Take a look at almost anyone’s refrigerator door and you will likely find a bottle (or two or three) of their favorite salad dressing. Which one do you choose when you are at the grocery store? What makes you buy that one in particular? Maybe you adore the flavor… the zesty spice, the competing sweet and tang, the burst of herbs. Or, maybe you are buying a specific salad dressing because it is the “healthy” one. Maybe you have tried to convince yourself that if you choose the light vinaigrette, you are doing yourself a favor and eventually you will learn to like it.
Maybe the manufacturer has cleverly marketed the products to give the perception that after eating some fresh salad greens lightly tossed with this specific dressing, a slimmer waistline will naturally result. Good luck!
Regardless of whether you are choosing salad dressing for the flavor or the perceived health benefits, salad dressings, like any condiment, can be loaded with foreign and manufactured ingredients, sugar, salt and preservatives. Not all bottled dressings are unhealthy. But a closer glance at the nutrition label might have you reconsider which ones you use to dress your favorite salad veggies.
Go grab your salad dressing bottle and take a closer look. While the front of the bottle might appear eye catching, use clever lingo and claim to have healthy ingredients, the nutrition facts label is the real truth.
Notice ingredients that are added to “protect freshness” and add “color”. Preservatives “protect freshness” and lengthen shelf life. Many ingredients with this purpose are chemically derived or altered before adding to the product. In terms of color, thanks but no thanks. Call me a “Plain Jane,” but I am okay with the natural color of the ingredients.
Dressings, especially vinaigrettes, can be loaded with sodium- often 350mg or more in just 2 tablespoons! Watch out… if you use 2 servings (4 tablespoons), you are consuming almost 50% of your daily requirement for sodium, just from the dressing alone! This is especially concerning for anyone with hypertension, at risk for hypertension or needing to follow a low sodium diet.
Did you know that it is estimated that 75% of our sodium intake is from processed and fast foods? The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more than 2300mg sodium per day and the American Heart Association recommends even lower consumption of 1500mg per day.
An article in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) states that Americans consume an average of 3400mg sodium daily. They state research that demonstrates a reduction of 1200mg sodium daily (to average daily intake of 2200mg/day) would reduce the number of people with hypertension by nearly 11 million!!! Bye, bye hypertension drugs! Hello, real food!
Bottled salad dressings are not immoral or bad, they are simply manufactured products. Therefore, these require additional consideration as to whether we want to toss them into our grocery cart or more importantly, on our salads. If you want to have a salad dressing on hand, check out this article from Nutrition Action Healthletter, a division of the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Salads are a fantastic way to eat the vibrant colored produce hanging out in our frig and most of us like a little dressing to enhance the flavors- I know I do. But I also want to feel good about what I am putting on my salad. For me, being healthy is not just what I won’t eat (or eat less often), but what I choose to eat- choosing nourishing ingredients.
Years ago I began experimenting in the kitchen and have created my all-time favorite salad dressing recipe. This was my way of controlling the ingredients and nutrition of the salad dressing. It is tangy with a bit of sweet and oh, so good! In fact, I make it almost every week and I truly eat a lot of salads because I love it so much! I have experimented with several other versions but this one stays at the top of my list. Sure, I still use a bottled dressing here and there, but more often I make a dressing because it tastes better and is super quick shake up.
Making salad dressing might seem a bit intimidating at first but it is truly foolproof and if it doesn’t taste right, you can always tweak it. The best part is that it takes less than 5 minutes and only requires a few ingredients, not the long list like the bottled ones.
You don’t have to visit a fancy restaurant to get a top-notch dressed salad- you can do it at home. It doesn’t require any fancy equipment. A mason jar with a lid is the perfect shaker but you can also use a plastic container with a spill-proof lid. The traditional vinaigrette ratio is 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil. I found that I like a lot more tang than this provides and by reducing the oil, I am able to significantly reduce the calories. If you find that it is a bit too tangy for you, add in 1-2 tablespoons of water to the recipe.
Remember, a really good dressing is meant to enhance the flavor of the vegetables, not cover them up.
Below I listed my recipe for Sweet and Tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette. You can use this recipe as a foundation and then tweak it to reflect your taste preferences and enhance the salad ingredients you are using. Different vinegars can be used like Apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar and even flavored vinegars (like raspberry, blackberry or black cherry). Dried or fresh herbs can be included as well; begin by adding a little bit (1/4tsp), taste, and then adjust to your liking. To sample your dressing, use a small leaf of lettuce, otherwise, it might taste too strong.
Sweet and Tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS
½ cup balsamic vinegar (look for “aged” for best flavor)
3TB extra virgin olive oil
2 ½ TB dijon mustard (like Grey Poupon)
2-3 tsp honey
1TB minced shallot
salt/pepper (to taste)
DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a mason jar with lid and shake well. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What to do with leftover dressing?! Here are 3 yummy ideas:
- Use as a marinade for chicken or pork
- Toss a few tablespoons dressing on fresh vegetables and then roast in oven on 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes
- Add to cold salad of quinoa (or other whole grain), chick peas and fresh vegetables to liven it up!
Go dress up your salad and enjoy the flavors!
TRUTH: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. –Romans 12:2 (NIV)
REFERENCES
Frieden TR. Sodium Reduction—Saving Lives by Putting Choice Into Consumers’ Hands. JAMA. 2016;316(6):579-580. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.7992
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion- 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
American Heart Association- How Much Sodium Should I Eat Per Day