One of the most common ways hidden, and bad fats enter our diet is through processed foods. These culprits usually have long lists of ingredients, and live in the middle isles of the grocery store. Here is how you can add more healthy fats to your diet. 

Store bought salad dressing is almost always a culprit. A sure way to add bad fats to a veggie-packed diet is by drowning your veggies in store-bought salad dressing. It is almost impossible to find a store-bought salad dressing that is made with pure olive oil, and if they have olive oil in them, they also usually have canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, or safflower oil added.It is important to increase the Omega-3s in your diet, while decreasing the Omega-6s. Some of the aforementioned oils are high in Omega-6 fatty acids making them culprits for bad fats. We already get a lot of Omega-6 fatty acids in our diet, in fact, we are usually getting an overload of them. 

The Solution to Eliminating Bad Fats

An easy solution to this problem— make your own salad dressing. Making your own salad dressing is incredibly easy. You can make your own salad dressing using, avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil; an acid like lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar;  a little bit of salt and pepper; some Dijon mustard; and a little drizzle of maple syrup. In about five minutes, you have a delicious vinaigrette free of bad fat . 

Another simple way to decrease bad fats in your diet is to stop eating store-bought mayonnaise. Make your own mayonnaise. While there is some mayonnaise made with avocado oil, another healthy choice would be to simply make your own (scroll down for recipe).

These are two simple recommendations to help you cut some of bad fats out of your diet, while replacing your favorite toppings with healthy, homemade versions.

Vinaigrette, 5-8 Minutes

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons acid of choice (balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, lemon juice)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced, or 1 small finely chopped shallot

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients with a whisk or fork in a small bowl or a measuring cup. 

Taste, and adjust. If your dressing is too acidic, thin it out with a bit more olive oil or balance the flavors with a little more maple syrup or honey. If the mixture is a little bland, add another pinch of salt. If your dressing doesn’t have enough zing, add vinegar or lemon by the teaspoon.

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for future use. Homemade vinaigrette keeps well for 7 to 10 days. If your vinaigrette solidifies somewhat in the fridge, don’t worry about it—real olive oil tends to do that. Simply let it rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes or microwave very briefly (about 20 seconds) to liquify the olive oil again. Whisk to blend and serve.

Homemade Mayonnaise

No food processor of blender needed, Makes about ¾ cup

1 teaspoon large egg yolk*

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

3/4 cup olive oil, divided

RECIPE PREPARATION

Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds.

Using 1/4 teaspoon measure and whisking constantly, add 1/4 cup oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Cover and chill. do ahead Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Recipe by Molly Wizenberg, Bon Appetit Magazine