Dressing Up Your Healthy Salads
By Stephen R. Farris
The year 2020 has been on your list to begin a life changing transformation, so at the beginning of it you decided to put losing weight at the top of the list and started a keto diet. You've probably been doing good so far, or it was just a thought with no follow-through.
But let's stay positive and say that you've made it a quarter of the way through this year with some pretty good results. However, one of your favorite food choices on keto is eating a delicious green leafy salad.
Salads are a great way to reap in vitamins and minerals, and to keep carbs and sugars at the very minimum. Unfortunately, you may still be using your favorite salad dressing and that could turn that salad into something unhealthy.
Dressing Alternatives
Never fear, there are some alternatives you can use to still have your salad and a few dashes of dressing. The trick is keeping the fat content high and the carb levels to a bare minimum.
When using salad dressing purchase at the grocery store, some of the ingredients to look for should be the following:
- Olive Oil
- Avocado Oil
- Lemon or lime juice
- Herbs and spices
- Vinegar
Ingredients that should be avoided include:
- High fructose corn syrup
- Sucrose
- Evaporated cane juice
- Agave nectar
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Malt syrup
- Corn sweetener
There are many more ingredients that should be avoided, mainly because they are high in sugar. Just remember to always read the label to ensure the product includes ingredients that are helpful -- not harmful -- to your diet plan. Also, be careful of the word "light" that is often used in product labeling.
The best salad dressings are the ones you can make at home using ingredients you may already have. Chances are you have a jar of mayonnaise in the fridge. You can make a dressing by putting a couple of spoonfuls in a mixing bowl, adding a little Dijon mustard, avocado or olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and/or herbs, spices, and a dash of salt and pepper. Fix it however you want with some of the mentioned ingredients for a creamy high fat salad dressing with very few or no carbs.
Vinaigrettes are very easy to make by using a little olive oil and vinegar mixed together. Give it an Italian feel by replacing the vinegar with red wine vinegar, and adding a dash of Dijon mustard, olive oil and Italian herbs.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Cypress, Tex.