Making Homemade Salad Dressing

Are salads a healthy choice or a diet disaster? When I was in junior high school, our school cafeteria had a salad bar. The salad graduated from a side dish to a main entrée. Many of the toppings included bacon bits, croutons, cheese and creamy salad dressings, which added a lot of sodium, fat and calories. If my salad had gotten a grade, it would have been an “F”. Here are some salad tips to help you earn a top-notch salad grade.

Salads and Kidney Diets

Healthy dietary patterns are high in vegetables. The kidney diet usually includes 2 to 3 servings of vegetables daily and limits sodium. . People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) cannot tolerate high amounts of sodium or processed foods with phosphate or potassium food additives. Salads are a great way to get your veggie quota for the day. With a healthy homemade salad dressing and a kidney-friendly veggie combination, a person with CKD can enjoy salad without the added sodium, unhealthy fat and calories.

Health Benefits

Including salad and a homemade healthy oil-based salad dressing can help add health benefits to your diet. For example, the American Heart Association recommends replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats like olive oil to help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels¹.

A Mediterranean-type diet, which includes more plant foods and olive oil, is associated with less inflammation and lower heart attack and stroke risk².

Making Your Own Salad Dressing

Salad dressing can make or break your best intentions to eat healthy.  By making your own salad dressing, you can limit sodium, unhealthy fats and calories. Try one of these salad dressing recipes from DaVita.com.

• Basic Salad Dressing
• Celery Seed Dressing
• Easy Dijon Salad Dressing
• Peach Basil Vinaigrette Dressing
• Sara’s Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Try one of these salads with your homemade salad dressing.

• Broccoli and Apple Salad
• Garden Vegetable Salad
• Lettuce and Mushroom Salad
• Spinach-Mandarin Salad

References

1. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/the-facts-on-fats Accessed 3/8/21
2. https://www.clevelandheartlab.com/blog/horizons-how-effective-are-anti-inflammatory-diets-for-lowering-heart-attack-risk/ Accessed 3/8/21

Additional Kidney Diet Resources

Visit DaVita.com and explore these diet and nutrition resources:

• DaVita Food Analyzer
• DaVita Dining Out Guides
• Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks
• DaVita Kidney-Friendly Recipes
• Diet and Nutrition Articles
• Diet and Nutrition Videos
• Kidney Smart® Virtual Classes

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Consult your physician and dietitian regarding your specific diagnosis, treatment, diet and health questions.