Here’s how to make mayo-free coleslaw without the need for lots of calories. It tastes delicious, while it’s still packed with shredded fresh cabbage, crunchy veggies, and sweet apple. It makes a perfect sandwich filler and is great with healthy salads!
When I developed this creamy slaw, I had a hankering for a great side to go with my pulled pork sandwich and unofficial Slimming World chips. And instead of adding unhealthy dressing ingredients, I decided to create this homemade healthy coleslaw to boot.
You’ll find many deli-style coleslaws with mayonnaise and creams and I didn’t want that. Instead, I opted for a healthy coleslaw dressing that’s quick using fresh ingredients.
And the best part is, it’s the perfect side dish for using waste from any cruciferous vegetable like broccoli and cauliflower talks to increase your sulforaphane intake. You can read here about how it may help lower inflammation for arthritis.
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✔️ Why You’ll Love This Homemade Coleslaw
Here are a few reasons why we think you’ll love this simple healthy coleslaw recipe:
- Naturally gluten free
- Prep time takes minutes!
- Made with simple ingredients
- Great for using up leftover raw vegetables
- You know exactly what’s gone into your own coleslaw
- It’s perfect with a family dinner main dish or Summer BBQ
- With its creamy texture, you can’t tell it’s low calorie and low fat
- It’s packed with the most vitamins and minerals as nothing it cooked!
🛒 Ingredient Notes
Please see the printable full recipe card with exact ingredient quantities, nutritional information, and instructions at the bottom of this post.
- Carrots – grated, although an extra cost, you may prefer using a bag of coleslaw mix for an extra easy side dish
- Green cabbage – just use whatever shredded cabbage or finely sliced red cabbage you can pick up in your local grocery store for some extra crunchy vegetables
- fat-free natural yogurt – or nonfat Greek yogurt, quark, or light mayo
- red onion – halved and finely sliced
- lemon – juice only to create a tangy dressing
- apple cider vinegar – or white vinegar
- Sweetener – for a bit of sweetness, or use honey, sugar or a low GI syrup such as agave
- Seasoning – sea salt & black pepper
📋 Instructions
Here are my step-by-step instructions on how to make coleslaw healthy at home!
1. First, place all of the colorful veggies and apple matchsticks in a small bowl.
2. Now add all of the wet ingredients and non-fat Greek yogurt.
3. Mix all together until you have creamy coleslaw.
4. For best results, let the non mayo coleslaw recipe rest for about 15 minutes for the vinegar coleslaw to gently pickle.
Tip: if you have time, you can mix it in a mason jar and leave it in the fridge overnight for the flavours to meld.
👩🍳 Substitutions
Depending on your dietary needs, the great thing about this recipe for healthy coleslaw is that it is so versatile if you want to make some simple swaps:
- Fat-free plain yogurt – swap for full-fat greek yogurt if you want more health benefits such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Or for traditional coleslaw recipes, use a cup of mayo
- Carrots – swap for shredded cauliflower or broccoli stalks to reduce waste, which are also low-carb and keto friendly
- Apples – swap for grated pear or slices of orange
- Red onion – swap for green onions (spring onions/scallions), shallots
- Cabbage – try using spring greens, Chinese cabbage, pak choi, purple cabbage (red cabbage), or even sliced bell peppers
- Sweetener – if preferred, you could use white sugar
⚖️ Variations
Here are some different ways you can enhance and truly personalise this recipe:
- Spicy – add chili flakes, dijon mustard
- Plant-based – make a dairy free vegan cole slaw by swapping yogurt for avocado oil mayo
- Seedy – sunflower seeds, celery seed or toasted pine nuts make great toppings and offer extra healthy fats
- Broccoli slaw – add finely shredded broccoli or broccoli sprouts for extra nutrition such as sulforaphane to help support the joints
- Deluxe – add pure maple syrup, fresh herbs, olive oil
- Kid friendly – swap lemon juice for orange juice if you think it will be too acidic
- Cheesy – add some grated mature cheddar for extra flavour (this is one of our favourite combinations!)
You might also like my slow cooker red cabbage side.
🔪 Equipment
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*Please note it’s important to check with your Slimming club if a grater is acceptable to prep the apple as some say this adds more calories. If not, you’ll need to cut into matchsticks or chop.
❄️ Storage
Storing – the best time to eat healthy coleslaw is when it is freshly made. However, leftover coleslaw can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
When you want to eat again, give it a good stir each time before stirring.
Freezing – I don’t recommend freezing this yogurt and vegetables recipe as it will separate and turn mushy.
💡Pro Tips
- Finely shred the cabbage as best you can so that it’s easier to chew
- If you find the cabbage is too firm to chew, next time, try adding salt to the cabbage first to draw out some of the moisture
- Use a box grater or food processor to really speed up your food prep where possible
- If you can wait, cover it and leave it in the fridge for the flavours to develop more before serving
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Sandwiches: spooning over fresh coleslaw is so refreshing on hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, etc. It’s the perfect Summer cookout condiment.
Grilled meat: it adds the perfect tang to any grilled or BBQ meat and corn on the cob
Tacos: use it as a delicious topping on chicken, beef or fish tacos. Or as a dip for burritos.
Salad: I find a dollop is the perfect side salad with a leafy green salad
❓ FAQ
As the main cream in my simple coleslaw recipe is fat-free natural yogurt, there is only 1g of fat per serving. And using it is usually favorable with many slimming clubs.
Then the remaining ingredients are shredded vegetables, such as cabbage, red onion, grated carrot, lemon juice, and match stick apples. This makes it only around 30 calories per serving.
It’s the apples that really enhance the flavours and take away from the slight tangy flavor you would normally taste in yogurt. I’ve also tried it with mature cheddar mixed in and it’s so delicious, too!
For this healthy coleslaw recipe to be suitable for diabetics, you may want to reduce the apples or use less. Also, ensure that you are using a natural sweetener to prevent sugar level blood spikes.
➕ More Healthy Sides
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍽️Pairing
Here are a few dishes that taste great with coleslaw:
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📖 Recipe
How to Make Coleslaw the Healthy Way
Here’s how to make coleslaw without the need for lots of calories. It tastes delicious, while it’s still packed with shredded veggies and sweet apple. And it makes a perfect sandwich filler!
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Ingredients
Disclaimer
*This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World’s website can be found at Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
Notes
- Finely shred the cabbage as best you can so that it’s easier to chew
- If you find the cabbage is too firm to chew, next time, try adding salt to the cabbage first to draw out some of the moisture
- Use a box grater or food processor to really speed up your food prep where possible
- If you can wait, cover it and leave it in the fridge for the flavours to develop more before serving
Nutrition
Calories: 30kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 20mgPotassium: 122mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2119IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg
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