Salads are pretty bland in their nature. But when it’s time to give them a boost, make sure you’re not transforming them into a fattening mess.
This Time Saver Is Costly
It might be easier to open a bottle of your favorite brand’s salad dressing than to make your own, but it comes with a price. Most dressings contain fattening ingredients, like:
Sugar and high Fructose Corn Syrup
Most reduced-fat dressings usually have more sugar than the “regular” dressings. Read the nutrition label to make sure that the sugary ingredients are not within the first 4 or 5 ingredients on the list.
Artificial Sweeteners
If your dressing is low in fat and calories, it might be sweetened with aspartame, acesulfame-K or sucralose. Those artificial sweeteners are generally even more fattening and unhealthy than sugar.
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil made from soybeans, corn or canola is inflammatory and can contain up to 4.6% trans fat that’s not on the label – even the organic kind. Doesn’t it sound delicious?
Healthy Salad Dressing
It’s possible to prepare a salad dressing that will support your fat loss goals – but always use oil in moderation and actually use a tablespoon to help you portion control. They pack a lot of calories, and going overboard is very easy. If you opt for store-bought salad dressing, look for these ingredients:
- Unrefined olive, sesame or coconut oil
- Vinegar (any kind)
- Herbs and spices
Homemade Caesar Dressing
You don't have to skip your favorite Caesar salad. Try this homemade version of the classic creamy dressing and try it with crispy pasture-raised bacon, lemon wedges and homemade croutons!
Ingredients :
- 2 raw eggs yolks (pasture-raised, if possible)
- 6-8 anchovy filets (minced)
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- 4 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. organic soy sauce (or Tamari)
- ½ tbsp. sea salt
- 5 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (with a little zest as well)
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions :
1. In a food processor or blender, blend all ingredients except the olive oil.
2. Open the top of the processor and slowly drip in olive oil as you would for making homemade mayo (this is a very slow process – about 5 minutes). Will stay fresh for two weeks minimum.
2. Open the top of the processor and slowly drip in olive oil as you would for making homemade mayo (this is a very slow process – about 5 minutes). Will stay fresh for two weeks minimum.
Homemade Italian Dressing
Ingredients :
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup red wine vinegar (or experiment with a combo of other
- vinegars or lemon juice)
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. onion powder or dried minced onion
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tbsp. pepper
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Instructions :
1. Combine ingredients in a jar.
2. Store tightly covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Shake well before pouring.
2. Store tightly covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Shake well before pouring.
