find out what’s in the restaurant’s kitchen. Sometimes there may be exotic salsas the chef has whipped up as a topping for seafood, like a fresh papaya and cilantro salsa, which would make a fabulous dressing for your salad. Request that the chef not shake any salt on it.
Wasabi and Rice Vinegar
In Asian-style restaurants, add a lot of kick to your salads by adding a bit of wasabi (known as Japanese horseradish) to rice vinegar. Want it hotter? Add more wasabi. Stir and pour.
Shrimp-Cocktail-Style Dressing
If the menu has shrimp cocktail sauce, ask for some on the side with your salad. If there isn’t any on the menu, make your own. Ask for catsup and a little horseradish, and a little dish to stir up the two ingredients.
Low-Calorie Vinaigrette
Ask for a cruet of olive, canola, or walnut oil and one of vinegar. Pour mostly vinegar with just a teaspoon of oil. Season with black pepper.
Dijon and Balsamic
Request a bottle of Dijon mustard and one of balsamic vinegar. Pour some of each in a small dish, stir it up, and pour over your salad
Zesty and Creamy
Health-conscious restaurants may even have fat-free sour cream or yogurt in the kitchen. If so, ask for an ounce or two and sass it up with mustard, balsamic vinegar, catsup, or hot sauce.
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