You will, "Bet the Ranch," that this easy ranch style dressing is fattening, but it's not.

I have served this at picnics and family gatherings and no one has ever guessed that it is low fat. In fact many laugh when I tell them, they refuse to believe me. Kids eat it with out asking what's in it. Both kids and adults love it as a dip for raw vegetables. The easy substitution of using yogurt for sour cream is what drops the fat content. Try it yourself, I promise, you'll not be disappointed.

The Best Low Fat Ranch Style Dressing

- Two cups of plain yogurt, low fat
- Two teaspoons of garlic powder
- One half teaspoon of finely ground sea-salt
- Fresh, chopped or dried parsley
- Fresh ground pepper

This step is optional but makes the dressing richer tasting and thicker. Allow the yogurt to drain for a few hours or overnight in a coffee filter or strainer lined with cheese cloth,this will allow for the removal of most of the liquid (that's the whey) from the yogurt.

Add two teaspoons of garlic powder or one teaspoon of chopped fresh garlic and one half teaspoon of sea salt to the drained yogurt. Mix in one teaspoon of fresh chopped parsley, or one half teaspoon of dried parsley flakes. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.

Whisk the dressing together until it is creamy smooth.

Add it to your fresh tossed greens, or use it to top your baked potato. This dressing makes a great dip for your bite sized vegetables, use it anywhere you want that wonderful ranch taste. This is a flavorful but guilt free dressing. Enjoy.

*Optional additions include; finely chopped scallions or chives, chopped garlic chives, finely chopped tomatoes and or onions. If you want decadence, crushed and chopped bacon is a very tasty addition to this dressing making it a Bacon Ranch. It will have a slightly higher fat content but will still be still lower in fat than if it were made with sour cream.

*This dressing can be stored in an airtight container for a week in the fridge but it usually does not last that long.

Learn more about this author, A. C. O'Brien.
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