Last Updated on May 2, 2024

A lot of people order/opt for salads when trying to lose weight and improve their health and waistline.

You’d think a big bowl of veggies would be a healthy option however, a lot of people are unknowingly sabotaging their weight loss and wellness goals because of the salad dressings they use.

Store-bought salad dressings contain fats, salts, sugars, commercialized dairy, fake flavors, and artificial colors that rack up calories quickly and can cause a wide range of health problems.

Even ‘healthy’ organic and vegan dressings tend to be heavily processed.  Just because something is promoted as ‘healthy’ or ‘plant-based’ doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

 

5 Smart Reasons to Make Vegan Salad Dressings

 

STORE BOUGHT SALAD DRESSINGS ARE LOADED WITH GMO’s AND OTHER TOXINS

Eyeball any salad dressing label and oil will most likely be one of the top ingredients. Unfortunately, the bulk of oils used in inorganic salad dressings come from genetically engineered soy, corn, or canola, crops that have never been tested for their impact on human health.

These crops are grown using inflammatory and cancer-causing pesticides, which can wind up inside of food and eventually your body, too.  Non-vegan salad dressings contain commercialized dairy which is inflammatory and full of saturated fats and sugars.  Speaking of sugar…

 

No Way Jose Meme

 

STORE BOUGHT DRESSINGS HAVE HIDDEN SUGARS

A lot of store-bought dressings contain hidden sugars from high fructose corn syrup and other added sugars. Even organic brands can contain a lot of sugar, too.

These added sugars can make it a lot harder to lose fat, cause inflammation, and spike blood sugar levels, which can cause more food cravings later.  Even bottles boasting that they’re “low in sugar” often times contain sucralose or aspartame, which causing blood sugar spikes and cravings even though it’s ‘sugar-free’.

Non-vegan dressings contain dairy and dairy has lactose.  Lactose is milk sugar that increases sugar count over and over what’s ideal for fitness and health.

 

STORE BOUGHT SALAD DRESSINGS CONTAIN HIDDEN CHEMICALS

Hidden chemicals are rampant in salad dressing ingredients and packaging. Titanium dioxide, is frequently used in salad dressings as a preservative to make ingredients stay and taste ‘fresh’ longer and to enhance colors.  (This is particularly true in non-vegan salad dressings.  How else can they make dairy shelf-stable and not require refrigeration?  That’s right, chemicals!)

Titanium dioxide is a go-to substance in the paint industry to make colors brighter and is often time contaminated with lead, a known carcinogen.  Plus, dressings are bottled in plastic which typically contains cancer-causing BPA.

 

Emma Stone Ewww Meme

 

STORE BOUGHT SALAD DRESSINGS ARE FULL OF DANGEROUS ARTIFICIAL COLORS

Color enhancing chemicals are added to salad dressings to make them look pretty on the shelf.  Many salad dressing flavors like honey mustard, Caesar, or creamy balsamic rely on caramel coloring to give them their rich colors.

Hidden Valley Farmhouse Original’s Pomegranate Vinaigrette’s pretty red color isn’t from pomegranate but rather Red #40, an artificial food dye linked to ADHD in children.

Kraft’s Creamy Ranch has Yellow #5, a processed food dye that causes allergic reactions in certain people and could harbor cancer-causing substances like benzidine.

 

 

STORE BOUGHT DRESSINGS CAN CONTAIN DANGEROUS FATS

 

Trans fats are dangerous industrialized fats that extend a dressing’s shelf life and are straight-up poison for your body. Trans fats are required to be labeled, but there’s a loophole, and food manufacturers are capitalizing on it.

Products containing less than .5 grams of trans fat per serving aren’t required to disclose ‘trans fats’ on their label or packaging.  Always look at the ingredient list for trans fats, and steer clear of anything that contains “partially hydrogenated,” “shortening,” or “interesterified.”

These fats are unhealthy, inflammatory, and should be avoided.

Think fat free salad dressings are a better choice?  They’re not.  Important essential vitamins and minerals are fat-soluble, meaning you have to have fat to absorb them properly.  So pouring fat-free salad dressing on a salad negates eating the benefits of eating veggies.

 

A much easier solution?  Make your own salad dressing.

 

  • By making your own vegan salad dressing you’ll avoid toxic, inflammatory ingredients, chemicals, and sugars that can negatively affect your health and weight loss goals.
  • Vegan salad dressings are among the easiest-ever recipes you can make.  You don’t need to be a culinary goddess to make dressings at home… but you’ll look like one.
  • Salad dressings take less than 5 minutes to put together and require bare-minimum effort and clean up.  Woo!
  • They’re far less expensive than store-bought dressings. Cha-ching!
  • Fresh, homemade vegan salad dressings taste much better than store-bought dressings (especially with dairy and preservatives) that have been on the shelf for God-knows how long.

