Most coleslaw recipes are either high fat or high sugar. It takes me less than five minutes to make a slaw that is low calorie, low carb and tasty. While it’s not a stunner, family and friends always finish their servings.

This slaw has a sweet-tangy taste and requires no fancy ingredients. It’s perfect  for a cookout when you are short of time or want to add a very lean side dish to balance out all the potato salad, baked beans and chips. Plus, this coleslaw can be made a day ahead.

My coleslaw’s secret ingredient? Miracle Whip Light. While there are those who consider Miracle Whip to be the lowbrow cousin of mayonnaise and never touch the stuff, it works well in this recipe.

Unlike mayonnaise, Miracle Whip and its light version contain a very small amount of sweeteners – much less than in a typical bottled coleslaw dressing.  The sugars, combined with the vinegar in the dressing, is what provides a sweet and tangy base for the slaw. Add a few extras to jazz it up, and you’re all set.

Miracle Whip Light contains only 20 calories and two carbs a tablespoon, so a big serving of coleslaw won’t do any diet damage. It does contain a bit of high fructose corn syrup – generally to be avoided – but in an amount that doesn’t bother me; I’ve never been tempted to guzzle any dressing.

Coleslaw Ingredients and Prep

The key is to start out with the freshest bagged coleslaw you can buy; one regular-sized bag will make four or five hearty servings. Avoid the finely shredded slaw, it doesn’t work as well. I like to get the slaw mix that has carrots and purple cabbage to add color.

Dump the coleslaw mix into a large bowl, then add just a few spoonfuls of Miracle Whip Light. (Regular Miracle Whip can be substituted for those who want more calories.😅) Gradually add more dressing, but use a light hand – slaw releases moisture when refrigerated so it’s better to err on the side of using too little Miracle Whip Light than too much.

Then add some extras to jazz up the coleslaw. Freshly ground pepper, a drop of pepper sauce, grated fresh onion, and/or small diced pieces of apple all work well. Raisins do also, but dried fruit is carb heavy. No extra salt is needed.

If you have the time, refrigerate the coleslaw for at least one hour. Before serving, stir again and taste; adjust seasonings and add more dressing if needed.

Enjoy!