Easy Healthy Dressings And Dips You Can Make At Home

Salad dressings can be big time offenders when it comes to added sugar, unhealthy fats and unwanted calories. The label may say "made with real ingredients" but a quick look at the label reveals the real truth "4 grams of sugar per tablespoon", "high fructose corn syrup" and "corn syrup". That beautiful salad you made with fresh vegetables harvested from the earth became an unhealthy meal when you suffocated it with hydrogenated oil disguised ranch dressing.

Making salad dressings and veggie dips at home means you can limit the amount of unhealthy fats and added sugars so you can enjoy your food without feeling guilty. Below you will find some healthier dressing and dip options you can easily make yourself with ingredients you probably already have in the fridge and pantry.

It's important to remember that there are lots of ways to add flavor to the foods we eat. Our society has become so wired to think that we have to enhance our food with added sugar and heavy oils for it to be flavorful when there are so many wonderful natural herbs and spices. Even a lime squeezed over a salad with some crushed black pepper and olive oil can burst with flavor and good for you vitamin C. Adding sugar to our foods robs us of enjoying the natural flavors of the foods God perfectly created.

I promise once you make your own salad dressings you will struggle to enjoy store bought ones. Most of the dressings take less than 5 minutes to make. When I make them I typically make enough for a few meals. Check out these recipes for home-made (and healthy) Ranch Dressing, Avocado and Lime, Creamy Salsa and more. You can easily store these dressings in a glass mason jar with lid in the fridge.

• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• crushed black pepper
• milk (only enough to bring the dressing to your desired consistency)
Put all into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add additional blue cheese crumbles and serve.

BALSAMIC DRESSING
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 large garlic clove (peeled)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• salt and pepper
Blend or stir all ingredients together and serve

RANCH DRESSING
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 garlic cloves
Blend together in food processor then stir in 1 tsp. dried dill, 1/2 tsp dried oregano and crushed black pepper to taste

AVOCADO LIME DRESSING
• 1 ripe avocado
• juice from 1 small lime
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Put all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth

FRESH HERB DRESSING
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic (peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
Add all ingredients to blender and puree until smooth

SWEET ASIAN DRESSING
• 1 Tblsp Honey
• 2 Tsp Soy Sauce or Liquid Amino Acids
• 1 Tblsp Sesame Oil
• 1 Tblsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 Tsp Grated Ginger
Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth

CREAMY SALSA
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese or yogurt
• 1 tsp cumin
Blend together. Add a smidge of milk if too thick
(For Dairy free use 3/4 cup salsa, 1/2 cup dairy free milk and 1 tsp cumin)

HEALTHY VEGGIE DIP
• 1 cup plain, organic, Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder (optional)
• 1 tbsp. dried dill
• salt and pepper to taste
Stir together and enjoy with your favorite veggies