By: Laurenpublished: Feb. 28, 2024Comments
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One of my favorite ways to add flavor to any meal is with a little drizzle of sauce! Unfortunately, most traditional sauces and dressings are high in carbs and fats and can add a ton of extra calories to your meal without adding volume.
Luckily, you can make amazing homemade sauces and dressings at home without breaking the calorie bank! Not only do homemade dressings always taste better, but they’re cheaper and made with better-for-you ingredients!
Try one of these healthy and delicious sauce and dressing recipes that bring all flavor without the extra calories!
Contents hide
More Healthy Recipe Round Ups
What Are The Health Benefits of Making Your Own Sauce or Dressing?
Healthy Sauces
Healthy Salad Dressings
More Healthy Recipe Round Ups
If you’re looking for some healthy, macro-friendly recipes to pair with these delicious sauces and dressings, check out my 50+ Macro Friendly Foodsround up that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options!
You can also check out my 50+ Macro-Friendly Chicken Recipes or 15+ Healthy Ground Beef recipes for more healthy recipe inspiration!
What Are The Health Benefits of Making Your Own Sauce or Dressing?
There are so many benefits to making your own homemade sauce or dressing.
- Made with less processed sugar, sodium and preservatives. One of the best parts about making your own sauce at home is that you can use a much shorter list of ingredients. Store-bought sauces and dressing are usually packed with a ton of extra salt, sugar and preservatives to help extend the shelf-life as long as possible. When you make your own sauce or dressing at home, you can use real-ingredients that are much better for you.
- Lower in fat and calories. Another benefit of making your own healthy salad dressing or sauce is that you can significantly reduce the amount of calories with just a few simple swaps. I like to use fat-free Greek yogurt in a lot of sauce recipes. Not only does it reduce the amount of fat but it helps add extra protein to the sauce. You can also swap light mayo for regular mayo if you prefer the traditional taste in certain sauces.
- Fresh ingredients. Using fresh ingredients like cilantro, avocado, lemon, and real honey make these homemade sauces tastes SO MUCH better. Not only does using fresh ingredients taste better, but many of these ingredients have added health benefits!
- Don’t have to skimp. My favorite part about making lighter sauces and dressings is that I don’t have to skimp for the sake of saving calories. It’s no secret that I am a sauce girl through and through and I love not having to spare any bite because I don’t want to add a ton of extra calories to my food. I can add as much salad dressing as much heart desires or dip each and every bite of chicken into my favorite tasty, tangy sauce!
1. Skinny Special Sauce (In-N-Out Copycat)
Special Sauce (Low Calorie)
This Low Calorie Special Sauce has the same delicious tang of In-N-Out's Special Sauce – but lightened up! Enjoy this sauce with burgers, chicken, fries, and whatever else your heart desires, without any guilt!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Air Fryer Burgers and Cheeseburger Salad
2. Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce
Skinny Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce
Tangy, sweet and absolutely delicious! Try this healthier take on Chick-fil-A's Honey Roasted BBQ sauce for only 17 calories per serving. This sauce is perfect for salads, sandwiches or dipping your favorite chicken nuggets and fries!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Panko Chicken Nuggets, Grilled Chicken Nuggets, Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders
3. Healthy Lemon Dill Sauce
Healthy Lemon Dill Sauce for Salmon
This Healthy Lemon Dill Sauce for salmon is seriously the absolute best! It's incredibly creamy, fresh and packs so much flavor, making it perfect for baked salmon, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and so much more. Keep reading for an easy salmon recipe and pairing ideas to take your meal to the next level with this delicious sauce recipe!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Salmon Burgers
4. Healthy Tzatziki Sauce
Healthy Tzatziki Sauce
One of my favorite way to add flavors to dishes is with healthy, easy to make sauces and dips! This Healthy Tzatziki Sauce is so easy and fresh and takes any dish to the next level! It's also amazing on it's own and is the perfect snack with pita chips!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Chicken Gyro, Greek Salad, Greek Turkey Burgers
5. Skinny Yum Yum Sauce
Skinny Yum Yum Sauce
Your favorite Japanese sauce lightened up! This Skinny Yum Yum Sauce has all the flavor and creaminess of original without the fat that comes with it.
