Believe it or not, salad dressing is one of the unhealthiest condiments lining the store shelves. Yes, you heard that right...Store-bought salad dressing is not healthy.
Despite it being portrayed as a “healthy option” to drench your greens in, it’s quite the opposite, as it is loaded with inflammatory ingredients that can trigger weight gain and other health issues.
Luckily, making salad dressing at home is a breeze and takes very little prep time. I've whipped up tons of healthy dressings for my clients over the years. Before I started at Raw Generation, I had a meal preparation service that I offered to my nutrition clients. So, trust me when I say I know a thing or two about making simple, tasty salad dressings.
Get Tasty, Nutritionist-Designed Recipes and Resources to Help You Lose Weight
The Salad Dressing Trap
Whether you are plant-based, vegan, or are just looking for healthier alternatives, most salad dressings sold in stores are a trap. And it doesn’t matter if the label reads “organic” or “low-fat”, I’ve never read the label of a store-bought salad dressing that actually had 100% clean ingredients.
Just take a look at this popular creamy dressing ingredient label:
“WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, BUTTERMILK*. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, DISTILLED VINEGAR, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, PHOSPHORIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, GARLIC*, ONION*, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, POLYSORBATE 60, SPICES, NATURAL FLAVORS, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL ALGINATE, MALTODEXTRIN (CORN), DISODIUM INOSINATE AND DISODIUM GUANYLATE, SOY LECITHIN, SORBIC ACID AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA”
That’s one scary ingredient list. These ‘healthy’ dressings typically contain MSG, refined added sugars like high-fructose corn syrup, and inflammatory oils such as soybean, canola, vegetable, and food dyes.
Some salad brands on the market contain more processed added sugars than a doughnut or a handful of cookies [1]. Refined added sugars have no nutritional value, so you’re essentially filling up on processed food that has no benefit to you whatsoever, leading to weight gain. These sugars enter your digestive tract and bloodstream rapidly, causing blood sugar spikes and dips.
Seed oils are another weight loss killer. These oils, like sugar, are heavily processed in a factory. They are bleached and finished with chemical solvents to be “shelf stable” for consumers. In reality, these oils sit on shelves for months and are rancid. They become more rancid when heated or processed in other goods, like salad dressings, dips, baked goods, etc.
Seed and vegetable oils contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which, when out of balance with omega-3 fatty acids, can cause inflammation and weight gain [2]. Seed oils practically dominate processed food. About 73% of American food is highly processed [3]. Most people are eating a standard American diet, which means there is a higher risk of an imbalance in fatty acids. So, the more processed foods you eat, the more likely your omega fatty acid levels can be imbalanced.
6 Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes
Having a simple and tasty dressing on hand makes eating healthy much easier, especially if you’re a busy parent or someone who works a lot.
When you prepare ahead of time, you are less likely to opt for options with poor ingredients. Stay on track with these easy-to-make recipes. Feel free to use these dressing recipes alternately as a dipping sauce to get in some extra raw or roasted veggies. You can also use them as a base for a fun brown rice pasta salad or to top a baked potato.
The following recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, and made from whole foods (no icky stuff here), making them a great addition to any healthy diet.
Now, let’s get into the fun stuff.
1. Fresh-Herb Oil-Free Dressing
(recipe adapted from Caroline Deisler)
This is a great nut-free and oil-free salad dressing option.
Ingredients
-
1 small zucchini
-
1 handful of celery
-
1/3 bunch of chives or dill (or mix both)
-
Juice of 1 lemon
-
1 Medjool date pitted or 1 TB of honey
-
2 TB raw pumpkin seeds
-
Dash Himalayan salt
-
Cracked black pepper
Directions
-
Put all ingredients in a highspeed blender and blend until smooth.
2. Honey Mustard Dressing
This dressing pairs well with a green salad topped with chicken.
Ingredients
-
1/4 cup Dijon mustard (check label for added sugars, seed oils, and other problematic ingredients beforehand).
