For a long time I purchased salad dressing from the store. It never occurred to me that I could make my own salad dressings! But why NOT? It is so easy to make your own salad dressing. It takes only 5 minutes!

Plus it is better for you to make your own salad dressing!

Here are some advantages of making your own salad dressing:

1) It saves money.

2) It keeps out preservatives and other chemicals detrimental to your health

3) You gain control over the amounts of salt and sugar content in the dressing.

4) Avoid consuming oils that are made of genetically modified products by only using the good quality oils such as extra virgin oil. (Healthiest Cooking Oils: 7 Oils to Use & 7 to Avoid)

5) It gives you opportunities to add all kinds of amazing antioxidants and vitamin- and mineral-rich ingredients such as herbs, spices, garlics, lemon juice, etc.

6) It is always fresh, not sitting on a shelf for months—make it and eat it within three days!

All you have to do is to stock up on some of the essential ingredients.

Here are my suggested ingredients for making salad dressing:

—Extra Virgin Olive Oil

—Trader Joe’s Herbs De Provence

—dry black pepper

—salt

—garlic powder (you could substitute this with chopped fresh garlics)

—dry parsley

—dry Oregono

—mustard or dijon mustard

—paprika or chili pepper

—basils

—dry onions

—Fresh Lemon or balsamic vinegar

—everything bagel seasoning (you can get this from Costco)

I also stock up on the following for my salad:

—raisins

—hemp seeds (you can get this from Costco

—sprouted pumpkin seeds

—fresh fruits such as blueberries and mango.

To add proteins and good kind of fat, also add boiled eggs and some avocado pieces, and Rotini made from chickpeas (to be cooked separately according the package)

Tips on boiling eggs:

—boil eggs with a few slices of lemon. It will help you easily peel off the egg shells.

—Make sure don’t boil eggs too long. If it creates a ring of gray substance over the yoke, it is cooked too long. Grey substance is toxic to your health. Just boil for no more than 10 minutes over medium heat if it is just boiling three eggs in a small pot. After 10 min., turn off the heat and let it sit in the pot for another 2 to 3 minutes to make sure inside is all cooked through.

Nothing gives me more satisfaction than eating a well-balanced salad!

Take your time to savor each bite, feeling the texture and taste the flavor of each ingredient in your salad bowl. I tend to eat hurriedly. I have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy my food I put into my mouth.