Why I stopped using salad dressing

Everyone on a health kick usually uses a salad as a go to meal or something that will fill them up while getting their vegetable fix in a tasty way. I am sure many people have heard that you can easily make a salad unhealthy by adding too many crouton, nuts, etc.. (even though I am definitely an advocate for adding nuts to your salad for some protein) But what about the dressing?

I used to be one of those people who would buy fat free or light dressing and think, "Oh it is light, it won't make any difference!" In reality, I was wrong and it made a BIG difference. Salad dressings in general are produced with many unnecessary ingredients and fats. Even worse, low fat or non fat salad dressings are actually packed with artificial ingredients that will increase your appetite and in turn result in the opposite of why you use it in the first place.

I will compare salad dressing to artificial sweeteners and other non fat products we see at the store that supposedly make your food "healthier" (with the exception of 0% dairy products) but that is for another post. If you are making a salad with the intention of eating healthy, just be careful not to ruin a good thing by adding all that excess dressing. Surprisingly, a burger or fries may potentially carry less fat or calories then some of the dressing being added which is absolutely crazy!

So what do you use instead of salad dressings?

The fun thing is you can make your own, and they will taste much better than most store bought brands.

Some of my favorites:

The Arabic dressing:
garlic, lemon, olive oil (good fat), salt, pepper, cumin, dried mint

My Miso dressing:

Miso paste, apple cider vinegar, garlic, soy sauce

The basic:

Lemon and Olive Oil

others: plain salsa, Frank's Red Hot (if you like spicy), Guacamole (got a great recipe!)



I am still in the process of whipping up more, sometimes I just mix a lot random ingredients until I feel like they taste great together. I am also saving money not forking out 4 or 5 dollars for a bottle of heavy dressing. If you like a creamier blend, you can always add plain Greek yogurt or mashed avocado for a thicker consistency and additional flavors. Good luck! I will try to remember to post more recipes.