Salad dressing: Boost your diet with lots of flavor

Salads are part of the diet of most people, especially those who care about following a balanced diet. They are tasty, can be made with numerous ingredients and are also very healthy!

Carla Cotta, functional nutritionist at Clínica Essendi, in Rio de Janeiro, comments that it is very important to consume salads as they provide an excellent supply of phytochemicals and bioactive compounds, as well as vitamins and minerals, which are important and fundamental in the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases. . “Salads provide above all vitality and cellular nutrition,” she says.

What many people say, however, is that a good salad should be accompanied by a good dressing. And this is where the “problem” often resides: what are the most suitable sauces to accompany a salad? Are there yummy and healthy sauces? These are common questions on the subject.

Below, nutritionist Carla cites some suggestions for healthy sauces that go very well with a salad and advises on the types of sauces that should be avoided.

8 healthy salad dressings to try

Check out some sauce ideas you can make at home, giving your salad a new flavor without neglecting your health!

1. Herb and cottage sauce

Check out the recipe from nutritionist Carla below:

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cottage cheese, tofu cottage cheese or tofu cream
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh leek
• Pink salt or gersal (sesame + salt) to taste

Preparation: Mash the cottage or tofu cottage with a fork and mix the other ingredients or pass in the mixer, as you prefer.

2. Pesto sauce with black pepper

Here’s how to prepare this recipe from the nutritionist:

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of basil (leaves only – already sanitized)
• Juice of half a lemon or 1 lemon
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (you can use less or more, depending on your taste)
• 5 walnuts or cashews
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation: Beat everything in the blender until it becomes a cream.

3. Passion fruit sauce

Check out a very different recipe suggestion below:

Ingredients

• Pulp of 1 passion fruit
• 100 ml of water
• juice of ½ lemon
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

Preparation: Blend all ingredients in a blender. Then strain (due to the passion fruit seeds). Pour the dressing over the salad leaves of your choice.

4. Apple sauce

A suggestion of sweet and sour apple sauce for you to try:

Ingredients

• 1/2 apple (large) without skin
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 carrot
• salt to taste

Preparation: Blend everything in a blender. Serve with the salad you prefer.

5. Mango sauce

Bet on fruits to spice up your salad. Here’s how to use the mango in the sauce:

Ingredients

Preparation: Peel the mangoes and cut all the pulp. Place the pulp in the blender along with the orange juice, vinegar, oil and salt. Beat well until it forms a cream. (If the sauce is still too thick, just add a little more orange juice, vinegar and olive oil).

6. Kiwi sauce

Another fruit salad dressing recipe option:

Ingredients

• 3 kiwis
• 1/2 cup (tea) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar
• salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste (optional)

Preparation: Peel the kiwis, discard the hard ends and blend in a blender with the olive oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper (which is optional) until obtaining a homogeneous sauce.

7. Vinaigrette sauce with red onion and cilantro or parsley

This is another tip from nutritionist Carla. To prepare the sauce, check out a recipe suggestion:

Ingredients

• 1 red onion cut into cubes
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley (or cilantro)
• olive oil to taste
• salt to taste
• vinegar to taste

Preparation: In a bowl place the onion, tomatoes and parsley. Then season with vinegar, salt and oil to taste.

8. Basil Flavored Olive Oil with Mustard Seed

This is another sauce suggestion to accompany salads according to nutritionist Carla.

Basil flavored oil can be found ready for sale in the market. Then just mix the amount of oil you want in a container with mustard seeds and add the dressing to the salad.

Use creativity when assembling your sauce!

Several types of healthy sauces can be created to spice up a salad, just get creative! “Vegetables are the main foods to use in healthy sauces, in addition to honey and yogurt. Other examples are: carrot sauce, beetroot sauce with olive oil and basil, honey sauce and yogurt sauces”, says Carla.

Just don’t overdo the salt…

When preparing a salad dressing it is very important not to overdo the amount of salt.

Carla explains that excess salt (NaCl) means increasing sodium consumption. “This excess sodium can favor fluid retention, increase blood volume, leading to cardiac overload – since the heart will need to pump more blood volume – and, with this, can generate high blood pressure, renal overload, among other health problems. “, it says.

Tips for replacing salt

Carla explains that pink Himalayan salt or Guérand salt can be used as a substitute for salt. “They are salts rich in several minerals and not just in sodium and chloride”, she says.

“You can also use herbal salt: with three parts of herbs and one part of unrefined coarse salt”, he explains.

“Using fresh herbs and fresh spices can also add flavor and reduce salt,” adds the nutritionist.

Sauces you should avoid

Carla highlights what types of sauces/products should be avoided as an accompaniment to salads:

• The ideal is to avoid ready-made seasonings, concentrated broths and others that contain monosodium glutamate and preservatives. “Fresh food should always be prioritized”, says the nutritionist.
• Vegetable creams and ketchup should be avoided, as they are industrialized and contain preservatives. “In addition, they often contain artificial flavor enhancers,” he says.
• Sour cream is also industrialized and contains preservatives. “And, for people who have lactose intolerance, it can cause gastric discomfort, gas and other problems”, highlights the nutritionist.
• Ready-made salad dressings should be avoided, “because they are industrialized and contain preservatives, artificial flavorings, sometimes hydrogenated fats and often artificial flavor enhancers, in addition to excess sodium and/or refined sugar”, highlights Carla.

Now you have good tips to create healthy sauces, making your salads even tastier! Remember not to overdo it with salt and, if possible, prefer pink Himalayan salt or Guérand salt. Avoid ready-made sauces as much as possible, as they have numerous ingredients that are harmful to health.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.