My daughter Karen is a salad fanatic. She loves her veggies and packs one for lunch nearly every day. We keep the crisper drawer stocked with a rainbow assortment of high-scoring veggies and fruits, which keep her salads from getting boring.
Spinach, jicama, carrots, berries, kale, broccoli, and pea pods are in our fridge today. What you won’t usually find on Karen’s salad…store-bought salad dressing. She’s not a big fan of the stuff and prefers to make her own. Lest you think my girl is one of those hoity-toity “I-only-make-my-own-salad-dressing” types, let me tell you her special recipe is nothing more than a simple vinaigrette that she shakes up in a small canning jar. It’s not fancy.
Bottled salad dressings you buy at the store range in NuVal scores from 1 to 84—with the average score a 12. I have to say I searched but didn’t find any close to the 84 score. The scores I saw were much, much lower. In most cases, these dressings are packed with sodium and lots of extra “stuff” that I can’t pronounce.
Here’s a list of ingredients from a bottled olive oil vinaigrette: Maltodextrin, Buttermilk, Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Lactic Acid, Calcium Lactate, Citric Acid, Spices, Artificial Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Soybean Oil, Calcium Stearate, Carboxymethylcellulose, Guar Gum.
Let’s compare that with this list of ingredients from Karen’s Olive Oil Vinaigrette:
- Olive oil (NuVal 18)
![Olive Oil Vinaigrette]( "Olive Oil Vinaigrette")
- Balsamic vinegar (Not scored)
- Garlic powder (Not scored)
- Black pepper (Not scored)
- Fresh herbs – chopped (NuVal 100) or Dried herbs (Not scored)
Hmmm…see a difference? I’d much rather know what’s in my dressing than to guess what Carboxymethylcellulose actually is.
To make Karen’s homemade garlicky vinaigrette: Put a splash of the oil and a splash of the vinegar in a little mason jar along with a pinch of garlic powder, black pepper and herbs (Italian seasoning blend works well). Screw on the lid tightly—trust me, you don’t want to spray your kitchen with oil and vinegar! Then, shake shake shake. Voila! You have homemade dressing in less than a minute.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, below are two more homemade salad dressing recipes—with ingredients you can pronounce—for you to try. Just place all ingredients in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake, shake, shake!
Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette
(Makes a larger amount and can be stored in refrigerator for up to 4 days)
- 2 cloves garlic (NuVal 100)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (Not scored)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil (NuVal 18)
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano (Not scored)
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme (Not scored)
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard (NuVal 2)
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper (Not scored)
Sweet Raspberry Vinaigrette
(Also makes a larger amount but needs to be used within 2 days. Store in refrigerator.)
- 1 small shallot—minced (NuVal 100)
- 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard (NuVa 2)
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (Not scored)
- 1/2 pint fresh or 3/4 cup frozen raspberries (NuVal 100)
- 1/2 tsp. orange zest—optional (Zest itself not scored, although oranges do score a NuVal 100)
- 1/4 tsp. Stevia (Not scored) or 1 tsp sugar* (NuVal 1)
You can see by the ingredient lists that some of the ingredients in these homemade salad dressing recipes either have low scores or are not scored at all. NuVal has not scored spices, dried herbs, or vinegars. I can tell you these homemade dressings are full of flavor and you don’t need to use a lot to add wow-factor to your salads. Plus, you can pronounce all of the ingredients.
Enjoy a salad this week!
Healthy regards,
Kelly
P.S. To learn more about sugar and sugar substitutes, please read this blog by CCH Pediatric Registered Dietitian Katie Krebs.