In our previous post, we looked at the ingredients of a large salad and the some of the nutrients found in them. In this post, we’re going to add some dressing. When I was growing up, my idea of salad dressing was a relatively thin liquid, but when I started on my health journey, I found that increasing the thickness and amount of dressing used would simultaneously increase my satiety and the nutrient content of the salad, often significantly. This was one of the many game-changer realizations that made a difference for me early on. Over the years, we have developed a number of thicker dressings, including the hummus-style dressing listed below. We particularly love this red pepper hummus for the flavor and the nutrients that it adds to the salad.
Here are the ingredients of the salad from the previous post and the red pepper hummus in this photo:
Salad:
7 cups chopped or torn Romaine lettuce (329 g, 11.6 oz.)
6 cups chopped or torn red leaf lettuce (170 g, 6 oz.)
3 cups chopped or torn dandelion greens (165 g, 5.8 oz.)
1.5 cups shredded cucumber (227 g, 8 oz.)
1 cup shredded carrots (113 g, 4 oz.)
¼ cup chopped tomato (45 g, 1.6 oz.)
Red Pepper Hummus:
3 cups chopped zucchini (445 g, 15.7 oz.)
½ cup walnuts (50 g, 1.8 oz.)
1 tsp. chia seeds (10 g, 0.35 oz.)
Juice of one large lemon (48 ml, 1.57 fluid oz.)
½ cup dehydrated red pepper (30 g, 1.1 oz.)
1 small clove garlic (totally optional) (2 g, 0.07 oz.) not included in nutrient analysis
1 tsp. chickpea miso (totally optional) (7 g, 0.25 oz.) not included in nutrient analysis
AND here are some of the nutrients in this salad and hummus:
| Salad | Adult DRIs | |
| Calories (kcal) | 780 | |
| B1 | 1.4 | 1.1 – 1.2 mg |
| B2 | 1.7 | 1.1 – 1.3 mg |
| B3 | 10.7 | 14 – 16 mg |
| B5 | 4.0 | 5 mg |
| B6 | 3.1 | 1.3 – 1.7 mg |
| Folate | 905 | 400 mcg |
| B12 | 0 | 2.4 mcg |
| C | 576 | 75 – 90 mg |
| D | 0 | 5 – 15 mcg |
| E | 13.1 | 15 mg |
| K1 | 2021 | 90 – 120 mcg |
| Beta-carotene (mcg) | 49,578 | |
| Calcium | 759 | 1,000 – 1,200 mg |
| Iron | 17.5 | 8 – 18 mg |
| Magnesium | 410.7 | 310 – 420 mg |
| Potassium | 4691 | 4,700 mg |
| Zinc | 6.8 | 8 – 11 mg |
The salad and red pepper hummus together have exceeded the adult daily values for vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, folate, and K1, all for 780 kcals (calories)! Vitamins B3, B5, and E are close to the adult daily values as are the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. I encourage you to compare these numbers to the salad without dressing in the previous post and you’ll see how much of a difference dressing can make in the nutrient content of a salad. Additionally, if you desire a lower fat dressing, please feel free to substitute more zucchini or cauliflower for the nuts.
Enjoy!