Salad dressing…not the most glamorous topic to write about, but bear with me. I have a point to make here. 🙂
Since I’ve started doing much more meal prep, cooking at home, and generally becoming more interested in nutrition, I have become more aware of how the food industry markets “convenience” to sell their products. This is not a new phenomenon. The “tv dinner” became mainstream during the 1950’s and ’60’s and, since then, the popularity of frozen meals and packaged foods have continued to rise. I’d like to think that most of us are no dummies when it comes to these marketing ploys, and we are well aware of the basic nutritional elements to a balanced diet, but … “convenience”.
Convenience in a World of Busy
In today’s world, we are busier than ever. You may have felt a slow down during the pandemic or an increase, but generally our lives are much more complicated in terms of “busy” than those of previous generations. Many households today have two-parent incomes, and multiple children going from one activity to the next. Note: I’m not married and do not have children, so I’m really unqualified to step foot in this arena. But, I can imagine convenience is top of mind when trying to get food on the table, and rightly so. In the words of that viral meme -“Ain’t nobody got time for that”. 🙂
With that disclaimer, I think we should reevaluate what “convenience” really means when it comes to food preparation.
…And that’s where salad dressing comes in. 🙂
The Case for “Homemade”
A few years ago I had a light bulb moment – “Buy ingredients, not the end product.” I realized that some items we buy for the sake of “convenience”, can actually be made at home without much inconvenience at all. Things like spice mixtures (think taco seasoning) and SALAD DRESSING!
Like many other items found in the middle aisles of your local grocery store, there about 30 options of salad dressing to choose from. It’s all so tempting and… convenient. But, I know I have spent more time than I would like looking at different brands, comparing ingredients, determining “lite” versus “regular”, before just resorting to my “old faithful” and moving on down the aisle. While the options are endless and it seems convenient to have a ready-made bottle at your hand, these dressings may not be all they are cracked up to be.
Many packaged salad dressings contain unwanted additives, “bad” sugars, and highly processed oils, like canola and soybean, which are conduits for inflammation in the body. Whereas making your own dressing can do quite the opposite – like increasing your healthy fat intake and receiving the nutritional benefits of herbs and spices.
Pantry Staples
As I began to do more meal prep, I found that many of the recipes I followed included a homemade dressing – made with ingredients that I typically already had on hand. They were so simple to make!
If you have your pantry continually stocked with a variety of ingredients, a homemade salad dressing can be just as good, if not better, than its store-bought contender. Below are some of the items I keep on hand to make a dressing.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I like this brand.)
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard
- Dried and/or Fresh herbs like oregano, basil, dill or cilantro
- Salt and Pepper
- Onion Powder, Shallots, and/or Chives
- Garlic Powder and/or Minced Garlic Cloves
- High Quality-Raw Honey
- High Quality Pure Maple Syrup
- Lemons/Lemon Juice
- And if you want to be Extra….Tahini
- If you prefer creamier dressings likes Ranch, consider adding greek yogurt, sour cream, and/or buttermilk to your staple list.
In my opinion, you can’t really mess up a dressing with these ingredients. Start with Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Lemon Juice as your base, and play around with the other ingredients to get the flavor profile to your taste.
If you’re looking for ideas, here are a few dressings that I enjoy:
Store your dressings in an air tight container like a ball canning jar in the refrigerator, and use for up to 5-7 days (potentially less for the creamier dressings containing sour cream or buttermilk). You may find that the oil in your dressing solidifies in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature and it should de-solidify fairly quickly. If I’m impatient, I sometimes put it in the microwave for a few seconds, although don’t take my word on this – it may degrade the mixture.
You may be thinking, “Okay, why do I want to make homemade dressing when it doesn’t last but a week?” In my opinion, it’s just better all around – better for you and better tasting. And you’re not crowding your refrigerator with half opened bottles that are on the verge of expiring. You can also use these ingredients in a variety of other recipes, whereas your store-bought dressing will sit idle until it’s used on another salad, or perhaps a marinade, but it’s capabilities don’t go much further than its intended use. Back to my light-bulb moment – “Buy whole ingredients, not the end product.” – it will take you so much further in the kitchen.
[If you’re still not sold on homemade dressings or simply don’t have the time, Primal Kitchen, available in most groceries, has great options for a healthier dressing. This article also provides some tips on finding a good store-bought dressing.]
Something is Better Than Nothing
Trying to maintain the “perfect” diet and buying everything organic is simply unattainable for the standard American household, but that doesn’t mean we should disregard healthy living all together. Small changes over incremental periods of time are bound to give you big results. So, if you’re looking to make a change in your health regimen, start small with salad dressing and see where it takes you. 🙂
[…] use olive oil mainly when making salad dressings, dips, and hummus. I also use it occasionally in cooking, but it does have a lower smoke point. […]