Healthy salads? What are some things to put on/in salads that will still be healthy?

[Karatequeen]

What are some things to put on/in salads that will still be healthy.

I eat spinach salad with dressing but I want to try some new ways to eat it.

[Anonymous]

Eat organic lettuce and salad. Make homemade dressing with VIRGIN COLD PRESSED olive oil, cream, yogurt, or vinegar as your main base. Then add other spices and herbs like garlic powder, dill, pepper, etc.

Why should you not use most store bought dressings?

Almost all store-bought salad dressings contain fairly large amounts of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Unless you're in a health food store, it's almost impossible to find a salad dressing that doesn't contain large amounts of HFCS.

Almost all store-bought salad dressings contain heavily refined soybean oil and/or refined canola oil... both of which are VERY unhealthy. Yes, that's correct, canola oil IS unhealthy, despite the marketing propaganda you've been fed claiming that it's healthy.

Due to the refining process of both soybean or canola oils, the polyunsaturated component of the oils is oxidized and makes these oils very inflammatory inside your body. In addition, soybean oil is WAY too high in omega-6 fatty acids which throws your omega-6 to omega-3 balance out of whack.

We know that olive oil is healthier, but when it comes to store-bought dressings... Even salad dressings that claim to be "made with olive oil" on the FRONT label are deceptive, because if you read the ingredients on the BACK label, they are almost ALWAYS made of mostly refined soybean oil or canola oil as the main oil, with only a very small amount of actual olive oil as a secondary oil.

So here's how to avoid all of these horrendously unhealthy store-bought salad dressings and make your own quick and easy SUPER-healthy dressing...

I learned this from a very good book on health and weight loss, click here to find out more: link

[martyfellow]

Chop up angoes or nectarines, and get some good vinegar to pour on it. Raisins or other fruirs go well as well. Walnuts or hickory nuts add some flavor, and a little feta cheese adds a lot of zest witout much fat.

[rachiee]

I love spinach salad with onions, tomatoes, a little bit of egg, and pine nuts (pine nuts can be expensive though). Also you can add bacon but bacon is one of the most unhealthiest things in my opinion. Grilled chicken, grilled fish, tuna, turkey are all good meats to use. Stay away from others (or cut down on use). Cheese and eggs are usually not the healthiest things to use but you can still use them as long as you use a small portion of it. Nuts (don't use too much nuts though) and fruits are good to add too as well as croutons (they have low fat ones that taste just as good).

[Darkfairie17]

Throw some grilled chicken or grilled steak on top, add some beans, tuna or salmon. Throw the salad in a wrap, and grill it on a panini grill. Throw on a tiny bit of feta or swiss cheese. You could also try adding a light dressing, like an italian. Just be careful with how much you put on, too much can make the salad fattening.

[bostongirl]

My favorite is using the spinach as a base, then add crushed walnuts, crumbles of goat cheese, and sliced pears. Then top it with a light vinegrette.

Another option is instead of using just bottled dressing, mix up some extra virgin olive oil with a little balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper. I love it!

[SkinnyG]

Nuts (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, peanuts) Fruit/Veggies (mango, orange, apples, cranberries, blueberries, rasberries, strawberries, carrots, celery) Tofu - cut it up in littlw squares and soak it in your dressing for about 15 minutes and throw it in the salad.

[kheserthorpe]

Dressing is the danger zone

If you like creamy type dressings, make your own using nonfat yogurt (not sweet) mixed with herbs. Try fresh dill, for example

[djvtech]

Creamy type dressing are not dangerous, it's the other ingredients in them, and low fat yogurt is not UNhealthier.

[djvtech]

I mean low fat yogurt IS UNhealthier*

[kheserthorpe]

What do you not like about yogurt? I use an organic one myself - not always low fat, but they do offer it. I'm in agreement with you that store bought dressings are crap.

[Deft_maiden]

Add some pomegranate. Soo yummy. Add apples or pears with it and some nuts and its devine!

Goes great with virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar

[Stacyzee]

Eliminate the dressing or get lite dressing (put vert little in your salad.), carrots, olives, nuts,(any vegetable you are crazy about.)

[WoIIie]

A light vinaigrette using red win vinegar and olive oil + herbs adds a nice taste to any salad.

[Anonymous]

It's all about the dressing.

[acl12]

raspberry/ strawberry/avacado

[Ugliness]

your teeth.