One of the simplest ways to elevate your health game is to make your own salad dressings. Homemade dressings don’t need to be complicated. In fact most are simple and only call for a few ingredients! The majority of supermarket options use highly processed and inflammatory oils as a base. These include vegetable, canola, safflower, sunflower, and soybean oils (to learn why these are harmful check out Part II of my series on fats). These oils are everywhere because they’re cheap, shelf-stable, and tasty. But, they negatively impact your health, and don’t have the many benefits of avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). By mixing your own dressings, you can easily change the flavor profile to compliment the other ingredients in your meal.
There’s another awesome added benefit of using a healthy oil based salad dressings. Many nutrients are fat-soluble, meaning your body can’t utilize them unless you’re also eating fat. These include vitamins A, K, D, and E as well as some phytochemicals such as carotenoids. If you’re using a low-fat or fat-free store-bought option, you’re missing out on the absorption of these amazing nutrients.
My Tips and Tricks
I’ll include some of my favorite recipes from food bloggers I follow below, but I want you to know that homemade salad dressings can be as simple as drizzling olive oil, squeezing some lemon juice, and adding a pinch of salt! I also love using thicker dip-like options on my salads. For example, if I have leftover pesto or hummus I use them on a bed of greens and add veggies. Another easy go-to of mine is mashed avocado with lime juice and a pinch of salt. When improvising I start with an oil base, add a citrus or a vinegar, and experiment from there! Fresh herbs are a great way to play with flavor profiles. It is a low-pressure and low-stakes way to create in the kitchen!
As promised, below are two of my favorite more detailed dressings recipes. And as always, if you just don’t have the time I recommend Primal Kitchen products as a healthy option!
Bon appetit!
Oh, I forgot to mention! When you’re using EVOO or avocado oil and storing the dressing in the fridge, it will solidify. That’s ok, and actually a sign of high quality oil! Just leave it on the counter a little bit before you want to use it, or run the container under warm water if you’re in a hurry.
