The Mistake You're Making at the Salad Bar

Sarah Jio,Glamour magazine

Love salad? Good girl! But, did you know that most people make a mistake when it comes to their salads? And it has nothing to do with portion size. Want to take a guess?

Researchers at Purdue say that most people are dressing their salads the wrong way. In fact, they warn that fat-free and low-fat salad dressings may be short-changing you in the nutrition department.

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Yes, we've talked about the dangers of calorie-laden salads and overly rich dressings, but people are so frightened by fat, it seems that we've missed the memo that a bit of healthy fat, especially on a salad, is actually good for your body.

The researchers say that most salad veggies and greens fall into a category of nutrients that require some amount of fat to help your body absorb the nutrients and antioxidants. In other words, without the drizzle of olive oil, you're less likely to retain all the nutrients of that spinach or romaine.

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I never buy salad dressing anymore. I just make my own--they're so easy and taste so much better. Here are my two fave concoctions:

Miso paste (about a teaspoonful), a drizzle of honey, a drizzle of sesame oil, a little water, and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Yum!

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A drizzle of olive oil, lemon, minced garlic, salt and pepper.

Do you dress your salad properly? Or have you fallen victim to the fat-free salad dressing myth?

P.S. Try this detox salad--you will love it! And, a skinny salad trick I love--just don't forget the drizzle of olive oil!


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