What are the healthiest salad dressings?

 Yes, it’s ok to enjoy dressing on your salad but pay attention to how much dressing you use. Typical salads often  come dressed with 4 tablespoons of salad dressing (1/4 cup)–more than twice as much as we need.

 Because many salad dressings are high in calories, sugar, and salt, a helpful strategy is to order dressing on the side so you can control the amount you use – typically, a serving size is around two tablespoons. Ordering dressing on the side lets you control how much to use. Practicing portion control is key with dressings.

 The fat in salad dressing is actually healthy.  There’s no need to order “fat-free” dressing. In fact, some healthy fat in a dressing is actually good for you and helps you to absorb the fat soluble nutrients from the vegetables (like lycopene in tomatoes and beta carotene in carrots.)

 Fat also provides satiety and helps you to feel satisfied.

Avoid fat-free dressings which usually contain more sugar and other unwanted ingredients.

The healthiest salad dressings include balsamic vinaigrette, tahini, or yogurt based dressings. They often contain unsaturated fat like extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, or vegetable oil; balsamic or apple cider vinegar, and little added sugar and salt. The unhealthiest dressings contain saturated fat like Thousand Island, blue cheese, or ranch.