| Eating salad without any oil is like eating cardboard | | | | 5. Make your own |
| - it is hard to swallow, tasteless and practically | | | | Even low-fat bottled salad dressings are loaded |
| inedible! Many diets recommend salads as a means | | | | with sugar and sodium. |
| to lose weight because they are low-calorie foods | | | | 6. Use yogurt instead of mayo |
| that make us feel full; however, pouring on fatty | | | | No need to deprive yourself from creamy |
| dressings defeats the purpose of keeping our | | | | dressings; substitute yogurt for mayonnaise. |
| waistlines in check. On top of picking your own | | | | 7. Splash on flavored vinegars |
| heart-healthy oil, homemade vinaigrette will save | | | | Apple cider, grape, balsamic and raspberry |
| you 50 calories, 299 mg of sodium and 5 grams | | | | vinegars add a nice twist to your salads. |
| of fat compared to an equal 2 tablespoon serving | | | | 8. Mix your salad with the dressing instead of |
| size of the store-bought kind. | | | | drizzling on top |
| Here are 10 suggestions to enjoying this healthful | | | | You will use less dressing and coat the salad |
| dish without compromising its benefits. | | | | better this way. |
| 1. Pick a healthy oil low in saturated fats | | | | 9. Add water |
| Olive and nut oils, such as almond, macadamia and | | | | If you like to dump a lot of dressing on your |
| hazelnut are rich in 'good' monounsaturated fats. | | | | salad, thin out the dressing by adding a tablespoon |
| 2. Reduce the amount of oil | | | | of water at a time until you get the consistency |
| Use a 2-to-1 ratio of fat to acid instead of | | | | you desire. |
| following the classic vinaigrette recipes of 3-to-1. | | | | 10. Use honey instead of sugar to add sweetness |
| 3. Experiment with different mustards | | | | Even though honey is higher in calories than sugar |
| Since you are reducing the oil, liven up the | | | | (one teaspoon of honey has 22 calories and one |
| dressing with gourmet mustards that come in a | | | | teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories), we end up |
| dizzying array of blends. | | | | using less honey since it is sweeter than table |
| 4. Add Herbs | | | | sugar. Honey is the preferred healthier choice |
| Garlic, shallots, minced onion, dill, mint and oregano | | | | because of its vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidant |
| will bump up the taste of any dressing. | | | | properties. |