The Truth on Salad Dressings
I think almost everyone I know assumes that if they are eating a salad they are making a healthy choice. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and the culprit for this is likely the salad dressing. Often store bought salad dressings contain many preservatives, unhealthy fats, and empty calories. Here are some things you should try to avoid when buying salad dressings.
Polyunsaturated Fats: These fats are often found in store bought dressings. They actually disable your body from properly absorbing many of the nutrients from your salad. In order to gain all the health benefits your salad has to offer, make sure to use a dressing containing only healthy fats, ex. Olive oil
Caramel Color: This is an ingredient found in many brown colored store bought salad dressings, for example balsamic. Carmel Color has been found to be toxic to the body, causing cancer. In California it has been placed on a list of toxic ingredients and they are working to get it banned. Make sure to watch out for caramel color in other foods as well: cheap maple syrup, processed breads, bakery goods, and basically anything processed that is that brown ‘caramel’ color.
Yeast Extract: This is an ingredient also found in salad dressings. One of the ingredients in yeast extract is MSG. However, MSG would not be listed in the ingredient list of the dressing, since it is within another ingredient, so the company is not obligated. MSG is used as a flavour enhancer, but it is also toxic. It can lead to excessive weight gain, diabetes, and high blood pressure. MSG is often found in Chinese foods, so make sure to watch for it!
Here is an easy, healthy salad dressing you can make at home.
Tahini Salad Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped parsley
½ tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup filtered water
½ cup tahini
-Process garlic, parsley, sea salt, and lemon in blender until smooth
-Then add filtered water, and tahini, until desired texture is reached.
To learn more about our Marvellous Monday blogger Aly Shoom visit her personal blog