Making a healthy dressing: this is how you do it!

Eating a salad for lunch â € “you could hardly make it any healthier, you might think. If you throw together a lot of vegetables, nuts and other responsible ingredients, it can hardly go wrong, can it? Unfortunately, anyway.

Many people make a mistake when making a salad by throwing a ready-made dressing from the supermarket over it - and do it in one go destroy all their good work. We will tell you exactly how that works, and what a healthy dressing is, in today's blog post!
Many people make a mistake when making a salad by throwing a ready-to-eat dressing from the supermarket over it â € “and do it in one go destroy all their good work. We will tell you exactly how that works, and what a healthy dressing is, in today's blog post!

Is salad healthy?

To start with: yes, salads are an incredibly healthy choice for lunch, for example. They provide a lot of good nutrients when you fill them up properly. That means you get all your vitamins and minerals and you feel nice and full for a few hours.
To start with: yes, salads are an incredibly healthy choice for lunch, for example. They provide a lot of good nutrients when you fill them up properly. That means you get all your vitamins and minerals in and you feel nice and full for a few hours.

Of course it is important that you do not mix any further â € badâ € ™ ingredients into the salad. For example, fatty croutons made from white bread, processed meats, and overly salty cheeses are not the best choice. And then of course there is the dressing, which turns out to be the biggest pitfall for many people! This applies in particular to ready-to-eat dressings, in bottles or in portions with meal salads.

What makes those salad dressings so unhealthy? Yogurt sauce, honey mustard dressing, and other flavors and varieties that you find in the supermarket almost always have all kinds of junk added. For a start, they are full of unnecessary sugars, because they make the sauce longer and give it more flavor. In addition, they are packed with trans fats, unhealthy artificially cured fatty acids.
What makes those salad dressings so unhealthy? Yogurt sauce, honey mustard dressing, and other flavors and varieties that you find in the supermarket almost always have all kinds of junk added. To begin with, they are full of unnecessary sugars, because they make the sauce longer and give it more flavor. In addition, they are packed with trans fats, unhealthy artificially cured fatty acids.

Also on other chemical aromas, colors and flavors are not cut back. Putting these kinds of dressings on your salad is like throwing a drizzle of sugar syrup over it. Not the way to become slimmer and healthier, so.

Fortunately, it is not difficult at all to get a healthy dressing: you just make it yourself. And no, that really doesn't mean you're stuck with the same boring vinaigrette every day! There is much more to do with salad dressings.

Olive oil can form a base, but you can also use yogurt, avocado or any other oil. You can then add, for example, balsamic vinegar, mustard, nut butter or other seasonings. Fresh herbs and fruit juice can also give your salad a solid boost. This way, a whole new dressing can be made every day. That is a lot better than that same boring yogurt sauce from the supermarket every day!
Olive oil can form a base, but you can also use yogurt, avocado or another oil. You can then add, for example, balsamic vinegar, mustard, nut butter or other seasonings. Fresh herbs and fruit juice can also give your salad a solid boost. This way, a whole new dressing can be made every day. That is a lot better than that same boring yogurt sauce from the supermarket every day!

Not immediately inspired? Below we give you a few good basic recipes that work great with many salads. Once you've mastered that, you can put together your own healthy dressing!

The basis of a yoghurt dressing consists of 100 ml yoghurt, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice. You can then season that base with herbs and other seasonings. An Italian spice mix, a crushed clove of garlic, finely chopped dill, a spoonful of honey… The possibilities are endless!
The basis of a yogurt dressing consists of 100 ml yogurt, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice. You can then season that base with herbs and other seasonings. An Italian spice mix, a crushed clove of garlic, finely chopped dill, a spoonful of honey… The possibilities are endless!

You can make a classic vinaigrette with 100 ml olive oil, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 0.5 tbsp lemon juice and 0.5 tbsp mustard. You can of course vary according to taste with the proportions of the ingredients. You can also opt for extra orange juice for an extra fruity taste. Or take a special kind of vinegar and give the vinaigrette an exciting effect.
A classic vinaigrette is made with 100 ml olive oil, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 0.5 tbsp lemon juice and 0.5 tbsp mustard. You can of course vary according to taste with the proportions of the ingredients. You can also opt for extra orange juice for an extra fruity taste. Or take a special kind of vinegar and give the vinaigrette an exciting effect.

Honey mustard dressing is a milder version of the vinaigrette. Mix 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp mustard and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Season with fresh chives, salt and pepper. If you want a creamier version, add a spoonful of mayonnaise. Then go for a good quality mayonnaise, with little added sugars and unhealthy fats!

An Asian dressing is perfect to give your salad a more exotic touch. Mix 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce. Add a pinch of wasabi if you like it spicy! Ginger syrup or lime juice can also be great additions for some variation.

For a creamy avocado dressing, mix half an avocado with 30 ml white wine vinegar, 90 ml olive oil and a few spoons of lemon juice. If you like spicy, you can add a few drops of Tabasco. If you want your salad to be a bit fresher, replace some of the olive oil and vinegar with yogurt.