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Healthy Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli, Salmon Poke Bowl, Chicken Lettuce Wraps
6. Cilantro Lime Crema
Cilantro Lime Crema
This Healthy Cilantro Lime Sauce is hands-down one of my favorite sauces to date! It's the perfect blend of cilantro, lime and fresh flavor all combined with a creamy and smooth texture. It goes with EVERYTHING and is only 30 calories a serving. You just can't beat it!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Mahi Mahi Tacos, Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas, Taco Salad, Carnitas Bowls, Salsa Verde Chicken Bowls
Healthy Salad Dressings
7. Low Calorie Caesar Dressing
The Most Legit Tasting Low Calorie Caesar Salad Dressing
The same delicious Caesar dressing we all know and love, but lightened up! This is THE most legit tasting low calorie Caesar Dressing ever. It sacrifices zero taste or flavor. Save money and whip this easy recipe up at home in 5 minutes instead!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Chicken Caesar Salad, High Protein Caesar Wrap
8. Chick-fil-A Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing (Chick-fil-A Copycat)
If you’re looking for the freshest, creamiest flavor maker, THIS IS IT! This Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing is the ultimate dressing for salads, wraps, sandwiches, tacos and more! It’s tangy, fresh and so freaking creamy!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad, Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap, Taco Salad
9. Healthy Creamy Balsamic Dressing
Lightened up Creamy Balsamic Dressing
This Creamy Balsamic Dressing is the easiest, best homemade dressing that is lightened up and made with only 6 simple ingredients! It's perfectly sweet and tangy and will take any salad or sandwich to the next level!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Simple Salad with Goat Cheese and Cranberries
10. Low Calorie Honey Mustard Dressing
Skinny Yogurt Honey Mustard Dressing
Tangy, sweet, and so so good! This Skinny Yogurt Honey Mustard Dressing is so easy to make and insanely macro-friendly! Plus, it's so light you don't have to skimp at all!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Fall Harvest Salad with Pecan Crusted Chicken, Warm Steak and Potato Salad
11. Light Greek Dressing
Light Greek Dressing Recipe
You're favorite Greek salad just got taken to the next level! Try this easy and light Greek Salad Dressing recipe! Less than 70 calories per serving but packs ALL the flavor!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Greek Salad
12. Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Light Balsamic Vinaigrette
Check your pantry because you probably already have all the ingredients needed to make this delicious, light, super simple Light Balsamic Vinaigrette. There's nothing better than homemade salad dressings and even better when it's light enough to not cut into your macros for the day. Pairs perfectly with my Balsamic Chicken and Strawberry Salad, this delicious dressing is just too easy not to make!
Check out this recipe
Pairs well with: Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Goat Cheese
FAQ: Healthy Sauces & Dressings
What are the best healthy sauces to pair with chicken?
I love using my Chick-fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ sauce for dipping any type of chicken like these Panko Chicken Nuggets or Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders! My Cilantro Lime Sauce is also perfect for chicken tacos or your favorite Mexican dish!
What are the healthy benefits of making your own sauces and dressings?
There are so many benefits to making your own sauces and dressings. Typically, homemade sauces have less processed sugar, sodium and preservatives. They’re also usually lower in carbohydrates and fats since we can use easy swaps like greek yogurt or light mayo.
How do I store these homemade sauces and dressings?
Store each sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. I usually like to store my dressings in a mason jar with a tight lid so I can just give it a quick shake before serving. You can also store in a normal container. Just be sure to give it a good stir before serving in ingredients have started to separate.
How long do these homemade dressings last?
Each sauce and dressing should last up to 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Each recipe will depend upon the ingredients used. Typically the sauce or dressing is good as long as the greek yogurt (or other dairy ingredient) is good for – if using. Dressing recipes without dairy can be good for longer stored in the fridge.
If you make one of these recipes and love it, please be sure leave a review! Or snap a picture and tag me onInstagramorTikTokat @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag#LaurenFitFoodie!
