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Healthy Hints For Salads & Dressings

Source of Recipe

MORE LEAN AND LUSCIOUS Vol. 2 – Hinman & Snyder

HEALTHY HINTS FOR SALADS AND DRESSINGS

Hints for lowering the calories and fats in salads and salad dressings.

**Choose an oil that is low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturated fat, such as safflower oil, sunflower oil; corn oil; or soybean oi. Although the calories are the same as in saturated oils, polyunsaturated oils seem to lower blood cholesterol levels

**Recent studies show that olive oil, a monounsaturated oil, may also have a cholesterol-lowering effect. This flavorful oil is good in salad dressings that are used with vegetables. Its distinctive taste, however, does not blend as well with fruit salads.

**When a recipe calls for oil, try using half the amount and substituting water for the other half.

**Reduced-calorie mayonnaise is whipped with water and has half the amount of calories as regular mayonnaise. It works well in any salad dressing.

**Read the labels carefully on bottled dressings. Many are high in saturated fat, calories and sodium.

**Experiment with vinegar or lemon juice and different spices on a tossed salad. (Examples: lemon peel, oregano, basil, dill weed, pepper.)

**Dijon mustard adds a delicious spark to oil and vinegar dressings.

**When a recipe calls for sour cream, substitute plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt.

**Make mayonnaise-type salads, such as coleslaw, a day-ahead, using less mayonnaise than the recipe calls for. You’ll be amazed how much liquid is drawn out of the vegetables while they marinate overnight.

**If using canned fruit in a salad, always choose the variety packed in water or fruit juice.

**Mix low-fat or nonfat yogurt with unsweetened fruit juice concentrate for a flavorful dressing for fruit salad.