Dressing for Success

Salads. Love them or hate them, they are an easy way to add greens into your day. They can also make almost any dish feel more like a complete meal and they can help you slow down to enjoy your food. I often suggest clients add a salad to a casserole to help bulk up their plate and increase fiber. Personally I love them. But I did fall out of love for a while. Before I learned what ideal portions and a balanced diet looks like for me, I ate salads All.The.Time. I tried to eat big salads with some protein and very little carbs. I also ate allllll the avocado, nuts, seeds, cheese and dressing in sight. I had no idea just how calorie dense those salads were. I was aware that I should probably stay away from Caesar salads but I figured if I wasn’t eating carbs, it wouldn't really matter. It did. Turns out, I function a lot better when I have carbohydrates in my life. I still love healthy fats! But now I know how to properly portion them. Here’s a challenge, take 3 minutes next time you are in the grocery store and compare the calorie and fat content on bottled dressings. You might be surprised to learn that some of your favourite dressings have more than 200 calories and 20 grams of fat or more per serving... oh ya, they can also have artificial flavours, added sugars, preservatives and sodium. Annnd most people use way more than the standard serving. Unfortunately this means if I eat at restaurant now I almost always order my dressing on the side and put a controlled amount on my greens. Ugh, lame… I know. But it has worked for me and I can still enjoy the different dressings restaurants have to offer. When at home I enjoy a good tossed salad (I’ll give you minute to think of a dirty comment now… wink!). So that means I usually take 3 minutes and make my own dressings. I do have a few dressings that are store bought and I enjoy from time to time. However, there is still a long ingredient list and you probably already know that nutritionally you’re always better off making your own. In the process, I’ve learned that I actually do not love a lot of oil in my dressing. Personally I prefer the ratio to be more vinegar and less oil. When you start making things yourself you can be more picky and really develop an awareness of your personal taste! Here’s a quick dressing I whipped up tonight and everyone enjoyed! I hope you like it too. White Wine Vinegar & Honey Dressing Ingredients 6 tbsp white wine vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard salt & pepper Directions Whisk all ingredients together. Adjust to taste and enjoy! Refrigerate in sealed container. Nutritional Information Per Serving (2 tbsp) Calories 48 Fat 3.8g Carbohydrates 3.4g Protein 0.1g *Nutritional information is based off a web-based nutrition application and results may vary depending on the brands and products used #saladdressing #whitewinedressing #winehoneydressing #healthydressing #healthyfats #healthysnacks #healthyfood #macros #nutrition #nutritioncoach #motivation #healthyeating