One of our biggest worries about adopting a healthy lifestyle is that everything will taste horrible and be bland. Just because we have chosen to incorporate an amazing array of rainbow-colored veggies into our lives, does not mean that we have become Bland Betty. The truth of the matter is that we can experiment with dressings. We spend some time deciding whether to buy specialty dressings (the organic, simple, whole ones are pricey) or making our own. When we make our own, we not only save money in the long run because we can purchase our key base ingredients on the cheap in bulk, but we can also experiment with flavors, spices, and variations of our favorite dressings. Here is your guide to making the most delicious salad dressings from home!
Choose Your Oil Wisely Sure, we have been given the go-ahead on the Ketogenic diet to eat more fats since we are limiting proteins and eliminating our carb intake. This does not mean we should go willy nilly with our oils. Choosing a natural, organic oil is best of course. Even if we cannot afford to go fully organic in all of our health endeavors, if we stick to one of the following oils, we will have optimal results “ketogenically” speaking: Avocado oil Olive oil Peanut oil Almond oil Canola oil Other vegetable or nut based oils
Spice It Up
This is where we can really have some fun! There are so many amazing, diverse, and delicious spices that we can use and combine in our recipes. Sometimes we may want a little spicy kick and sometimes we desire more of an old standby onion and garlic flavor. Depending up on our moods and the type of dish we are preparing, we can experiment with all different types of spices, herbs, and even condiments. Social media groups, recipe sites and diet blogs all contain endless recipes and combinations that we can try out. The best part is that there really are no limits here within the realm of flavor. Whatever our taste buds are craving or wherever our veggies are lacking flavor, we have full power to unleash our unique and spicy spin on a particular dish.
Stocking up on spices is actually really fun, too! Think outside the box on spices by trying small, local ethnic stores and restaurants that may carry more unusual spices or ones you have never even thought about trying. Another way to spice things up is to take a few moments and really hang out in the spice aisle at your local supermarket. There are endless combinations of spices, salt-free mixes, and spicy themed concoctions that we never even realized existed. There are so many brands and types that it really does work in our best interest to invest some time in this spicy endeavor. Another idea is to try stores that sell large lots of random items such as The Christmas Tree Shop, Big Lots, Ocean State Job Lots, TJ Maxx, and Homegoods. Although they may not specialize in food, they do carry a wide array of spices and oils that we could surely utilize in our DIY salad dressing mission.
Think Outside The Bottle
When making our own food items we tend to err on the side of caution. We want to make sure we don’t spend all of our precious time preparing something that ends up being a total disaster. Making our own foods and the planning process behind it takes time which we all know is precious. However, when it comes to really perfect our DIY salad dressings, we have to think a little outside the “bottle.” This can involve a bit of risk taking, but it is surely worth it. For example, have we ever thought about adding lemon or lime juice to our dressings? What about mayo or mustard, crushed garlic, or even stevia or a dash of monk fruit juice? When we think more creatively, we are surprised at new combinations that we may love. We also are less apt to become bored with the same old stuff we are always eating. We often stick to our “safe” foods. We begin to see results, our health is improving, weight is falling off and we become a bit fearful to try something different or new. We are afraid to shake things up, but ultimately, that is just what we have to do to keep ourselves inspired and keep things fresh and innovative.
