19 Healthy Sauce and Salad Dressing Recipes

Add something extra to your food (and we're not talking about calories).

By Lindsey Murray· 3/5/2013, 3:00 p.m.

Let’s be honest for a second. Sometimes eating healthy can get a little, um, boring. And if you’re not careful, your meals can end up downright bland. So what do you do to spice things up? You add a little sauce here, a little dressing there. No harm, no foul … right?

Wrong. All these extras can seriously add up—we’re talking a hundred or more calories before you even know it. If you’re looking to make a smarter sauce, we can help. Check out our roundup of 19 sauce and dressing recipes that will add some great flavor to your dishes without breaking the scale.

Italian-Inspired Sauces and Dressings

Salsa Palermitana
via Eating Well

This palermo-style sauce is the perfect topping to any pasta or roasted fish entrée.

Healthy Fettuccine Alfredo
via Pinch of Yum

According to user comments, this cauliflower-based recipe tastes just like the real thing!

Pesto Sauce
via Weight Watchers

Reduced-sodium chicken broth is what makes this Italian classic more figure friendly.

Easy Tomato Sauce
via Cheap Healthy Good

This super-easy-to-do recipe makes replacing the stuff from the jar (which is loaded with sodium and preservatives) easier than ever.

White Wine Sauce
via Cooking Light

This recipe focuses on using ingredients in moderation to create a more health-conscious sauce.

Balsamic Herb Vinaigrette
via TLC Cooking

Low is calories, sodium and fat without skimping on flavor—yup, this healthy salad dressing is pretty much perfect.

Greek-Inspired Sauces and Dressings

Tzatziki Sauce
via A Bitchin’ Kitchen

This Greek classic, made with non-fat Greek yogurt, is the perfect spread for a sandwich and works equally well as a dip. Gotta love double-duty dishes.

Creamy Caesar Dressing
via Cheap Healthy Good

A deliciously tangy dressing that only cost 11 cents a serving!

Low-Fat Greek Salad Dressing
via Food.com

This tasty dressing takes less than five minutes to prepare.

Greek Tomato Sauce
via Eating Well

Red wine, feta cheese, and olives makes this sauce a Greek staple.