So one of the phases I did working with my doctors to heal and reset my body included going without oils. I spent 35 days using no oils to cook with, put on my body, or use on salads! Let me add in I had to 86 dairy and all gluten/grains! And for the finale, no avocados or nuts/seeds either.
Truth is – it’s hard as hell to cook and eat a bunch of veggies with no oils or butters or ghee or anything. So imagine salads?! You’re literally eating mostly everything p-l-a-i-n. Vinegars are cute, yet how much f’ing vinegar can one consume every day?! I don’t even love vinegar, but I’ve come to appreciate it more and more the last few years – out of necessity for the most part, yet whatevs!
This oil free ordeal taught me some huge lessons and I feel like everyone’s inner fat girl and waistline can appreciate this article…
Token statement is: you really don’t need dressing or oil on your salads!
I’m sure you read that and were like “this b*tch is crazy” or “how’s she expect me to get all those veggies down if not doused in ranch or at least raspberry vinaigrette”, yet I’m being serious!
Even in my other healing phases with particular food lists, I wasn’t going to consume shitty oils. That meant I really wasn’t eating salad dressings while I was out! And what I learned – is that salads in 2021 don’t really need them! Take a look at the salads on every restaurant or fast food menu. They come with a minimum of probably 5-8 ingredients these days! From dried fruits to nuts and cheeses, to meats and seeds and avocado – they layer them high, don’t they?!
And because of the layering and crumbles, there’s so much flavor coating the romaine or spring mix, there’s no need for extra sugars and oils and calories. There just isn’t.
Most places started putting salad dressings on the side years back, and if you haven’t made that request for yourself and you’ve made it all the way until 2021, I’m not sure we can be friends! I would also find that truth mind blowing! HA
Dressings can add an extra 200-400 calories to salads that are already laden with calories. And mostly, those calories are drummed up using crappy oils and sugars, in addition to a bunch of chemicals or preservatives (as most aren’t homemade).
Sometimes we got to lunch at work and the guys get these salads that are legit like 1,000 calories or more! One to two different dressings, in addition to multiple servings of one or each. It’s crazy!
Even when I get salads and eat them without dressing, there are fresh apples AND grapes AND dried (sweetened) cranberries PLUS a balsamic vinaigrette with added sugars! Like good Lord! Who needs all that shit?! Reality is – none of us! Even when I thought I used to need double ramekins of ranch back in middle school, I now know that was just my inner fat girl being out of control and unchecked!
If I’m going to eat a salad now, at age 39, after all the shit I’ve been through – I’m doing it cause it’s a healthy choice! I’m doing it cause it’s a meal I’m opting out of gluten or processed carbs or junk! It’s a meal I’m voting to have fresh veggies and fruits and maybe a small amount of goat or fermented cheeses. And that’s all it is! It’s not a fried chicken sandwich floating on iceberg lettuce! If that’s what we’re doing, I’m just going to have the sandwich and a side salad and move on with my life – most likely AFTER a workout so I’ve earned it! Or maybe that’s a splurge meal and includes fries, too?!
If I’m at home, I’m happy to drizzle a bit of MCT oil or something for health benefits with my vinegar, yet that’s really it! If I’m home or in public, I’m also good to have some vinegar on the side and dab my fork filled with salad items in it and shake it off! When I do eat dressings at home, they’re scratch-made with paleo and of course organic ingredients.
I’ll also confess that I used to HATE eating salads at home. They were never as good as in public, and I just wouldn’t buy the ingredients to make ‘em like I wanted, or would let the ingredients go bad…and organic shit is expensive! That’s been a big shift for me, to eat salads at home, and I’m majorly proud of the transformation and shift! Not gonna lie!
Here are the bottom line tips:
1) Please stop letting them put dressing directly on your salads when eating out! ALWAYS ask for it on the side. The best case scenario is you dip the fork in the dressing FIRST, and then load your fork. Yet either way!
2) Work on trying to skip the dressing all together! If you’re ordering a salad with meats or fish, in addition to cheeses and fruits and nuts and additional veggies, I want you to work on just enjoying what’s there! There’s no need for extra calories, and calories that don’t add value at that. If you don’t know the dressing is homemade, you should surely try to limit it!
3) Go old school by using oil & vinegar! I know it sounds like 1997 when they used to have the little caddy with the oil and vinegar in it on every table, yet they do still have it upon request! You’ll also need to throw on some salt and pepper more than likely, yet it is an option and it’s something I’ve grown fond of in recent years on healing diets! Don’t forget you can always start with the vinegar and seasoning only, and then drizzle some light oil if need be.
So there ya have it, folks! A concept I would have told you is quite ridiculous two years ago, is now part of my regular life! I haven’t been a crazy salad dressing goer for a couple of decades now, yet I still ate too much of the junk. I also have been known to dip every single freaking bite of food in the yum yum sauce at the hibachi grill 🙂 Don’t judge me!
Back to salads, I feel much better about my salad choices when the dressing is on the side, when I dip my fork before each bite, or when I skip it all together and relish in the flavor of the other 8.62 items already on there!
Enjoy!