If you’re adding salads to your diet for better alkalinity, you’ll want tasty dressings for added flavor. But don’t spoil your efforts with acidic dressings. Now most dressings are near neutral.
Made with buttermilk, salt, onion, garlic, and herbs, ranch dressing (and most ranch-flavored foods) have me hypnotized like the rest of America. That said, the wildly popular salad accompaniment simply isn’t a great choice if you’re trying to maintain a relatively low-caloric diet geared toward weight loss or even weight maintenance.
USDA database values are an average of many samples. So your PRAL values for salad dressings and vegetable oils will vary from day to day. But they are always an estimate of actual acid load on your kidneys. Which I explain more in the notes about PRAL principles on the category list page.
Moreover, commercial ranch dressings like Hidden Valley’s The Original Ranch contain as much as 22 grams of fat along with disturbing additives like MSG for enhanced flavor and a whopping 260 milligrams of sodium. If you have the inner strength, just say no to the creamy, tangy allure of this buttermilk siren.
Can you eat a salad with acid reflux?
Yes, it is possible for you to eat salads when you have acid reflux. However, this may not be the best idea if your salad contains ingredients that are known to increase your chances of getting acid reflux.
You should choose a dressing with little to no fat in it to keep yourself safe from acid reflux. Here are some of the best salad dressings to use when fighting against this condition:
When you eat a meal with high acidity levels, you increase your risk of developing acid reflux. Certain ingredients can cause a spike in the amount of stomach acid you have, making you more likely to experience heartburn and other symptoms associated with ARD.
You might experience acid reflux symptoms when you eat acidic foods or beverages. Common symptoms of this condition include:
If you have been diagnosed with ARD, there are a few things that you can do to treat your acid reflux symptoms.
Since certain salad dressings can help cause acid reflux, it’s best to opt for low-fat options when you’re creating a salad to eat. Some good ingredients that are safe include:
People with acid reflux disease (ARD) must avoid certain salad dressings because these products can cause an increase in stomach acid, which leads to the development of heartburn and other symptoms associated with ARD.
What are some good salad dressings?
As strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and the like are low in sugar, they are an ideal base for a light dressing. With their natural antioxidants and high vitamin content, making berries the main component of your dressing is a nourishing way to go. Go ahead and add some color to those greens.
Plain or Greek yogurt is an ideal ingredient when you want to make lighter versions of your favorite creamy salad dressings. Naturally thick and tangy, they lend just the right touch of acidity to dressings. Lower in fat, calories, and sodium than the traditional dairy ingredients (e.g. cream, mayo, buttermilk, and sour cream) used to achieve creaminess, yogurt lets you have the best of both worlds. Sure yogurt dressings taste luxurious, but they are also rife with health benefits such as good protein content for sustaining energy levels, probiotics to keep your digestive system in check, and loads of calcium to strengthen your bones.
That said, the wildly popular salad accompaniment simply isn’t a great choice if you’re trying to maintain a relatively low-caloric diet geared toward weight loss or even weight maintenance. While it’s noble to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, drenching your lettuce or dipping your carrots in copious amounts of ranch dressing doesn’t add any vitamins or nutrients to the experience. Since eating too much fat—especially saturated fat that your body has a hard time ridding itself of—leads to weight gain, you want to avoid fatty dressings like ranch. Moreover, commercial ranch dressings like Hidden Valley’s The Original Ranch contain as much as 22 grams of fat along with disturbing additives like MSG for enhanced flavor and a whopping 260 milligrams of sodium. If you have the inner strength, just say no to the creamy, tangy allure of this buttermilk siren.
Traditionally made with a blend of cream, blue cheese, and mayo, blue cheese dressing may taste delicious, but it’s a big diet no-no. It’s creamy. It’s tangy. It’s loaded with chunks of blue cheese. I totally get the appeal. While it’s not as offensive as other dressings in the creamy category, this cheesy salad pairing can be high in fat and sodium when you opt for commercial types such as Marie’s Chunky Blue Cheese. With 150 of its 160 calories derived from fat, blue cheese dressing certainly qualifies as an indulgence. A better option? Try making your own lighter version of you favorite dressing. Pssst. Subbing in nonfat Greek yogurt is a great way to lighten up without losing flavor.
Italian dressing is a no-no. Shutterstock. While Italian dressing can be a lighter, less fatty alternative to creamy dressings, it too has its faults, especially when you opt for commercial brands. For one thing, it’s still high in sodium without providing any of the essential nutrients required for a balanced diet.
Incorporating all varieties of citrus juices into your salad dressings is one healthy, refreshing, and irresistible way to get those much recommended servings of fruit into your daily diet. Most vinaigrettes have an acidic component derived from vinegar, but you could get that effect from citrus, too, and with a touch of added sweetness to boost. Amp up the flavor with fresh herbs, minced shallots, and citrus zest if you like.
From Thousand Island to ranch, store-bought dressings are generally either high in fat content, full of sodium, overly sugary , or loaded with additives. The best way to avoid turning a healthy salad into a nutritional nightmare is to whip up light dressings yourself. Luckily, most are a cinch to prepare.
Sharing is caring, don’t forget to share this post with friends !
