Did you read our coaching tip last week about whether a burger can be healthier than a salad?

Big flavor loaded salads are absolutely one of the best things you can eat.  And the right dressing can elevate a great salad to another level!

Now, we have made it even easier for you to find the perfect dressing for your salad!

All you have to do is type “salad dressings” or just “dressings” in the recipe search bar and you will find a recipe that contains links to 52 amazing dressings that are loaded with flavor!  This will help direct you to a specific homemade salad dressing you may be searching for, and help you and your family learn to CRAVE and LOVE salads every single day.

While there are over 200 different salad dressings on the website, we realize they are attached to the salad recipes they belong to.  Up to this point, we have only had a coaching tip with our favorites, and we have not created separate recipes for the dressings themselves.  By adding this “Salad Dressings” recipe to the website, you now have a one-stop shop to a variety of flavor loaded dressings!  This works on your mobile devices as well.

If you are thinking, “I don’t have time to make my own dressings,” they are so much easier than you think.  Plus, they are more fresh, flavorful and nutritious than the bottled versions at the store.  And they are cheaper!

An Eat REAL America member shared with us that she used to only eat salads prepared by other people.  You know the ones, either served at a restaurant or pre-made in the store.  Now, she makes her own salads and eats them EVERY DAY!  She also swore that she was never going to be the kind of person that made her own salad dressing, and now says, “look what Zonya and Krista have done to me…I am now making homemade dressings and loving it!”

Don’t fear the fat!

A perception exists among some that a “fat-free” or “low-fat” dressing is a healthier option.  However, these “lightened-up” dressings are often loaded with more sugar, sodium or other additives to replace the fats that have been removed.

Just as important, or maybe even more important, these dressings don’t allow you to absorb all the beneficial nutrients waiting for you in your big bowl of veggies!

Studies have shown that a healthy fat on your salad increases the bioavailability, or how much of a nutrient you can absorb from your food.

This means that healthy fats significantly increase how well your body absorbs vitamins and powerful antioxidants found in the rainbow of ingredients included in your salad.  And these antioxidants are key to reducing the risk of the dreaded chronic diseases that we all want to avoid.

When it comes to the best fats for your salad, monounsaturated fats are the best.

Foods high in monounsaturated fats include olive oil, avocados, nuts (especially almonds and pecans) and seeds (such as pumpkin and sesame seeds).

While those “light” dressings may be lower in calories, they typically don’t provide the taste and nutrition your body deserves.

How much?

You will see advice to use 1 to 2 Tbsp of dressing on your salad.  However, we encourage you to take the advice of Dr. Joel Fuhrman from a podcast we recently listened to.

We are paraphrasing, but he basically said, “Don’t obsess about it.  Just make a dressing that tastes good and add a reasonable amount so you will enjoy it.”  The reality is if you make your own dressing and add an amount that helps you enjoy it, you will eat way less dressing than is served up with a typical salad in most restaurants.  And you will be enjoying a salad that tastes so good you forget you’re eating healthy!

A few more homemade dressing tips…

• Make more than you need and save the leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• For leftover dressings you are using from the fridge, pull them out about 10 minutes before serving.  The flavors are typically best at room temperature.
• If you have a healthy fat in your salad already, such as an avocado, feel free to select an oil free dressing to have the healthiest balance.
• If you have a good quality, aged balsamic vinegar, you can drizzle this on your salad and use it as a dressing all by itself.  The flavors are that good!  It will typically be thicker and have a deeper, smoother flavor than “every day” balsamic vinegar.  Our favorite aged balsamic vinegars are Napa Valley Naturals Grand Reserve Balsamic (25 Stars) and Fustini’s 18-Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar (Zonya’s favorite!)

Give it a try and see what you think!

You will be a homemade dressing master in no time!

Even with a variety of over 200 salad dressings, we are always on the lookout for new flavor creations, so if you have a favorite, please share with us!  Or, if we don’t already have a good substitute for your favorite dressing, and you want to break free from the bottle, please let us know and we will come up with one — we love a good challenge!