How to know if they are Healthy vs. Not
This is the ideal way to make your choice of salad dressing healthier:
1. Look at the Ingredient List!
What oil is the salad dressing made of?
Healthier Oils to Look For:
Olive oil
Avocado oil
Walnut oil
Flaxseed oil
Canola
High oleic Sunflower
(These oils have higher contents of Omega 3’s (anti-inflammatory) and better for heart health!)
Not as Healthy Oils to try and stay away from:
Soybean oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Sunflower oil (Non high oleic version)
Peanut oil
Palm Oil
Hydrogenated oils
(These oils have higher Omega 6 content and are more “inflammatory” oils)
One thing about salad dressing is it is hard to get away from additives/preservatives like guar gum, xanthum gums, gum acacia, sodium preservatives, artificial flavors, etc because of shelf stabilization. Ideally you are trying to find salad dressings with minimal ingredients and ingredients that you recognize!
2. Look in the fridge section of the grocery store for salad dressings (with minimal ingredients).
These tend to have less “preservatives”, healthier oil bases, and fresh ingredients. For ex: Trader Joes Green Goddess Dressing.
3. Look for for brands like:
Primal Kitchen
Sir Kensington
Tessamaes
Bolthouse Farms
Stonewall Kitchen
Trader Joes
These brands make a conscious effort to use healthier oils and recognizable organic ingredients! Still some of these may contain soy bean oil but they are more conscious of the other ingredients used in congruence! They are “healthier” choices than the typical Kraft.
4. Lastly, look at the food label!
Aim for:
Less than 120 Calories per serving
Less than 200mg of Sodium
Less than 1g Saturated fat
Less than 2g Sugar.
PER SERVING
BEST WAY TO RESOLVE THE SALAD DRESSING STRESS? MAKE YOUR OWN!
Here are my top 3 Favorite Simple Homemade Salad dressing recipes: