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Craving a lighter take on a classic summer favorite? This Healthy Macaroni Salad is a homemade version that packs in more protein and less fat. Creamy, delicious, and full of the traditional flavors you love—all with a refreshing, low-calorie spin. It’s a win-win!
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This Healthy Macaroni Salad is the perfect side dish for summer gatherings, picnics, or cookouts, but light enough to enjoy all year long! It’s a healthier twist on the traditional deli-style version, which is often loaded with sugar and saturated fats—without compromising on taste.
What makes it lighter? The dressing! By using a high-protein base like Greek yogurt, a lighter mayo, and fresh ingredients like parsley, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and a touch of honey, we create a creamy, satisfying dressing that’s wholesome and refreshing on a hot summer day.
Looking for more healthy pasta salad recipes? Try this Low Calorie Pasta Salad, Tuna Pasta Salad, or Greek Pasta Salad next!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Lighter and Healthier: By swapping heavy ingredients for nutrient-dense alternatives like Greek yogurt and reducing the mayo, this dish provides a creamy, satisfying dressing with less saturated fat.
- More Protein: Thanks to the use of high-protein pasta and Greek yogurt, this salad has a much healthier nutritional profile, keeps you fuller longer, and gives you the best macaroni salad with egg without the extra fat.
- Easy Party Prep: This low calorie macaroni salad holds up well in the fridge and tastes even better the next day, making it an ideal make-ahead dish for parties, picnics, or even meal prep.
Low Calorie Macaroni Salad Ingredients
- Elbow Macaroni: The classic pasta shape that gives the salad its signature texture. I used chickpea pasta to boost protein and improve the overall nutritional value. You can also try alternatives like edamame, black bean, lentil pasta, or high-protein whole grain pasta (such as Barilla protein pasta).
- Veggies: Red peppers add sweetness and vibrant color, celery and red onion provide a crunchy, savory bite, while peas contribute a mild sweetness. Feel free to swap these veggies for others, such as snap peas, diced green bell peppers, or canned broad beans.
- Hard Boiled Eggs: Add extra protein and a creamy texture to the healthy pasta salad.
- Greek Yogurt: Enhances the dressing’s creaminess, reduces fat, and adds extra protein. I used plain, low-fat yogurt, but full-fat or nonfat yogurt works as well.
- Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness and richness, without relying on refined sugar. If you prefer, you can omit the honey or use a sugar-free substitute.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations and Dietary Modifications
- Make it Spicy: Add a dash of hot sauce, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños for a spicy kick to your macaroni salad recipe with eggs.
- Add Crunch: Toss in some toasted almonds, cashews, pistachios, or even crispy chickpeas to introduce a satisfying crunch.
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version, blend lactose-free cottage cheese or a high-protein dairy-free yogurt like Kite Hill for the creamy base. Opt for an dairy-free mayo to replace the regular mayo. For a vegan version, swap out the eggs for tofu or chickpeas for protein.
- Vegan: For a vegan version, follow the dairy-free instructions above, and swap the eggs for tofu or chickpeas for protein, and use a vegan mayonnaise. This keeps the dish plant-based and delicious!
How To Make a Healthy Macaroni Salad
Ready to whip up this low calorie macaroni salad? In just 3 easy steps, you'll have a creamy, protein-packed dish that's ready to party when you are! Grab your ingredients, dice your veggies and let's get started:
Step 1: Cook the Pasta. Boil the pasta as instructed by the package, drain, rinse and set it aside to cool.
Step 2: Make the Dressing. Combine the Greek yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper and vinegar in a bowl and mix well.
Step 3: Finish and Serve. Combine the cooked pasta, bell pepper, celery, red onion, peas, and hard boiled eggs in a large bowl. Add the dressing and dried parsley and toss to combine. Chill in the fridge and serve!
Serving Suggestions
Now that your high protein macaroni salad is tossed and ready to go, let's layout the perfect pairings. Here are a few fun and tasty ways to enjoy this delicious dish.
- Pair it with lean grilled meat sandwiches like a healthy fish sandwich, chicken sloppy joe's, or low carb turkey burgers for a light and satisfying meal.
- Serve it up BBQ-style with BBQ Chicken, healthy BBQ Wings, or low sugar BBQ Salmon for a fun, cookout kind of meal.
- Keep the meal lower in carbs by pairing it with this PF Changs lettuce wrap recipe, or lettuce wraps with ground beef for a fresh, crunchy alternative!
Expert Tips
- Dressing Consistency: For a creamier dressing, simply add a little more Greek yogurt. If you prefer a lighter dressing, add extra lemon juice or vinegar to thin it out to your desired consistency.
- Pasta Rinse: Always rinse the pasta under cold water before tossing it with the other ingredients. Rinsing removes excess starch, preventing clumpy, sticky pasta and ensuring it mixes evenly with the dressing.
- Storing: Store the healthier macaroni salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended, as it can result in soggy veggies and diluted flavors.
- Make Ahead: For best flavor, prepare this salad 8-12 hours ahead of time to allow the ingredients to meld. Just refrigerate in an airtight container, give it a good stir, and enjoy when you're ready!
Healthy Macaroni Salad Recipe FAQs
The traditional dish typically uses elbow macaroni. For this healthier version, I used chickpea pasta to boost the protein and improve the nutritional profile. You can also try edamame, black bean, lentil pasta, or high-protein whole grain pasta like Barilla protein pasta as great alternatives.
Not at all! The Greek yogurt provides a creamy texture without overpowering the flavor of the salad. It's the perfect base for a light, tangy dressing.
If your salad tastes bland, be sure to add salt to the pasta water when cooking the pasta. This helps season the pasta itself and enhances the overall flavor of the salad. If you've already cooked your pasta and it's still bland, you can add more of any of the flavor components in the salad to improve the flavor.
More Healthy Pasta Recipes
If you tried this higher protein macaroni salad recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Low Calorie Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz Chickpea Elbow Macaroni
- 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
- 1 cup Celery diced
- ½ cup Red Onion diced
- 4 Eggs hard-boiled and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup Peas frozen
- 1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
- 1 cup Low Fat Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup Light Mayo
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse the pasta and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper and vinegar.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, bell pepper, celery, red onion, peas and hard boiled eggs. Toss the dressing with the pasta and veggie mixture then add the dried parsley. Chill and serve!
Notes
- 1/8th of the recipe equals one serving or approximately a half cup. If you want the exact amount, measure the entire macaroni salad on a food scale in grams and divide by 8. This equals one serving. Then measure out on the food scale one serving.
- Dressing Consistency: Add more Greek yogurt for a creamier dressing or extra lemon juice/vinegar to thin it to your desired consistency.
- Pasta Rinse: Rinse the pasta under cold water before mixing it with the dressing to prevent clumping and ensure even coating.
- Make Ahead: Prepare this salad 8-12 hours ahead of time for the best flavor. The ingredients meld together perfectly when given time to chill.
Nutrition
Recipe was a good base but needed much more vinegar and seasonings. Probably just my preference. I appreciate it very much though! Adding more meatless protein meals is my goal. Thank you!