It’s close to summer time which is the perfect season to enjoy salads. Salads are a wonderful addition to a healthy diet with lots of dark leafy greens and fresh chopped vegetables. But drowning them in regular dressings can easily eliminate all those positive benefits. Many are loaded with oil , cream and fat. And even the low-fat versions have a nasty after-taste and a lot of unhealthy additives. Many nutrition experts advise you to have at least 2 HUGE salads every day. It should be so big that someone might ask who will be sharing your ‘single-serving’ salad. Load it up with fresh chopped veggies (carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms celery, broccoli and cauliflower) then add a ½ cup of beans and another ½ cup of grains, like brown rice, quinoa or bulgur. I used to add a handful of raisins and nuts but I’m trying to reduce the consumption of those items due to high sugar and fat content respectively. And then enjoy a tasty topping of one of the salad dressings below. All these recipes can be adjusted to suit your individual taste. Adding fresh herbs would be an excellent option.
The first is my go-to dressing that I have virtually every day. I call it the 3-2-1 dressing because of the list of ingredients;
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3-2-1 dressing from Rip Esselstyn of www.engine2diet.com
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3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon organic maple syrup
Add 2-3 Tablespoons of water, mix well and voila! An easy tasty healthy dressing for 3-4 good sized salads.
Curried Dressing From www.lunchboxbunch.com
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp maple syrup (grade B) **add less if you don't like your sauce too sweet.
1 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp hot curry powder (or muchi curry)
2 tsp lemon juice
a few dashes cayenne for extra heat
Stir together until creamy.
Serve on: Hearty veggies like chopped carrots, shredded carrots, slaws, cabbage, onion, grains like rice, tofu cubes, beans and more.
Susan’s Lite Goddess Dressing from www.fatfreevegan.com
This is a much healthier version of the popular bottled Annie’s Goddess Dressing that is 90% fat.
Ingredients
6 ounces lite firm silken tofu (1/2 pkg. of Mori-Nu)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon tahini
2 green onions, white parts removed, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, packed
1 large clove garlic
Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. It makes enough for 10 servings.
Let me know if you have any other favorite healthy salad dressings. Enjoy!
