The genius way to make your creamy salad dressing healthier (and make it last longer)

Any salad lover knows it’s far too easy for the best laid dressing plans to go awry. “I’ll just use a tiny bit,” you said—and now you’re staring at a plate smothered with a half-bottle of (dairy-free) ranch. One easy way to make less of those thick and creamy toppers go a whole lot farther? Simply add your favorite citrus.

Mona Vand—a plant-based pharmacist and wellness expert—recently shared a hack on her Instagram Stories that will change the way you use your beloved dressings. Instead of dousing your greens with your fave store-bought dressing (Vand loves Follow Your Heart Organic Vegan Caesar), Vand recommends pouring a small portion into a bowl and squirting in some lemon juice to thin it out a bit. “My salad dressing secret is to dilute everything with lemon juice so you don’t have to use as much,” she says.

If you want to kick things up another notch (and if your palate can handle it), you could try swapping the lemon with apple cider vinegar. (Warning: You may need to experiment with the ratio to get it to taste *just right.*)

“My salad dressing secret is to dilute everything with lemon juice so you don’t have to use as much.” —Mona Vand

Not content to stop at the lemon’s health benefits (citrus can give you a nice little antioxidant boost), Vand also mixes in some nutritional yeast for a major dose of vitamin B12—just two tablespoons contain 80 percent of your daily value.

Vitamin B12 is a superstar for those suffering with mental health issues—past studies have shown that people diagnosed with depression are often deficient in vitamin B12—as well as vegans and vegetarians. Because the nutrient, which helps make your DNA and blood vessels (so it’s like, kind of important), is most commonly found in animal products, it’s often the first supplement docs recommend people on a meatless diet take. And with Vand’s so-simple-I-should-have-thought-of-it hack, you can get the dose you need without adding any more pills to your regimen.

These simple salad dressings have some serious wow-power. Or, meet the salad that’s a Tex-Mex lover’s dream come true.