Why Vinegar kicks all other salad dressing's bootys!

I used to be the queen of ranch. I loved it - and the perfect salad for me included black olives, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, cucumbers, and ranch (over ice burg lettuce). However, since visiting Europe I have taken a particular loving to Oil and Vinegar or Light Vinaigrettes on my salads (I now prefer bolder flavored lettuce, like Chopped Romaine Hearts or Dole's European Blend). In Europe, there is no such thing as ranch, thousand island, Italian, or any other of the USA's THOUSANDS of dressing options (or at least that's how it seems when walking down the dressing isle). If you get salad, you either get the house dressing (which in Paris is usually this yummy light cream that has a hint of horseradish in it), vinaigrette of some sort, or oil and vinegar in their seperate bottles. That's it. They don't even ask you! There are no options. Well if you compare the slimmer figures of Europeans to our bubbly American selves, you have to assume they are doing more than one thing right! Perhaps keeping their salads healthy is part of this. I mean - do you even realize what ranch is? Basically, if you really get down to it, it is flavored lard. That's right, flavored lard. Mayo (lard) with some ranch (flavor). GROSS! And NOT healthy! Drowning lettuce in flavored lard does not a healthy option make. Besides, you eat it more for the creaminess than the flavor, and, remembering back my ranch days, you can't really 'lightly toss' your salad with it. I mean you can - but it doesn't taste near as good.

This is why I LOVE vinaigrettes. Their flavor is STRONG. I mean, I use probably half as much as a vinaigrette on a salad as I would ranch. Also - because it is liquid instead of liquified lard, it dresses the salad itself as it slides over the leaves of lettuce. No intense mixing or redressing required here. Also - even if I put it on a salad in the morning, the lettuce isn't too soggy at lunchtime because it's lighter. To be honest, when they put oil and vinegar on my table, I'll sprinkle a little oil and mostly use vinegar. Oil is fatty-ish (but in a good way according to scientists), but vinegar has a bunch of health benefits, besides being lean!

Check this out:: Olive oil provides the body with healthy monounsaturated fats, which fights heart disease and has antioxidant benefits. Vinegars help regulate the body, controlling blood sugar level, increasing mineral absorption and replacing unhealthy substances (fats, sodium) with healthy ones. Cool huh!! Vinegar goes through your bodie and replaces unhealthy substances with healthy ones!

Also - there are so many different Vinaigrette options! You can go with the normal good ol' oil and vinegar, straight. It's delish- I promise! A little too 'rustic' for you? Try Light Basalmic Vinaigrette! (Yes, because its premixed sometimes they try to add extra fats in, but light will keep the fat content, and calorie content, down). Want some salad for desert? Ken's Steak House Light Rasperry Vinaigrette is my latest addiction - it will give you salad CRAVINGS! There's not really the bitterness you get from other vinaigrettes, just sweet goodness!