Nothing undermines the benefits of a healthy salad quite like a generous dollop of high-fat dressing. To dress a green salads without packing on high amounts of fat and calories, your best bet is a vinaigrette that balances the heart-healthy fats in olive oil with the tang of vinegar. Add some sparkling citrus juice and herbs to further reduce your craving for artery-clogging, highly processed dressings. Potato salads traditionally contain high-fat mayonnaise, but by substituting healthier creamy ingredients and chunky vegetables you'll reap the vitamins and minerals of the potatoes without piling on the cholesterol. Alternatively, use the creamy dressing on other chilled classics, such as pasta, chicken or egg salad.
Vinaigrette
Step 1
Assemble the makings of the Mayo Clinic's orange basil vinaigrette. If you wish, replace some or all of the store-bought orange juice with juice from fresh-squeezed oranges.
Step 2
Combine 2 cups orange juice and 2 tbsp. cornstarch in a saucepan. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
Step 3
Remove the thickened orange juice from the heat and refrigerate it until the liquid cools completely.
Step 4
Whisk 2 tsp. each mustard, olive oil and fresh basil with 1/3 cup white wine wine vinegar and the cooled orange juice.
Step 5
Drizzle over a green salad, cold rice or bean salad, or cubed, mixed fruit.
Creamy Dressing
Step 1
Chop one stalk of celery, half of a sweet green pepper and an onion. Set aside the veggies.
Step 2
Combine 2/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. each mustard and apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Whisk the mixture until well combined.
Step 3
Fold in the chopped vegetables by spooning them gently into the mayonnaise mixture.
Step 4
Add your main ingredients to the bowl of creamy dressing if using it for potato, pasta, chicken or egg salads. Toss the ingredients until they are well covered with the dressing. If using it on a salad or side dish, spoon the dressing on top of the dish.
Tips and Warnings
- Stock your pantry with exotic ingredients to create a variety of vinaigrette dressings. Naturally low in fat, vinaigrettes combine oil and vinegar, often in combination with citrus, mustard, herbs and spices. Collect olive oil, walnut-oil and other heart-healthy fats, as well as white, red, balsamic and rice wine vinegars, a collection of sweet and savory mustards, and plenty of spices and herbs. Lighten up traditional creamy dressings by substituting equal amounts of low-fat foods for their "fat" counterparts. Use skim milk or buttermilk in place of whole milk and cream, yogurt or low-fat mayonnaise in place of sour cream, and olive oil in the place of all-purpose vegetable oil.
Things You'll Need
- Vinaigrette Dressing:
- Olive oil
- White wine vinegar
- Mustard
- Orange juice
- Basil
- Cornstarch
- Creamy Dressing:
- Celery
- Green pepper
- Onion
- Low-fat mayonnaisse
- Mustard
- Aople cider vingear
- Salt
- Pepper
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