Make Friends With Salad​

By Kayla Stanistreet

10/24/2021

Spicy Peanut Dressing on Field Greens with Raw Vegetables.

Here are 3 very easy and healthy salad dressing recipes that I love:

Lemon Tahini Dressing

1 Lemon, juiced
3 tbsps Tahini
½ cup Olive oil
½ cup Rice vinegar
3 tbsps Local maple syrup
Salt & pepper to taste

This is my go-to salad dressing. I typically add it to a hearty mix of chopped kale and baby arugula topped with sultana raisins, sliced cucumber, avocado and quinoa (hot or cold, depending on my mood). I sprinkle it with a handful of hemp hearts which are packed with nutrients and look pretty.

Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

½ cup Balsamic vinegar
½ cup Olive oil
¼ cup Local maple syrup
Salt & pepper to taste

I love this dressing on kale, baby spinach and arugula topped with blueberries, green apple, pecans, sultana raisins and hemp hearts. It’s extra delicious with crumbled chèvre if you’re into that.

Spicy Peanut Dressing

3 tbsps Peanut butter
½ cup OIive or sesame oil
½ Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Raw honey

​1 Lime, juiced
1 clove Garlic
Fresh grated ginger, to taste
Chili powder and salt to taste

This delicious Thai-inspired salad dressing compliments fresh field greens with shredded carrots, cucumber, scallions, avocado and cilantro (for those of you who don’t think cilantro tastes like soap). Add chopped, raw peanuts for more flavour, texture and protein. If you don’t know this about me yet, I put hemp hearts on everything.

I typically mix all of the ingredients for a given salad dressing in a small mason jar (recipes yield approximately 500mL), shake well and keep it refrigerated for the week. This saves time when I’m making salad since the dressing is already pre-made. Your homemade dressing will usually last for about 7 days - not nearly as long as most store-bought dressings which don’t expire for months due to all of the preservatives. Fresh food that is good for your body isn’t meant to last that long. These fresh and flavourful homemade dressings will fuel your body and make you feel good. Enjoy!

Not all salads are created equally. In fact, not all salads are actually that healthy, contrary to popular belief. Of course eating raw vegetables and particularly leafy greens is good for your health by providing vitamins, minerals and fibre for a well-rounded diet. However, sometimes we negate the health benefits of eating salad with the dressing we add to it. Your salad is only as good as the dressing you put on it.

Many store-bought salad dressings contain high-fructose corn syrup, canola oil, high levels of sodium, as well as a whole myriad of additives & preservatives that aren’t made with your health in mind. These ingredients have been found to contribute to high blood pressure, inflammation and insulin resistance to name just a few reasons why they are problematic. Have a look at the label on your favourite salad dressings to see how they measure up.

There’s a simple solution to shitty salad dressing: make your own! It’s easier and more affordable than you might think and your body will thank you. It can make you feel at ease when you source your own fresh ingredients and know what you’re actually eating. Plus it’s delicious!

VIDEOS TO SUPPORT YOUR PRACTICE: