8 Healthiest Salad Dressings

When thinking about the healthiest salad dressings, a few important points come to mind. First, dressings made from natural ingredients like olive oil and vinegar tend to be the most healthful. These options usually contain healthy fats and antioxidants, which can boost the nutritional value of salads

Salads are a great way to add healthy options to your diet, packed with fresh ingredients that provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre. However, using certain store-bought salad dressings can significantly increase the fat, sugar, sodium, and preservatives in your meal. Making your salad dressing at home is a simple and budget-friendly alternative, but if you’re short on time, there are also several healthier options available at the grocery store.

What to Look for in a Healthiest Salad Dressings

Depending on your taste preferences, here are a few tips experts recommend when selecting a healthier salad dressing:

• Go for healthy oils: Vinaigrettes and similar dressings are most nutritious when made with olive, canola, sunflower, or safflower oils rather than oils high in solid fat.
• Opt for dairy: If you’re craving a creamier option, consider choosing a yoghurt-based salad dressing rather than one with a mayonnaise base to boost your daily dairy intake.
• Check the label: “Light” or “fat-free” versions may still contain higher levels of added sugar, calories, fat, and other additives, so read ingredient labels carefully.

The Healthiest Salad Dressings (Store-Bought Salad Dressings)

Sesame Ginger

This healthy salad dressing is a solid, nutritious option, balancing sesame, ginger, and soy. Ginger’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds may reduce nausea, protect against heart disease, and potentially encourage weight loss.

A dressing base like sesame oil is free of sodium, sugar, and carbohydrates and contributes a light, savoury flavour. Though it’s considered heart-healthy, note that sesame oil can air on the heavier side of calories and fat and does not contain protein or fibre.

ALSO READ: 6 Mood boosting Foods to Try, According to Dietitians

Anyone who has an allergy to sesame would want to avoid this option.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

As a versatile dressing, balsamic vinaigrette has a distinct tart and acidic taste that is typically lower in calories, sodium, and sugar. This popular option combines oil and vinegar, offering several health benefits.

Balsamic vinegar’s rich antioxidant content may help protect against inflammation and certain chronic diseases. Adding a heart-healthy dressing base like extra virgin olive oil contributes to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant support.

Vinegar allergies are considered to be rare, but if you have one, steer clear of vinaigrettes.

Avocado and Lime (Healthiest Salad Dressings)

For a creamier dressing, an avocado-lime blend can turn a plain salad into a savoury and filling meal.

Avocados boast monounsaturated fats that support heart health and cholesterol levels. Using them as a base with Greek yoghurt is a solid option. Adding lime juice offers a citrus and vitamin C boost.

Lemon Vinaigrette (in Healthiest Salad Dressings)

Vinaigrettes do not have a creamy base so they may contain less saturated fat. Even though these dressings contain oils that may add healthy unsaturated fats to your salad, they can also add calories.

The added lemon can help offset the sour taste of vinegar, adding sweetness without the added sugar. While lemon juice offers more vitamins, it does contain calories and carbohydrates.

Honey Mustard

This sweet, savoury, and creamy dressing includes healthier ingredients, like mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and honey. Though plain mustard is traditionally low in calories and carbs, flavoured varieties like honey Dijon can pile on added sugar. Options that include low-fat or Greek yoghurt to thicken the dressing would help keep this a relatively healthy selection.

Greek Yogurt Ranch

Though traditional ranch dressing is higher in calories, carbohydrates, and sugar, using a Greek yoghurt variety can make this a healthier store-bought version. Greek yoghurt’s thicker consistency and nutritional profile make it a versatile option for salad dressings. Greek yoghurt has no fibre. However, it is naturally high in protein and low in fat and calories.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette (Healthiest Salad Dressings)

Apple cider vinegar is a fermented liquid from crushed apples and yeast that offers multiple health benefits. The addition of olive oil as a base makes this a light but slightly sweet and tangy option that’s also heart-healthy.

Ginger Turmeric

Combining these two powerhouse ingredients has the potential to make one of the healthiest store-bought dressing options. Ginger and turmeric boast several health benefits, including supporting immune function, relieving pain, and alleviating nausea.1516 Using olive oil and apple cider vinegar as bases adds to the health profile of this dressing and complements its distinct tangy flavour.

Spice up your salad with healthy toppings. Nuts and seeds like pistachios, almonds, walnuts, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds add a crunch. Avocados have healthy fats and fibre, while hard-boiled eggs add protein. Low-sugar dried fruit and fruits like apples, pears, strawberries, and mandarin oranges add sweetness.

— JAMIE JOHNSON, RDN, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD

What Are the Most Unhealthy Salad Dressings?

Some popular salad dressings contain hidden fat, sodium, sugar, and calories, making them less optimal choices.

Caesar

This creamy dressing is rich with saturated fat and sodium, particularly with the cheese and croutons that traditionally top a Caesar salad. The dressing also is commonly made with raw eggs, which is a risk for foodborne illness.

Thousand Island

Using mayonnaise and ketchup to give Thousand Island dressing its unique flavour means it’s filled with fat, sugar, and sodium. Because these main ingredients are high in saturated fat, regularly consuming them over time may increase the risk of developing high cholesterol levels and heart disease.

Bleu Cheese

Popular for its tangy taste, bleu cheese dressing is made with a thick base like mayonnaise or sour cream. Low in protein but high in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories, it is not considered a good source of vitamins and minerals.

Experts further recommend avoiding using bleu cheese dressing and other fat-filled toppings like croutons, bacon bits, and nuts and focusing more on adding colourful veggies to your salad.

In summary, many store-bought salad dressings can transform a healthy meal into one that’s packed with excess fat, carbohydrates, sodium, sugar, and other unhealthy ingredients. Luckily, if making your dressing isn’t feasible, there are plenty of healthier options available in stores.

Experts suggest opting for oil-based or Greek yoghurt-based dressings and steering clear of popular choices like Caesar, Thousand Island, and bleu cheese dressings whenever possible. If you have any concerns about which dressing is best for your health, it’s a good idea to consult with a healthcare provider.