Restaurant salad dressings can be made healthier. (McClatchy-Tribune)
The dressings are the draw for many restaurant salads, but those sweet and tangy mixtures can toss lots of extra calories and fat grams into your bowl. I took some of my favorite dressings home and tried to make them healthier with the help of chef Todd Wilbur's secret recipes.

First up is Chili's honey mustard dressing, which contains 260 calories and 28 grams of fat in each typical 4-tablespoon serving, according to Chili's Web site. I lightened it up with light mayonnaise, Splenda and honey.. My changes cut calories by 38 percent and slash the fat by 61 percent.

Olive Garden's Italian dressing is another one of my favorites, but it has 160 calories and 16 fat grams in each 4-tablespoon serving. To slim it down, I cut the amount of corn syrup, oil and grated cheese while adding a little extra vinegar. The trick to thickening Olive Garden's dressing is dry pectin. My alterations reduce the fat by 29 percent and trim the calories by 11 percent.

Outback's Tangy Tomato Dressing has 148 calories and 7.2 fat grams per serving, but I shave off 28 percent of the dressing's calories by using Splenda.

KATHY'S ITALIAN DRESSING cup plus 2 tablespoons white vinegar cup water cup canola oil

2 tablespoons corn syrup

2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

2 tablespoons dry pectin

2 tablespoons egg substitute

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice teaspoon minced garlic teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Pinch of dried oregano

Pinch of crushed red pepper

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Combine all of the ingredients with a mixer on medium speed or in a blender on low speed for 30 seconds. Chill at least one hour before serving. Makes about 1 cups dressing.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 71 calories, 5.7 fat grams, 5 carb grams, 300mg sodium, 0.7 protein grams, trace cholesterol, trace fiber. KATHY'S HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING cup light mayonnaise

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon Splenda

Pinch of paprika

Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Makes 1 cup.

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 80 calories, 4 carb grams, 147mg sodium, 5.5 fat grams.

LIGHTER TANGY TOMATO DRESSING cup plus 1 tablespoon ketchup cup water cup white vinegar cup Splenda

2 tablespoons olive oil teaspoons paprika teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper teaspoon garlic powder teaspoon cayenne pepper teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of dried thyme

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking often, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for five minutes. Cover the dressing until cool, then put it in the refrigerator to chill. Makes 1 cup.

Per two-tablespoon serving: 53 calories, 7 carb grams, 200mg sodium, 3.6 fat grams