Ok, time to reset, detox and clean up your nutrition = add salad. Yes, What is the first food everyone thinks they should put in – salad! But you see, salad is amazing by itself, but there are a few things to focus on when choosing salads!
Variation is key
Change up the types of veggies that you eat. With all the “gut” research today, the one thing everyone comes back to is the diversity of the microbiome and its importance. How do we diversify for the gut? We eat at least 30 different types of plants per week! So vary that salad…from the lettuce leaves all the way to the toppings!
Dressing will destroy a salad
Yep, your dressing with a single pour can ruin your salad. Salad dressings for the most part are always loaded with sugars (some hidden and some not) and carbs disguised by names many of us don’t recognize. And don’t be fooled by no sugar added dressings…check the sugar alcohols. Sorry, but GF Hughes isn’t our friend. Not only does it add sucralose but one recent bottle had propylene glycol (yuck).
Also, the oils used in most manufactured dressings are industrial seed oils which have zero nutritional value for us. These oils include corn, canola, safflower, and rapeseed. So what oils do you want – ideally olive or avocado only! Sesame in its raw form is ok too!
So…I’ve searched high and low for high quality dressings and let me tell you…quality of ingredients and taste are hard to find. But…there are a few…
- Primal Kitchen*
- Whole 30*
- Braggs
*Check out Thrive Market to find these! So many flavors to choose from!
My best advice – make your own. This is my tried and true favorite!
Clean Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp EVOO Organic and Cold Pressed
- 2 Tbsp Vinegar of Choice My fave is Rice Wine
- 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard Choose organic with NO white wine added to the mustard. Regular mustard is fine too.
- 1/2 Lemon the juice of
- 1/2 tsp Kinders – The Italian Blend this is the tastiest one I have found
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt
Balsamic Vinaigrette – same as above but use Balsamic vinegar instead.
Looking for an Asian inspired dressing: 3 Tbsp EVOO, 2 Tbsp Rice White Vinegar, 2 Tsp Sesame Oil, 1 Tbsp Gluten Free Soy Sauce, chopped or ground garlic to taste
If it has to be Ranch – best option is from Primal Kitchen. It tastes the most like the Ranch you are used too!