Creamy Balsamic Salad Dressing

Fat Free Salad Dressings are Fattening

If maintaining a healthy weight is something you strive for, it’s important to know where there are hidden pitfalls in the foods you may be consuming.

When I teach clients about label reading I always mention a quote from the book “You On A Diet” by Michael Roizen M.D and Mehmet Oz M.D. I find the information so helpful that I’ll include it here:

“Don’t eat foods that have any of the following listed as one of the first five ingredients:

  • Simple sugars
  • Enriched, bleached, or refined flour (this means it’s stripped of its nutrients)
  • HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup–a four-letter word).
  • Putting them into your body is like dunking your cell phone in a glass of water. It’ll cause your system to short out your hormones and send your body confusing messages about eating. Today’s yearly per capita consumption of sugar is 150 pounds, compared to 7.5 pounds consumed on average in the year 1700. That’s twenty times as much! When typical slightly overweight people eat sugar, they on average store 5 % as ready energy to use later, metabolize 60% and store a whopping 35% as fat that can be converted to energy later. Any guess as to where 50 percent of the sugar we consume comes from? HFCS in fat-free foods like salad dressings and regular soft drinks.”


    Finding a healthy salad dressing can be difficult but not impossible as long as you read labels and stay away from the Fat-Free dressings since they most likely contain HFCS. My salad dressing of choice is Balsamic Vinaigrette but I have to diligently read labels since sugar is generally added. When it comes to a creamy dressing the best solution is to make it yourself.

    Here is a healthy and very easy creamy salad dressing that can be made at home in the blender.

    Creamy Balsamic Dressing Recipe

  • 1/2 cup canned no-salt great northern beans or navy beans, rinsed and drained. (Research shows these help the body process leptin, thereby helping it get rid of fat, especially belly fat)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
  • 1-2 Tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 large cloves garlic
  • 8 large basil leaves
  • 1/8 Tsp salt
  • Simply puree beans, oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, basil and salt in a blender until smooth and creamy.
    Add more mustard or balsamic vinegar to taste.

    Makes about 1 cup.

    So if you’re looking to lose weight or eat healthier, put HFCS on your Blackball list. It just keeps you addicted to sugar and helps you store fat. And get rid of those Fat-Free Dressings. Then you’ll have a better chance of reducing your fat stores.

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    5 Comments
    1. I copied this one and the spaghetti squash one(without the cheese for us right now). Look yummy! Thanks! This whole month we are exploring and discovering to fid out what works best for us in food/drink, emotional and spiritual and physical. Ciao!

      • That’s great Ann. Just remember not to have an “expiration date” at the end of the month. Use this month as a spring board for your future. Our needs are not set in stone and as our bodies change so do our needs. That’s why it’s called a healthy “lifestyle”. Good luck!!

    2. Linda, I never would have thought of using a bean purée to thicken a salad dressing. This is fabulous, thanks for sharing it! It’s the little changes that add up to a new lifestyle!

      • I had the same reaction Bobbie. =) Now I find myself using bean purée to thicken all kinds of things from salad dressings to soups and sauces. Thanks for your feedback!

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