Homemade Healthy Italian Dressing

*This recipe post for Homemade Healthy Italian Dressing is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, but all stories and opinions expressed are 100% honest and true.

Healthier Salad Dressing

The problem with salads is salad dressings.  We’ve all seen the reports about how fast food salads can pack more calories and fat than a burger.  Same is true for the bottled dressings on the grocery store aisles.  Check the label and you’ll see they’re also loaded with sugar.

So, the advice is to make your own dressing.  But, what if you don’t know a good recipe for dressing or where to start?  This recipe for Italian Dressing takes minimal effort, tastes better than bottled AND uses ingredients that you most likely have on hand!

My Healthy Eating Journey

As you might have read about in my prior post, I’ve been on a healthy eating journey since August.  I have cut way back on sugar and have added in a boatload of fruits and veggies to my daily diet.  As a result, I’m down 15 lbs and my energy levels have increased across the board.

That’s why I was so excited to see the new Nourishing Arizona Homegrown Healthy Campaign from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.  They know, firsthand, the negative impact that poor nutrition has on health.  They’re on a mission to make a difference in the lives of Arizonans through tools, education and partnerships.  You can read all about this wonderful program and find out how you can get involved on their website.

For example, need help picking your fruits and veggies?  Knowing when and how to pick them makes all the difference in the taste!

How to Make Homemade Dressing

Healthy eating, for me, definitely involves a few salads throughout the week.

When I make dressing, I always make sure that I have an oil and an acid.  You know, the old oil and vinegar thing.  But, then I usually add a few more ingredients to make it interesting and blend them all together. This particular recipe calls for oil, Dijon (or any fancy-ish mustard you’ve got), fresh garlic, Italian spices (or just oregano is fine), and lemon juice.  I do recommend fresh lemon juice.  If you don’t have a lemon, use red wine vinegar or white vinegar.

I throw it all into a mason jar and blend it on high for about 30 seconds with my emersion blender.  If you don’t have an emersion blender, just put all of the ingredients in a blender and then pour into a salad dressing jar.  THAT’S IT!

This particular recipe is my weeknight go-to and should be enough for two or three large family-sized salads.  It will keep in the fridge up to 5 days.

Drizzle it on your favorite green salad, use it in a wrap, toss it in pasta salad…you get the idea.

Best part is, you know the wholesome ingredients it contains.  Unprocessed, unsweetened, 100% naturally flavored.  It’s one step toward better health and supporting Nourishing Arizona.

Homemade Healthy Italian Dressing

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5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Joanie Simon
• Total Time: 5 mins
• Yield: 12 1x

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Description

Italian style salad dressing made with healthy ingredients.

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Ingredients

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• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbs dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil *or any mild flavored oil

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Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth (30 seconds).
2. Serve on salad!

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Category: Salad Dressing
• Cuisine: American