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Healthy Macaroni Salad

Here is my version of the deli-style classic, normally packed with sugar and saturated fat. Healthy Macaroni Salad will be a crowd-favorite at your table this summer and year-round!

Oh, those summer sides! There’s something so satisfying about prepping a dish like this early in the day or the night before, then just grill up some protein and a veggie for an easy dinner later in the evening.

And the leftovers! This salads just gets better the longer it “marinates” in the fridge. You know what that means–perfect weekly meal prep!

My inspiration for this was a local sandwich spot around here called Tony’s Original Deli and Bottle Shop. They have great sandwiches and a fantastic local craft beer selection.

And their mac salad is out of this world! It’s clear that it is drenched in tons of mayor and sugar, so not something I can enjoy every day. So I set out to make my own with a lighter sauce base.

not just for losing weight–the best mac salad!

This is an absolute crowd pleaser. I made it for a BBQ a couple of weeks back, and so many people asked for the recipe.

Keep in mind, these weren’t people on special eating plans or dietary restrictions! But they still though this was the best mac salad they had.

I thought maybe it was a fluke. But I made it again yesterday for a pool party, and the same thing happened. Raves all around and astonishment that this is a healthier version of mac salad.

Clearly, after polling my “focus groups” the general consensus is that Healthy Macaroni Salad will be your signature made-ahead side for the summer. Hang out in the pool or lounge in the park knowing that you’ve got a killer dish waiting for you!

More crowd-pleasing Pasta salads

Pasta salads are definitely not a new thing around here. Here are two that my readers and I absolutely love:

Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Hawaiian Mac Salad

HOW TO MAKE MACARONI SALAD HEALTHY

That creamy, luscious traditional macaroni salad dressing is where all of the calories, sugar, and saturated fat comes into play. My approach to lightening this dressing follows a trend for a reason.

My signature dressings use just the right blend of light mayo and plain nonfat Greek yogurt. and cut that with some nonfat, plain Greek yogurt. You get the same creaminess with a little tang.

A lot of deli-style macaroni salads use sugar and MSG to bump up the sweetness/umami (AKA the “YUM” factor). In my recipe, I sub in Worcestershire sauce for MSG.

Even though MSG isn’t inherently bad for you, some people are sensitive to it and TBH, I don’t have easy access to it to even try it. You get that same umami flavor that keeps you wanting more. It’s a total flavor bomb!

Combined with the Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar adds some brightness and just the right amount of sweetness that you won’t even miss the added sugar – I promise.

So pick up these ingredients STAT so you’ll be ready all summer long to make this fantastic and easy side dish. You don’t even have to tell them it’s a healthy macaroni salad. That can be our little secret.

And don’t forget this one even when the summer is over. Nothing goes better with a stacked hoagie than some mac salad, am I right?

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Have you made Healthy Mac Salad?

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5 from 10 votes