 

I always freestyle and use the use-what-you-got-that-sounds-good and hope-for-the-best mentality.  I’ve created some pretty amazing personalized salad dressings combining random ingredients together.

Ingredients like: Olive oils, vegan mayonnaise, tahini, herbs, spices, vinegar (balsamic, red wine, ACV, etc.), fresh-from-the-fruit juices like lemon, lime, grapefruit, oranges, and strawberries.

But I’ve refined a few vegan salad dressings are damn delicious if I do say so myself.

Here are 5 of my favorite (and most popular) Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes for you to try. I’ve made all of these for family gatherings, parties, and for clients, and everyone has loved them.

I think you and your family will love them, too.

These dressings will keep for up to a week in your fridge.

 

BALSAMIC VEGAN VINAIGRETTE

 

This balsamic vinaigrette is healthy, easy, and so good.  Enjoy this guilt-free on your favorite salads.  I love this on cobb salads the most.

 

Vegan Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

 

Healthy Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Course: Salad
Keyword: Salad Dressing
Author: Christina Carlyle

Ingredients

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. diced yellow onion or shallot
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender. 
  • Blend until smooth. 
  • Chill before serving.  

NOTES

This dressing will last up to a week in your fridge.
Tried this Recipe? I Wanna SeeSnap a photo, share it on Instagram and tag me with @christina_carlyle or tag #ChristinaCarlyle so we can connect

 

HEALTHY GINGER DRESSING RECIPE

 

This dressing is vegan, delicious and tastes just like the ginger dressing you get at Japanese steakhouses.  (The good kind… not the sugar, watered down kind.)

I like this dressing best on a spring mix or plain old iceberg lettuce. Keeping the salad veggies simples let the dressing’s flavors shine through.

 

Vegan Ginger Salad Dressing

 

Ginger Salad Dressing
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

HEALTHY GINGER DRESSING RECIPE

Author: Christina Carlyle

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons miso paste
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 tsp. tamari, gluten free soy sauce
  • 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1- inch long piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into slices
  • Coarse salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Put all ingredients in a blender.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Blend until you achieve a chunky yet smooth consistency. Boom, you’re done.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g
Tried this Recipe? I Wanna SeeSnap a photo, share it on Instagram and tag me with @christina_carlyle or tag #ChristinaCarlyle so we can connect

 

Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette Vegan Salad Dressing

 

CREAMY DIJON VEGAN VINAIGRETTE

 

This dressing is tangy and add a nice pop of flavor to your salads.  I like this dressing the most salads with fruit or with clean lean proteins like shrimp and beef.

Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

CREAMY DIJON VEGAN VINAIGRETTE

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Author: Christina Carlyle

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. chopped shallots, or finely chopped onion
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. fresh basil
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender. 
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Chill for 10 minutes before serving.  

NOTES

This recipe makes 2 servings… but you can easily scale it as needed.  If you make a bigger batch, it will last a week in your fridge.
Tried this Recipe? I Wanna SeeSnap a photo, share it on Instagram and tag me with @christina_carlyle or tag #ChristinaCarlyle so we can connect

 

Lemonette Vegan Salad Dressing

 

LEMONETTE VEGAN SALAD DRESSING

 

This dressing is sweet and salty and perfect on just about any salad you can think of.  I like this dressing most on mixed salad vegetables and with chicken.

Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Lemonette Vegan Salad Dressing Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Course: Salad
Servings: 4
Author: Christina Carlyle

Ingredients

  • ½ tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. poppy seeds, optional
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  
  • Whisk together.
  •  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  
  • Chill before serving.  

NOTES

Chill before serving.  This dressing will last up to 3 days in an air-tight container.
Tried this Recipe? I Wanna SeeSnap a photo, share it on Instagram and tag me with @christina_carlyle or tag #ChristinaCarlyle so we can connect

 

Vegan Green Goddess Salad Dressing

 

Vegan Green Goddess Dressing

 

This green goddess is finger lickin’ good!  It’s great on salads but also as a dip for veggie sticks and a spread on wraps.  I also love to stuff mushroom caps with it.  I think you’re going to love it as much as I do.

Green Goddess Salad Dressing - Christina Carlyle
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

GREEN GODDESS SALAD DRESSING

Author: Christina Carlyle

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Vegenaise
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup spinach leaves, washed and dried
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons of tarragon leaves, finely minced
  • ½ cup fresh parsley
  • 1 clove minced fresh garlic
  • 1 and ½ tbsp. of sherry or red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. lemon juice

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients in blender.
  • Blend until smooth. Enjoy!  

NOTES

Blend until smooth. Enjoy!  This dressing will last about a week in your fridge.
Tried this Recipe? I Wanna SeeSnap a photo, share it on Instagram and tag me with @christina_carlyle or tag #ChristinaCarlyle so we can connect

 

After you’re done trying these vegan salad dressings leave me a comment and let me know which one was your favorite.

Your Coach and Biggest Cheerleader

xxoo

 

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