Salad Dressings

As I remember, salad dressings were the very first un-processed food items we made at home instead of buying the processed and pre-made salad dressings available on the market today.

We found a common ingredient used in various pre-made salad dressings is Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum. This ingredient is typically used as a thickener. It is also used as a stabilizer for some products.

Unfortunately Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum cause serious health problems in many people. When it caused us some issues, we started to investigate this ingredient and were surprised to find out about the health issues it can cause.

Health Issues
Allergies	It turns out that Xanthan Gum (or Guar Gum) is derived from a number of products that can be common allergens. Examples are wheat, dairy, corn, or soy. Because of this, people with allergies to wheat, dairy, corn, or soy are advised to avoid foods that have Xanthan Gum (or Guar Gum) in them.
Effect on Digestive System	The second issue Xanthan Gum (or Guar Gum) is that it is considered a "highly efficient laxative". Some people react to very small amounts of Xanthan Gum (or Guar Gum), with symptoms of intestinal bloating and diarrhea.
People who produce product	then, there is the issue of the workers who work with this ingredient. An evaluation of workers exposed to xanthan gum dust found evidence of a link to respiratory symptoms. This is very scary for anyone dealing with respiratory issues. What about people that have asthma? What effect would it have on them? What if it causes permanent breathing problems? Some how, that just doesn’t seem right to me!
Here is one link that we used as a reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthan_gumFeel free to explore some more on the health problems associated with Xanthan Gum (or Guar Gum).

I have to admit that I am quite surprised that the "powers that be" continue to allow a dangerous product like this to be used. Actually, you will be amazed at how many processed foods use Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum. We certainly were once we started checking ingredients on products!

Okay, so you say that you have store bought salad dressing all the time and seem to have no ill effects. My thought and concern is that if it affects some people with noticeable symptoms, what if it is still causing problems in people that don’t see any issues with it? Will ingesting this non-natural ingredient cause problems, possibly irreversible problems, over time? Why take the chance?

Making our own Salad Dressings

Now knowing the detrimental health issues Xanthan Gum (or Guar Gum) can cause, we decided to start making our salad dressings. We enjoy various types of salads (what a great way to get our veggies into our diet) so we have come up with recipes for a number of different types of dressings.

Although you may think it is easier & faster to just grab the bottle of salad dressing off the shelf in the grocery store as you are doing your shopping, it really only is a few minutes to make, and you probably have the ingredients needed already.

Cost Comparison

There is the issue of cost as well. Salad dressings will cost on average around $3.42 for 250 ml (1 cup). This equals $0.14 / ml. You can also buy larger sizes for a bit cheaper. The 475 ml bottle averages out to $4.25, which equals $.009 / ml. In comparison, our Fruit based Vinaigrette costs us $0.005 / ml.

Have you ever used a whole bottle of salad dressing before its expiry date or did you end up throwing it out? If you threw it out, you also threw out some of your money.

You can control how much you make when you making your own salad dressing at home, therefore, you can control the cost. You also know exactly what you put into it so you know that you will have no problems with it. Plus, it will probably taste better with using fresh ingredients!

Recipes

We have provided the recipes for 4 different types of salad dressings that we make on a regular basis. They are a versatile fruit based vinaigrette that we use most often, a ranch dressing, an asian dressing, and a blue cheese dressing
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Fruit Based Vinaigrette:

This is one of our favorite dressings to make. Because you can use different fruits, you can change up the flavor, depending on your mood, the salad you are serving, or what fruit is fresh and available. We especially love it on a spinach salad!


Ranch Dressing:

This is a very popular dressing so it only seems right to include a recipe for it. We have only made this a few times, but it is yummy and we quite enjoy it! I think this is a very versatile recipe too because you can add those extra things like bacon, peppercorns, cheeses, etc.

Asian Dressing:

Many times we’ll have an asian inspired meal, like Ahi Tuna or I’ll make Vietnamese salad rolls so a salad with asian dressing just seems to go very well.



Blue Cheese Dressing:

For those of you who like blue cheese and want a bit more of kick out of your dressing. We enjoy this dressing with a salad when we serve steak or lamb, for example. That way the flavor of the salad doesn’t get lost with the strong flavors of the meat.



I hope you enjoy these recipes.


Hey, let me know when you try one and tell me what you think. Also, send me a recipe for a salad dressing that you have made - I love trying new recipes!