Salad Dressing | Julie Daniluk's healthy dos and the don'ts

Salad without salad dressing is almost unthinkable. Often, your healthy bowl of greens is not well served by commercial dressings, filled with unhealthy ingredients such as white sugar, white vinegar, poor quality refined oils, GMOs and loads of preservatives and flavour enhancers.

Oils used in salad dressings are extremely sensitive to light, heat, oxygen and free radicals and can become damaged during the refinement process. Damaged essential fats can wreak havoc in your body’s cells, so look for unrefined oils to ensure the greatest nutrition.

Skip lite olive oil (it has just as many calories as EVOO) and go for vibrant green oils, like organic olive oil and hemp oil (You will enjoy extra antioxidants like polyphenols and Vitamin E!).

Almost all commercial salad dressings have too many Omega-6 fats (soy, canola, sunflower, safflower, cotton seed, and corn) and not enough healing Omega-3 and Omega-9 fats (fish, olive, and avocado). If you're healing from an illness or inflammatory condition, take a higher amount of Omega-3s from fish oil.

Salad dressing ingredients to AVOID

• Polysorbate 60

Short for polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate, this emulsifier is widely used in the food industry. A preservative made from corn, palm oil and petroleum, polysorbate 60 is being watched closely because of health concerns.

• MonoSodium Glutimate (MSG)

MSG is a favourite among food manufacturers because it brings out the flavour of many foods. The downside of MSG is that it can cause various and severe allergic reactions, including headaches, nausea and burning sensations at the back of the neck and forearms. Beware of MSG disguised in food products under different names. For example, hydrolyzed vegetable protein is a source of MSG, among many others.

• Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Many commercial salad dressings contain GMOs – an amalgamation of GMO canola, soy and corn oil can all make an appearance in just one bottle! If you are purchasing a prepared salad dressing, ensure all of the ingredients are organic.

Salad dressing oils to INCLUDE

Fish oil

Fish oil has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect that can reduce joint tenderness, pain and stiffness. Not only is fish oil a good pain reliever, it also supports a positive mood! In countries where fish makes up a large part of the diet, national rates of depression are lower. Don’t be scared of the taste — when you use a high-quality, lemon-flavoured fish oil, it easily blends into a Caesar Salad with delicious garlic and anchovies!

Organic olive oil

Olive oil is a fantastic anti-inflammatory tool. It has been shown to reduce colon and breast cancer, lower “bad” blood cholesterol (LDL), reduce the risk of gallstones and offer protection from ulcers & gastrointestinal discomfort.