Try New and Healthy Oils on Your Favorite Salad

Begin by picking your favorite mix of mesclun − a mix of young, seasonal greens that are the base of any good spring salad. Depending on the mix, you can have cooling, bitter flavors from greens like radicchio or endive or refreshingly spicy notes courtesy of arugula.

Next, open up your world to a choice of salad dressing oils that not only help in balancing flavor, but also contribute to the health profile of your meal. Extra-virgin olive oil is the star of this show, renowned for its high monounsaturated fat content which can help to lower blood pressure and balance cholesterol levels, but it’s not the only healthy, flavorful option. This spring, the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) challenges you to try something new.

Like olive oil, avocado oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and vitamin E, which are nutrients crucial for rejuvenating your skin from its dry, wintery slumber. Along with the obvious avocado taste, this well-balanced, smooth oil introduces a unique flavor profile that is nutty and grassy, with notes of mushroom.

Camelina oil is rich in mono- and poly-unsaturated fats with an exceptionally high level of omega-3 fatty acids. It adds a light, almond-like flavor to your dish and has a longer shelf life than most vegetable oils due to its antioxidant-rich content.

Other dressing options with characteristic flavor profiles include nut oils like almond, walnut, flaxseed, pumpkin seed, and hempseed. All of these have the added health benefit of being rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which can help to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL).

Once you’ve picked your favorite oil to compliment your spring salad, it’s time to get creative with additional toppings. Stop by your local natural food retailer and stock up on any of these tasty, healthy options: a mix of dried and fresh fruits; sliced nuts like walnuts or almonds; seeds from flax or pumpkins; and even hemp hearts. More information is available online at chfa.ca.

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