Light & Easy Salad Dressing (Only 7 ingredients!)

I love light salad dressings in the summer they are very refreshing and healthy! This little gem of a recipe was passed down to me from my mother and it is the only salad dressing that I never get sick of the taste. You can put it in a blender bottle (shaker bottle) to mix everything up or a mason jar. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

• 1 Cup Vegetable Oil (you can’t substitute olive oil, it is too thick for the dressing)
• 1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 2 tsp minced fresh Oregano OR 1/2 tsp dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp minced fresh Basil OR 1/4 tsp dried Basil
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh Parsley OR 1/4 tsp dried Parsley

Shake it all up and store it in the fridge. It tastes the best when you are able to leave it overnight in the fridge prior to serving it to allow all the herbs to release their flavor as well as the garlic.  This salad dressing also works really well as a “dip” for raw veggies. See below for nutritional information & health benefits.

26 of My Favorite Healthy Snacks

I don’t know about you but I am definitely way more of a snacker than I am a meal eater. I suffer from chronic nausea and no appetite so I really have to listen to my body on a day to day basis in order to feel my best. During the work week I usually never have enough time to sit down and eat an actual meal so here are some of my favorite healthy snacks. Most of them are also nutrient dense but there is the occasional “healthy junk food” thrown into the mix.

Favorite Healthy Snacks:

1. Corn tortilla chips + homemade guacamole
2. Bell pepper, cheese, mustard & lunch meat roll up (any vinaigrette dressing works great for this too if you aren’t a mustard person)

   

   Deli Meat Roll Up

3. Yogurt w/ ground flaxseed (tastes great with key lime yogurt, makes it taste like the graham cracker crust from a key lime pie)
4. Avocado toast (seasoned w/ salt & pepper)
5. Babybel cheese + pretzels & peanut butter or mustard (fewer calories)
6. Apple or Celery w/ peanut butter
7. 97% Fat Free Popcorn w/ lime juice & salt or a salt & vinegar seasoning salt
8. Cracker topped with brie cheese, apple or pear, & prosciutto *My favorite savory snack!*
9. Bagel, cream cheese, + smoked salmon (aka lox)
10. Edamame
11. Miso Soup
12. Sardines & crackers or Canned Smoked Oysters (good for an occasional salty snack but watch out for the sodium levels!)
13. Protein shake- blend banana, peanut butter, chocolate almond milk, & protein powder in a blender, add ice if you want more of a “milkshake” texture.
14. Watermelon
15. Grapes, cheddar cheese cubes, & chicken or pork chop (leftovers from the night before eaten cold are the best and most flavorful!)
16. Cantaloupe & cottage cheese
17. Hummus & veggies (click here for a hummus recipe)
18. 5 ingredient peanut butter protein balls (2/3 c peanut butter, ½ c chocolate chips, 1 c oats, ½ c flax seed, & 2 tbsp honey- mix all ingredients together, form 1 inch balls, and chill in the fridge * I  posted the recipe as is but I prefer to use less than ½ c chocolate chips)
19. Fiesta Chicken Bowl (as seen on my Instagram- avocado, seasoned chicken, brown rice, black beans, avocado, & fresh lime)

    

    Fiesta Chicken Bowl

20. Trader Joe’s frozen chocolate dipped banana slices
21. Turkey, laughing cow cheese (swiss), bell peppers, & celery- make a roll up!
22. Green smoothie (frozen fruit, frozen spinach, & 1 cup of OJ)
23. Triscuits w/ cheese
24. California Roll (yeah, I know it is considered a meal BUT the nutrition fits into the snack category b/c it is less than 300 calories for a 6-8 piece roll)
25. Beef Jerky (great for after the gym when you need some protein)
26. Hard Boiled Egg (sometimes deviled eggs when I’m have a craving)

Comment below to tell me your favorite healthy snacks, I am always looking for new ideas!