Which salad dressing is the best for you

Check the Nutrition Facts label and ingredient list when selecting your healthy salad dressings to make sure they contain good fats, but keep in mind the calorie counts. All fats are more calorie-dense than carbohydrates and protein — fat of any type contains 9 calories per gram, while carbs and protein contain only 4 calories per gram, according to the AHA.

Adjust your diet choices to use good fats instead of other foods — not as an addition to your daily menu. Calories Aim for fewer than 45 calories per tablespoon tbsp , suggests Caplan, that for the right kind of fat, you can go a bit above this threshold. Added Sugar Shoot for fewer than 5 grams g of sugar per serving at maximum, says Caplan. If the DV is higher, you may want to choose another dressing, or eat less than the serving size, she adds. Here are eight registered dietitian—endorsed bottles to consider adding to your lunch rotation:.

This is a full-fat healthy salad dressing and has the calories to prove it, but the fat comes from organic canola oil. At calories per serving, this dressing is almost too caloric for Caplan, so she advises cutting it with a little vinegar, or even water as long as the flavor still satisfies you, or simply have it in 1-tbsp servings.

A dressing featuring healthy sesame oil, ginger , and other Asian-style spices will provide you with a tasty break to mix up your healthy salad dressing routine. To bring the sodium down, add to your greens in moderation.

Salads with fish or eggs taste particularly delightful with avocado dressings. Keep in mind that exposed avocado flesh will oxidize and turn brownish if not used the same day. This recipe from Eating Well is smooth and creamy to lend your greens just the perfect touch of decadence. Try this recipe from Wholefully when you're looking to add a vibrant and rich something-something to those veggies you're trying so hard to make a part of your diet.

While berries are tasty to snack on, perfect with dessert, and ideal in smoothies, you might be surprised to discover they also make tasty salad dressings.

Puree a bunch of fresh or frozen berries in the blender and combine the mixture with a splash of lemon juice, a dash of red pepper, and even some herbs. As strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and the like are low in sugar, they are an ideal base for a light dressing.

With their natural antioxidants and high vitamin content, making berries the main component of your dressing is a nourishing way to go. Go ahead and add some color to those greens. Try a few of these easy recipes from Nature Ripe to get a sense of all the wonderful dressing options made possible by a handful of berries.

This recipe from Wellness Mama results in a pretty pink raspberry vinaigrette that's as tasty in a salad as it is used for a meat marinade. Made with buttermilk, salt, onion, garlic, and herbs, ranch dressing and most ranch-flavored foods have me hypnotized like the rest of America. That said, the wildly popular salad accompaniment simply isn't a great choice if you're trying to maintain a relatively low-caloric diet geared toward weight loss or even weight maintenance.

While it's noble to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, drenching your lettuce or dipping your carrots in copious amounts of ranch dressing doesn't add any vitamins or nutrients to the experience.

Since eating too much fat—especially saturated fat that your body has a hard time ridding itself of—leads to weight gain, you want to avoid fatty dressings like ranch. Moreover, commercial ranch dressings like Hidden Valley's The Original Ranch contain as much as 22 grams of fat along with disturbing additives like MSG for enhanced flavor and a whopping milligrams of sodium.

If you have the inner strength, just say no to the creamy, tangy allure of this buttermilk siren. Thousand Island is a dressing that can be prepared in a variety of ways, however, most versions will have a base of mayonnaise, ketchup or tomato puree, and egg. Consider how much mayo you ought to be eating in one sitting and that will give you a good idea of how much Thousand Island dressing you want to consume as part of a single serving of salad.

While it's possible to make a slightly healthier version of this topping at home, most commercial varieties will be loaded with preservatives, flavorings, and colorings. Since this dressing is void of essential vitamins and minerals, there are no real benefits, only a whole lot of saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol, and sugar —all of which put you at risk for health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. If you love the taste of Thousand Island, try making a small batch at home and enjoy in moderation.

EVOO is brimming with oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that has been shown to prevent heart disease. Avocado oil—the first ingredient in this pick—has been shown to prevent metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, a study in BioMed Research Journal shows.

What's more, this dreamy dressing features aromatic flavors from basil, garlic, red chile peppers, and thyme, deeming this the perfect accompaniment to any meal. If you're yearning for an indulgent flavor factor to keep your salad streak going, Annie's organic Caesar trumps most commercial brands that inject their formulas with belly-ballooning fat and salt.

Plus, this Ceasar is egg-free and non-GMO. Unlike our other healthy salad dressing contenders, Tessemae's serving size is trimmed down to a mere tablespoon. However, even if you double it to two, the nutritionals remain quite impressive. Instead of stuffing in deleterious amounts of sodium and sugar, Tessemae's flavors its sauce with organic tamari, EVOO, and turmeric. It's time to ditch the dressing that convinced you to eat your veggies as a child.

Hidden Valley's original ranch sneaks in appetite-spiking MSG as well as artificial flavors and preservatives—scary ingredients you don't want lurking in your salad. Sure, one serving size boasts just 60 calories but are you looking at the super-high sodium content and preservative-packed ingredient list when buying a bottle of this savory salad topper? Skip Kraft's Mediterranean-inspired sauce and go for one of our better store-bought salad dressings instead. If you're looking to add some sweetness to your spring mix, you're better off tossing in some sliced fruit rather than drizzling on this dressing.

Two tablespoons pack in 5 grams of sugar, which doesn't sound too horrendous until you've poured double the recommended serving size into your bowl. Your go-to French fry dip contains more sodium than 20 mini Snyder's pretzels!

If your goal is to balance your blood pressure, skip this pick and opt for using these 20 Foods That Lower Blood Pressure to jazz up your lettuce. Don't let the modest and minimally-styled label fool you: this dressing is far from simple. In addition to including a laundry list of ingredients, Brianna's cheese-spiked caesar also manages to pack in a whopping milligrams of sodium, which is why we omitted it from being deemed a healthy salad dressing.

When you're looking for a healthy salad dressing, balsamic is usually your go-to, right? Maybe not this one. With just five basic ingredients, balsamic vinaigrette is one of the easiest homemade salad dressings to prepare in a pinch. It has a sweet yet savory flavor that works well in just about any salad, making it one of the most versatile options available. A 2-tablespoon ml serving contains the following nutrients 1 , 6 , 7 , 8 :.

Creamy, cool, and refreshing, this avocado lime dressing works great on salads or served as a tasty dip for fresh veggies. Avocado is a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and may help boost your HDL good cholesterol levels 9 , A 2-tablespoon ml serving contains the following nutrients 1 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 13 :. This tart, tasty salad dressing is a great choice to help brighten up your favorite salads and vegetable dishes. It works especially well for simple salads that need a bit of extra zing, thanks to its zesty citrus flavor.

A 2-tablespoon ml serving contains the following nutrients 1 , 14 , 15 :. A 2-tablespoon ml serving contains the following nutrients 1 , 7 , 15 , 16 :. Versatile, creamy, and delicious, ranch dressing is one of the most popular salad dressings available. In this homemade alternative, Greek yogurt gives a healthy twist to this tasty condiment. This version works well as a dipping sauce or dressing. A 2-tablespoon ml serving contains the following nutrients 11 , 17 , 18 , 19 :.

Apple cider vinaigrette is a light and tangy dressing that can help balance the bitterness of leafy greens like kale or arugula.