Now that the temperature is rising that means my oven will be getting very little play. Seriously, it’s just too hot ladies. So what does this mean? Bring on the salads beauties! Whether I am packing a salad in a jar for lunch or tossing things up in the evening for dinner, getting my daily five becomes easy and fun in the summer.
But here’s the twist, while a salad is the obvious healthy option for meals, things can quickly become “fast food” comparable (in regard to calories and fat) when it comes to your dressing selection. So this summer I suggest we kick up the flavor and not the calories with these five delicious and healthy salad dressings. Ready, set – let’s play dress up!
Ready For This Ranch Remix
I love Ranch dressing so much yall it’s truly silly. I dip my fries in it, drizzle it on burgers drink it (just kidding) – you name it, I’ve “ranch-ified” it. However this dreamy creamy favorite is loaded with tons of calories ladies. In fact, most restaurants add almost 1/3 cup of dressing to their salads. So if that dressing was ranch hun, then you can count on close to another 350 calories with that 10 calorie lettuce mix. Whoa! Well don’t trip diva, this light option is delish too.
1/3 cup light buttermilk
1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried chives
1 tsp salt
Toss all the above in a jar, shake it up and get ready to toss your salad next!
Hummus Dressing That Will Make You Hum Hun
While I’m pretty sure I’m from Africa, my taste buds are from Greece. I love a Greek salad any day anytime. But sometimes the olive oil based dressing that accompanies my favorite salad is just meh. So I’ve jazzed things up (sans the fat) with this creamy hummus based version.
1/2 cup hummus
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp spicy paprika (or regular paprika is fine too)
1/4 tsp of oregano
Whisk up all these ingredients and whip up your best Greek salad stat.
Have A Ball With This Balsamic Vinaigrette Boo
This easy yet slightly acidic dressing plays nicely with most salad creations, but the store bought versions of this light dressing is heavy in the sugar department sis. You probably already have all these ingredients so whip this dressing up for a salad topper that doesn’t top the calories chart.
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 tsp garlic powder
Combine all the above. Create a RAD salad. Celebrate your healthy choice.
Sweet Without The Cheat Strawberry Vinaigrette
When fruits and vegetables come together the end result can be one marvelous summer salad ladies. And what better way to sweeten the deal than with a fruit infused vinaigrette. Great as a dressing and excellent as a glaze – skip the sugar infused version of this vinaigrette and serve up your own succulent homemade version instead.
2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
4 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 pinch salt
Blend all the above in your food processor and start to process how amazing your next salad’s about to be.
Girl This Ginger Dressing Is Glorious
Give your immune system and your next salad a boost with this super tasty ginger dressing. This Asian inspired salad topper pairs well with just about any leafy green and also makes for a great steamed veggie flavor booster too. I drizzled some over broccoli the other night and my dinner guest almost got down on one knee. Welp, now isn’t that lovely.
1 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger root
3 tsp sesame oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 tsp onion powder
Blend this baby up in your blender and get ready to enjoy a better salad. Boom.
Robbie Ann Darby (RAD Experience) is a professional FitGirl, Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer in NYC. Follow her sweaty life on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more fun health and fitness tips!
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