Salad Dressing

Okay, let’s talk about salad dressing.  Quite possibly one of the most “unhealthy” things that we eat while trying to do something good for our bodies.  Most of the salad dressings in the conventional grocery store are full of artificial ingredients, chemicals, GMO’s and food coloring (just to name a few).   I’m not sure it’s worth eating all the toxic stuff in order to avoid fat or calories.

Here is a very popular dressing that I’ve seen many people use, and I have chosen it myself previously.  It looks harmless from the front, but check out the ingredients.  The third ingredient is Soybean OR Canola oil (both refined, unhealthy, and guaranteed to be GMO).  The next ingredient, HFCS, definitely GMO.  Artificial Flavor (translation: synthetic mystery chemicals).  You can read more about EDTA and all it’s uses and side effects on WebMD.  I really don’t need to eat something in my supposedly-healthy salad dressing that could cause a litany of side effects over time.  I mean, it’s just a SALAD!  And finally, Food Coloring.  Why does salad dressing need Food Coloring?  A substance that is labeled in Europe for causing “hyperactivity and attention deficit problems in children” but in the US it’s in everything from salad dressing to fruit snacks to cereal bars.

Here’s a great salad dressing option from Tessemae’s that I LOVE!  They have several varieties including my latest favorite, Lemon Chesapeake!  The company has a wonderful story, the ingredients are awesome, and these dressings work great as a marinade or dip as well.  If you are like I used to be and you have a bottle of Canola Oil in your pantry, please read this quick article by the Food Renegade about fat.  You can do a ton more research yourself, but what she has written is aligned with my beliefs about fat based on what I’ve learned in the last two years.  Needless to say, the Canola oil is long gone from my cupboard.

And the label on that “light” Ranch Dressing…. I can’t even pronounce most of that stuff.  Why would I want it on a fresh salad???  Tons of GMO ingredients, plus MSG, Artificial Color, and don’t forget the EDTA.

READ LABELS!  That’s my best advice!  The shorter the ingredient list, the better the product (in most cases).  If you can’t pronounce something, it probably doesn’t need to be in your food.