-
1/4 cup honey
-
1/4 cup soaked cashews
-
3 TB water (add more or less depending on your desired consistency)
-
1 TB Extra virgin olive oil
-
1 tsp onion powder
-
Himalayan sea salt to taste
Directions
-
Blend all ingredients together with a whisk.
3. Vegan Caesar Dressing
* The perfect recipe for that classic Caesar salad craving, minus the junky ingredients.
Ingredients
-
1/4 cup of soaked cashews
-
juice of 1/2 a lemon
-
2 garlic cloves minced
-
1 TB of nutritional yeast
-
1 TB of capers
-
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
-
2 TB Extra virgin olive oil
-
Himalayan sea salt to taste
-
1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper
Directions
-
Put all ingredients in a highspeed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Green Goddess Dressing
*Feel free to adjust ingredients as needed. You can add chives or cilantro to this recipe if you’d like.
Ingredients
-
1/2 ripe avocado
-
1/2 cup green onion
-
1/2 cup of Italian parsley
-
handful of basil leaves
-
1 cup of baby spinach
-
2 garlic cloves
-
juice of 1/2 lemon
-
2 TB of Extra virgin olive oil
-
2 TB honey
-
Himalayan salt to taste
-
Black pepper to taste
-
1/4 cup of water to thin
Directions
-
Put all ingredients except water in a highspeed blender.
-
Add water slowly and blend until you reach the desired consistency.
5. Oil-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette
*This recipe can double as an Italian dressing recipe if you add dried oregano
Ingredients
-
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-
3 TB Dijon Mustard
-
1 TB honey
-
Himalayan salt to taste
-
Cracked black pepper to taste
-
1 TB dried parsley
-
1 TB water
Directions
-
Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until emulsified.
6. Asian Thai Peanut Dressing
*This dressing works great with some gluten-free noodles. Plus, you get that great zing of umami flavor without the MSG or soy sauce.
Ingredients
-
2 TB peanut butter (dry roasted peanuts with no added sugars or other ingredients)
-
1 TB tahini
-
1/4 cup coconut amino (add as needed for desired consistency)
-
1 tsp ginger powder
-
2 tsp garlic powder
-
1 tsp honey
-
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes or ground cayenne (optional)
-
Himalayan sea salt to taste
-
Furikake seasoning (optional)
Directions
-
Whisk all ingredients in a bowl.
-
Add in coconut aminos as needed. More coconut aminos will give a less thinner result.
Tips for Storage and More
Since your dressings are homemade and do not contain chemical preservatives, they will have a shorter shelf life.
To get the most out of your dressings, here are some tips for storage and other miscellaneous notes.
-
Creamy dressings will last up to 1 week in the fridge.
-
Oil-based dressings will last 2 weeks in the fridge.
-
Store your dressings in a glass jar with a tight lid.
-
The colder the dressings get, the thicker they get. Depending on the recipe, they may need to be thinned out with water, olive oil, or coconut aminos.
-
You can freeze these dressings for up to 6 months. Just keep in mind that the thickness may change.
-
There are no rules to these dressings. Use them in salads or as a base in a quinoa bowl. Use them for dipping. These dressings will always be a healthier option as opposed to pre-packaged products.
All That and a Bottle of Salad Dressing
The Stay Skinny Method™ really is all that (and a bottle of salad dressing).
Not only will you get salad dressing recipes like this, but you’ll also get expert advice. This system was designed by me, a holistic nutritionist and semi-retired chef, to help you lose weight without sacrificing the foods you love.
The Stay Skinny Method™ will teach you how to avoid those sneaky ingredients that often lead to weight gain and other issues. It’s not a quick fix, but the beginning of changing how you look at food. With over 30 tasty recipes, a healthy swap guide, an eating out guide, and weight loss advice that really works, this is your bridge to a healthier, happier, lighter you.
Eat Delicious Recipes and Lose Weight
Sources: