Healthy coleslaw recipe made with a homemade nonfat Greek yogurt dressing. A colorful combination of fruits and vegetables in this crunchy salad. A nutritious side dish for those warm summer days!
How to make a healthy coleslaw
A healthy coleslaw recipe is essential for warm summer days and gatherings. I love rainbows, especially when they are in my bowl! What do I mean? I honestly believe that if you can incorporate a vibrant variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet, you can reap the nutritional benefits with each bite.
I didn’t always eat this way. I grew up eating a lot of macaroni and cheese which I still enjoy! However, my overall diet is much more balanced now. Working for a nutrition company, I’ve learned a lot about phytonutrients. Those natural nutrients that can only be found in plants and are beneficial to human health. That’s why it’s so great to incorporate them into your meals every day.
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables doesn’t have to be boring and bland. This healthy coleslaw recipe is packed with fresh cabbage, carrots, peppers, corn, mango, and avocado. Just grab a cutting board and your favorite chef’s knife and let’s get chopping!
Salad Ingredients
It’s about using the freshest produce you can find like red bell peppers, Napa and red cabbage, carrots, grilled corn, mangos, mint, and avocado. All of the ingredients bring something awesome to the mix, sweetness, crunch, earthy and creamy.
Dressing
Coleslaw gets a bad rap because it’s usually overly drenched in heavy mayonnaise-based dressing. For a healthier but still creamy recipe, I substitute the mayo with high protein non-fat Greek yogurt. Dijon mustard, lemon juice, paprika, honey, and chili pepper mixed together then create the tasty dressing.
It’s so much more enjoyable eating healthy when your food is so beautiful! The wonderfully creamy dressing brings all of these fine ingredients together for an addicting wholesome salad.
Just a quick toss right before serving and you are ready to dive into this delicious dish. This version is a nice spin on your traditional coleslaw recipe. I know I’ll be bringing this salad to the next picnic or potluck this summer!
How long is it safe to serve perishable food that has been sitting out?
It’s important to practice proper food safety when serving your guests. Try to keep your food chilled when you transport, at 40°F or below, with an insulated cooler filled with ice or ice packs. I would recommend waiting to mix the dressing and salad together when you are ready to serve, so it stays fresh longer. As a general rule, discard perishable items that have not been chilled or either kept warm after 2 hours. If it’s sweltering, or above 90°F, do not let food sit out for more than 1 hour. Check out more information on my food safety tips for your next picnic or barbecue!
Healthy Coleslaw with Greek Yogurt
Ingredients
Coleslaw
- 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 cup green napa cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ cup carrots, shredded
- 1 ear of corn, cooked and kernels removed, or 1 cup canned
- 1 mango, peeled and cut into slices
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 8 mint leaves, fresh, thinly sliced
- zest of 1 lemon
Dressing
- ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard, or Dijon
- 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice, plus zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ⅛ teaspoon chili pepper, ground, more to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, corn kernels, and mango. Add avocado and mint leaves.
- In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, mustard, lime juice, honey, and chili pepper. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Gently mix the dressing into the coleslaw until combined. Refrigerate if not consuming immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Sandy says
Just to point out, you say you substitute mayo “for” greek yogurt, but you mean to say you substitute mayo “with” greek yogurt.
Jay says
🙄
Mark Vitacca says
Such a great alternative recipe. I’ve shared it around work and it’s a big hit. Christmas in Australia can get really hot so this will be a lovely refreshing side.
Ela says
Didn’t have any mango and used apple instead. Worked really well, the salad was delicious and devoured by the family. Will definitely try with mango as the mango season is just starting now.
Alison says
I made this on July 4 and served it with hotdogs and your potato salad. I gave some slaw leftovers to my vegetarian neighbor, and she loved it so much she said she’d pay me to make more! (I told her I’d do it for free — gotta take care of a great neighbor!)
Jessica Gavin says
Ha! Thank you for your feedback Alison, you are a great neighbor!
Judith Jeffrey says
How long would the mayo last for?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Judith! Do you mean if you use mayo instead of yogurt? If sitting out, no more than 2 hours before you have to refrigerate or discard, no matter if you use mayo or yogurt.
Mary Anne Lamb says
I made this cole slaw for Christmas lunch with the extended family and it was a huge hit – it was everyone’s favourite salad!
Jessica Gavin says
Yay Mary Anne! I’m so happy to hear that the coleslaw was a hit 🙂
Tra dada says
I love that you use the mango and honey to substitute for the sweet tang that the heavy mayonnaise dressing is famous for. We don’t need all that fat to get all this flavor! Great recipe
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for the feedback! It’s always nice to find a flavorful and more healthy substitute 🙂