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!
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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.
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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.
Cindy says
This sounds delicious! Can this be frozen?
Amanda says
I don’t recommend freezing this coleslaw, as the texture can get unpleasant.
Lindsay R says
The hubs and I are pretty health conscious people and are always looking for healthy alternatives. But one that he has never budged on is using Greek yogurt as a replacement. “I’ll take the fat and calories in light mayo over that awful devils yogurt” he said once. Trust me, ladies and gents, I have tried to sneak it in more than once. He can always tell and refuses to eat it. I’ve even gone as far as to swap containers and put Greek yogurt into low-fat cottage cheese containers (which he also won’t eat). No luck. He can always tell. Until tonight.
I made pulled pork tonight, (highly recommend recipe by The Clean Eating Couple), and like the author, we like to top our pulled pork with creamy coleslaw. I thought I would try slipping in Greek yogurt one more time.and …. GUYS! It worked! He couldn’t even tell! (And so I kept my lips shut).
I did use no calorie sweetener instead of sugar. Which always has a certain taste about it. I think I’ll go for the real thing next time and calories be damned. And I made the mistake of tasting it right after I whipped up a batch. DONT DO THIS. Let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours and let the flavors come together. My first bite was too sweet and lemony and concerned me that it didn’t taste at all like creamy Cole slaw. But after 2 hours in the fridge, I was amazed.
WONDERFUL recipe! Thank you for helping me trick the hubs!
Jessica says
This was very good – the dressing was nice any tangy! I was making this “on the fly” and had to make a change. I only had a scant half cup of nonfat Greek yogurt so I added some reduced-calorie mayonnaise to get to two thirds of a cup. After tasting the dressing, I added a squirt or two of Dijon mustard and a dash of garlic powder, because that’s how I like my coleslaw. But that was just a matter of personal taste – this is a very good recipe for coleslaw that tastes great with few calories.
JeskaJones says
I just made this tonight! It’s not done “resting” yet, but I’m thrilled with how it turned out already! I used Fage 0% yogurt, which is super dense and creamy! Such good yogurt in general! It has the texture of sour cream and not very tart. But I digress! I ended up using dried dill in place of the celery seeds, so I’ll be trying it again when I can get some seeds, but the dill is dillicious!! I also had to use lime instead of lemon, lakanto granules for sweetener, and yellow onion. Sadly, I didn’t have any scallions. Can’t wait until next time! Thanks for an easy healthy recipe that comes together easily, and satisfied some nostalgia for a BBQ during the quarantime!
Carole says
Looks delicious, I will be making!
SusanfromKentucky says
So yummy!!
Terry says
Just made this and only thing I changed was I used 3 tablespoons on monk fruit granular sweetener instead of sugar. I like my cole slaw on the sweeter side. Delicious!
Brent says
I never leave comments and had to on this. Only thing I changed was I added a pinch of granulated garlic and some Cajun seasoning. My 6yr old approved
Joli says
I made this without sugar and I really liked it. I used fat free Greek yogurt which worked really well. Thanks for recipe!
Glenn says
What is the serving size because it’s not mentioned here?
The Chunky Chef says
It’s not measured specifically, but this recipe serves 8.
Tricia says
Can’t wait to try this afternoon! Growing up on my mother’s Cole slaw, hate the store bought mayo with some cabbage added.
Lucky Cedarlane says
made this but used honey , no sugar and it was GREAT ! oh i did 1/2 cabbage, a small red cabbage, 4 carrots and i add a NewOrleans PINCH of Cayenne & 1tbs of fresh lemon ! so so GOOD Thanks for this
Lauren says
I never leave comments, but holy smokes this is good! I did use a mix of Greek yogurt and mayo but that’s the only thing I changed. The flavor is amazing!
Krista says
This is perfect for our Summer BBQ’s!
Des says
I would come home with an empty bowl from every potluck I bring this to. Fabulous!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
Healthy and yummy! Love this for summer! Healthy means I can eat more, right?
Katerina @ diethood .com says
This sounds fantastic!! I love that you made a lighter version!!
Dee says
We love pulled pork and coleslaw, and I love that you found a way to lighten it up!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
This will be such a perfect side dish this summer! Love the lighter dressing made with greek yogurt!
I Heart Naptime says
Looks delicious! Perfect for BBQs this Summer!
Dawn says
Serves 8; how many ounces in one serving for 1 smart point?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Dawn 🙂 No exact amount, just 1/8 of the recipe.