salad dressings for fatty liver disease

Best Salad Dressing for Fatty Liver

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Salads are great, healthy choices when dealing with fatty liver disease. But you can really break a salad if you use a dressing that is high in fat and sugars – and most of the ones you can buy in stores, as well as those made in restaurants have all the ingredients they shouldn’t.

While you can find a few good, healthy, fatty liver-safe salad dressings to buy from stores, making your own at home is fast and easy. And today, I will share my go-to dressings, but also a few options you can buy online if you really are in a hurry.

Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

If you really want something that your liver will thank you for, jumping in the kitchen and preparing your own dressings is the way to go. I’ve been doing this almost exclusively since being diagnosed, and it’s really easy.

I prefer to keep things simple. I want a quick, healthy, and tasty dressing, but without going overboard. There might be more complex options available, but trust me when I say that the ones below will do the job for all occasions.

IMPORTANT: All the salad dressings below are for a large salad that my entire family of three eats.

EVOO and Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste (but you can skip these completely)

This is a basic, but tasty salad dressing that goes well with all types of salad, from green leafy spring salads to bean salads and more.

Extra virgin olive oil is the best oil for fatty liver, while the fresh lemon juice and garlic bring in extra flavor, as well as other vitamins and minerals, as well as a detox flair.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Herb Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon mixed herbs (oregano and thyme)
  • Salt and pepper to taste (but you can skip them completely)

OK, I have to admit that in terms of taste, this is pretty much the same as the one I recommended above. But you add the apple cider vinegar, which is considered a wonder ingredient for battling fatty liver disease.

Avocado and Greek Yogurt Dressing

avocado dressing for fatty liver

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (although you can safely go with low fat variants, as long as they don’t have added sugar)
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

This is my go-to “mayonnaise,” so I am not only using this thick dressing for salads but on various foods, like my grilled meats and everything that I used to consume with traditional mayo.

Simply blend all the ingredients for a creamy, smooth, delicious – and healthy – dressing that is high in healthy fats and plenty of other nutrients. The lime juice, garlic, and cilantro are not only for the taste but also to help your digestion. A perfect combo!

Also read: Liver-Friendly Recipe Ideas

Plain EVOO and/or Apple Cider Vinegar

When it comes to my Mediterranean salad and most rich salads involving tomatoes in general, I only add a bit of extra virgin olive oil, and salt. Simple, yet perfect!

For salads where the extra flavor from ACV is welcome (like leafy green salads), you can use a mix of EVOO and ACV and nothing else. Again – simple, yet perfect.

You don’t have to overcomplicated things. And the taste will still be there!

These are the ingredients you should buy

Any type of high-quality (ideally organic) extra virgin olive oil works well, as well as a high-quality ACV. For the herbs and lemon/lime, always pick fresh ones and juice them at home.

To make things easier for you, the main ingredients are just one click away. These are my favorites and you know for use you get the best quality too (all the links below are affiliate links):

Store-Bought Options: What to Look For

Making your own dressing at home gives you full control over the ingredients. Plus, as you can see above, they’re really fast and easy to prepare.

However, if you want to buy your dressing from the stores, here is what to look for and avoid any dressing that has these:

  • High-Fructose Corn Syrup, honey, or added sugar: A big no-no, even though honey is acceptable for liver health.
  • Trans Fats: Often masked as ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ or ‘hydrogenated oils’. I recommend staying away from all the cheap oils out there, like canola/rapeseed oil, palm oil, and such. I would only choose those dressing with EVOO.
  • Excessive Sodium and Preservatives: They’re not doing your liver any favors, so look for any chemicals that shouldn’t be there, including natural flavors and taste enhancers.

Always read the labels before purchasing your dressing. Even those that are sold as “healthy” options might have ingredients that are not fatty liver friendly.

While I recommend checking your local stores for freshly made dressings, here is what you can get from Amazon (affiliate links) – and these can be considered at least OK for your liver:

It’s difficult to find perfect salad dressings in stores, as most have added sugars (and those who don’t, have various other chemicals), so make sure to always read the list of ingredients!

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Fatty Liver Disease Salad Dressings Pinterest Graphic

If you’re looking for inspiration in terms of food, here are some additional articles to check out:

What are your go-to salad dressings that are liver-friendly and tasty? Let us all know by commenting below.

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