Here’s a classic macaroni salad recipe with a breakdown of Weight Watchers points:
Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- 8 oz elbow macaroni pasta (cooked according to package directions)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp vinegar (such as white or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots (optional)
- 1/2 cup peas (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped pickles (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, or chives) (optional)
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked macaroni, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in the chopped celery, onion, bell pepper, and any other desired vegetables (carrots, peas, pickles).
- Fold in the chopped herbs, if using.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Macaroni salad is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a side dish, main course, or appetizer. It is often served at picnics, potlucks, and barbecues. There are many variations of macaroni salad, so you can easily customize it to your liking.
Weight Watchers Points Calculation
Weight Watchers points can vary depending on the specific program and its updates. For the sake of this calculation, I’ll use the standard SmartPoints formula:
- Elbow macaroni pasta: 8 oz cooked = 8 SmartPoints
- Mayonnaise: 1 cup = 32 SmartPoints
- Vinegar: 2 tbsp = 0 SmartPoints
- Sugar: 1 tbsp = 3 SmartPoints
- Salt: 0 SmartPoints
- Pepper: 0 SmartPoints
- Chopped celery: 1 cup = 0 SmartPoints
- Chopped onion: 1/2 cup = 0 SmartPoints
- Chopped bell pepper: 1/2 cup = 0 SmartPoints
- Chopped carrots: 1/2 cup = 0 SmartPoints
- Peas: 1/2 cup = 2 SmartPoints
- Chopped pickles: 1/4 cup = 0 SmartPoints
- Chopped fresh herbs: 2 tbsp = 0 SmartPoints
Total SmartPoints for the entire recipe: 45 SmartPoints
Serving Size: If the entire salad serves 8 people, then each serving would be approximately 5.6 SmartPoints (rounding to 6 SmartPoints per serving).