Eating healthy doesn’t mean sacrificing great creamy coleslaw. You’ll love the tangy, slightly sweet flavor, and all the amazing crunchy textures. And at just 1 smart point per serving, you can enjoy one of your favorite warm weather side dishes without guilt!
Earlier this year, when I shared my easy Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork, I had a few of you email me asking about a healthy coleslaw to pile on top of it. I already had this recipe developed, so I’m happy to share it with you here today!
Here in the Midwest, it’s an unspoken thing that most people put coleslaw on top of their pulled pork/chicken/beef sandwiches. There’s something about the combination of temperatures, textures and flavors that’s just SO mouthwatering!!
HOW DO YOU MAKE COLESLAW
Traditionally, coleslaw is mayo based, and it uses a lot of it. Shredded cabbage, carrots, onion, mayo, vinegar/lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper and ground celery seed are the usual ingredients in a coleslaw recipe. All of my regular, non-skinny coleslaw recipes use at least 1/2 cup of mayo, which adds up to a lot of points! They usually use a good bit of sugar, which also racks up the points.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE COLESLAW HEALTHIER
The first major swap was to switch out the mayo in favor of a zero point food, non-fat plain greek yogurt. It’s more tangy than mayo, but still gives it a nice creamy consistency. I also reduced the amount of sugar.
HOW LONG DOES COLESLAW KEEP IN THE REFRIGERATOR
The beauty of a great coleslaw is that it actually needs to sit in the fridge in order for the flavors to really combine and mellow. But coleslaw can be made in advance and kept refrigerated (in an airtight container) for 2-3 days.
CAN YOU FREEZE COLESLAW
Certain kinds, yes, but with reservations. Oil and vinegar based coleslaws can be frozen, but they will lose their crunch. Any coleslaw that’s mayo or yogurt based will not freeze well, as the dressing can separate.
The inspiration for this recipe comes from three sources. My sweet and tangy coleslaw, a Chick-Fil-A copycat recipe I’m working on for my other website, and this recipe from Gimme Some Oven. Ali has some fantastic recipes there, and she really got the proportion of greek yogurt right.
To make it easy and really cut down the prep time, I used a bag of shredded coleslaw mix and just chopped it up a little bit. I chose not to add purple cabbage here, to keep that classic coleslaw color, but it would be a great addition. If you’re feeling ambitious, go ahead and grab a head of green cabbage and a few carrots and grate them on your box grater.
As we head into summer bbq and potluck season, give this skinny coleslaw recipe a try, and don’t forget to have some on top of this pulled pork or shredded beef barbecue!
Want to try this Creamy Coleslaw Recipe?
PIN IT to your SIDE DISH or HEALTHY board to save for later!
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice , fresh is best
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground celery seed
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I like mine peppery)
- 10 oz bag of shredded coleslaw mix
- 1/3 cup red onion or shallots , finely minced
- 2 Tbsp green onions, sliced
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, celery seed, salt and pepper. Whisk until a dressing forms.
- Add coleslaw mix, red onion, and green onions. Toss to combine, making sure all the coleslaw is coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Taste and adjust salt and pepper seasoning.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Calories: 34 | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium 93mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1% | Vitamin C: 17.1% | Calcium: 3.4% | Iron: 1.1%
I’m not a nutritionist, and nutritional values here on my recipes should be used for general information purposes only. This information is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new diet and fitness regimen.
Nia says
This was very good! I was bit skeptical because yogurt based dressings were just okay in the past. Great recipe, I will be eating Cole slaw more often from now on! Thank you for sharing!
Pinar Gibbon says
it looks delicious!
Sandy says
I enjoyed this version of coleslaw so much that I didn’t even miss the mayo! The only thing that I didn’t care for was the amount of red onion. It was a bit much for my taste but also red onion can vary on taste. The one I used had quite the heat to it. I will definitely keep this one on hand but cut back or omit the red onion altogether. Thanks for sharing!
Martha says
Made it according to the recipe but omitted the celery seeds and used Stivia instead of sugar. Tasted and added 1 more TBSP of cider vinegar and 2 TBSP Dijon mustard. Retasted and added the salt and pepper. Let it set and added more salt and pepper.
All in all, a good base recipe, easily adjusted to your individual tastes.