Alright so I officially starting to do this tomorrow, I read the book and portioned out my lunch and snacks for work.

I just want to know if I can have salad dressings as my fat portion? I typically use light Renee Caesar Dressing or other light Caesar (this is basically the only kind I really eat). Can I use like 1 teaspoon or something for the salad?

Also, what about salsa - salsa makes a really nice "sauce" for veggies with chicken. Can I use salsa?

Thank you.

Hi Shauna,

Yes Salad dressing can be your fat portion. If you're following the 1 - 2 - 3 method, then you need "a dash" of salad dressing, which means use sparingly and not drowning yourself in salad dressing!

Alternatively, I like to work things out, so I would check the label for the fat and workout how much you can have. E.g. Let's say the label looks like this one:

http://www.calorie-count.com/calori.../4116.html

It shows 17% fat, or 11.1g of fat per 2 tbsp (31.0g). Now a fat block is 1.5g of fat, so 2 tbsp's is 11.1 / 1.5 = 7.4 blocks of fat, which is going to be too much for anyone.

Half that would be 3.7 blocks of fat from 1 tbsp, so depending on your meal size (let's assume you will be on a 3 blocker, like most women) then slightly under 1 tbsp will be right.

As a table spoon is about 3 tea spoons, you could (based on 17% fat salad dressing) say that 1 tea spoon, is roughly = 1 block of fat as a general rule.

And good luck Shauna!

Since starting on the zone diet about a month ago I have strayed away from most salad dressings. Not only due to the fat content but, in reading the label, most have added suger, and/or use other than olive oil.

Question: is canola oil ok? I think I read somewhere that is is fairly rich in monounsat fats. Also, are there any other oils that are good substitutes for olive oil? Thanks.

I think the best dressing is Vinagrette...
-Olive Oil and a dash of vinegar.
You can switch the taste by changing to Toasted Sesame Oil as well as Canola Oil...
1/3 teaspoon of any of these three oils is considered a block of fat. :)

Salsa is great, as long as you either prepare it yourself or buy the ones low in sugar and with the most favorable nutritional labels out there.