How to Make Cranberry Balsamic Dressing & Fruit and Walnut Salad

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 can whole cranberry sauce
• ½ cup pulp-free orange juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

With the new year, most people are trying to make changes in their lives and that usually includes eating healthier. By making your own dressing, you get to control the flavor, and it’s less caloric and homemade.

Start with one can of whole cranberry sauce and add ½ cup of orange juice (use Trop 50 and save yourself calories and sugar). Then add 1 tsp of salt and a tbsp of sugar. Finally add about a ¼ cup of olive oil and ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar. Mix them all together with a whisk. Now taste the dressing...this is where you get to customize it to your taste. Is it too sweet or too bitter? If too sweet, add more balsamic. If too bitter, add a little more sugar. Tailor the dressing to your taste.
Salad Ingredients:

• Mixed greens
• 1 apple
• ¼ cup walnuts
• 2 tbsp feta cheese

Salads can be great food choice, but if you don’t build them properly they can leave you craving junk food and hungry fast. So when building a salad, make sure it has many different levels of textures and flavors, and it should have one protein, one carbohydrate and one dairy product. This salad includes all these, but again, can be tailored to your liking.

Start with mixed greens - the darker the leaf, the more vitamins. Then add a diced-up piece of apple (which provides fiber), pear or whatever fruit you have on hand, as your carb. If you don’t have fresh fruit, a small handful of dried fruit like Craisins would work too. Then you want to add protein, so add ¼ cup walnuts. Walnuts are great for your hair, skin and nails, and they provide the lasting sensation of being satisfied and full. If you have a nut allergy, go ahead and add chicken or some other protein source. Finally add 2 tbsp of feta cheese. This creates a salty level that balances the sweeter dressing. It also gives you a serving of dairy. Don’t like feta? Try goat cheese, gorgonzola or even mozzarella. As long as you stick to the salad guide of using different flavor profiles and textures you will be very satisfied with your salad and want to eat it all the time.

By: Danielle Gagliardi | Image: Tumblr