When it comes time to enjoy a salad, there are multiple types of dressings to add on: ranch, blue cheese, Caesar and vinaigrette — the list goes on.
But salad dressing seems to get a bad wrap for its extra calories. Among the lettuce, croutons and healthy assortment of various options, it can feel strange to add on to any bowl.
So what is the healthiest option to put on your salad? And is it better to make them at home?
Does the salad choice matter?
Dietitian Teresa Fung, Sc.D., shared to Today that the most important choice with eating a salad is choosing to eat one.
“I don’t want people to worry about salad dressing to the point that they’re not eating the salad,” Fung told Today. “Eat the salad.”
WebMD claims that the appropriate amount of toppings — and which ones you choose — can lead to more vitamins, minerals and protein in your diet, among several other health benefits.
In particular, Healthline recommends to incorporate:
- Raw greens: kale, spinach and/or lettuce.
- Nuts and seeds: walnuts and/or pumpkin seeds.
- Dried fruit: cranberries and/or apricots.
- Whole grains: brown rice and/or quinoa.
- Cheese: cheddar and/or feta cheese.
Are there salad dressings I should avoid?
When it comes to which types of commercial dressings to refrain from, Fung told Today to look for any that contain:
- Sodium.
- Added sugar.
- Saturated fat.
Multiple salad dressings contain added sugar to both balance out the flavor and act as a preservative. It’s advised to choose a dressing with “no more than 4 grams of added sugar per serving — the equivalent of 1 teaspoon,” per Today.
“People are aware that you need to watch salt. But what they’re not aware is there’s often a lot of sugar in salad dressings,” said Lisa Young, a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York, according to Today.
In terms of sodium, the National Kidney Foundation suggests not to use prepared dressings that have high amounts of sodium, and instead use dressings with around “336 mg sodium for two tablespoons.”
Eat This, Not That urges consumers to be careful with dressings holding saturated fats, as having too much LDL cholesterol from saturated fats can lead to arterial blockage.
It’s recommended for a 2,000-calorie diet to not exceed 13 grams of saturated fat per day.
The healthiest salad dressings
While there isn’t one all-inclusive winner, Today listed several options to use for your next salad:
Vinaigrette
The mixture of vinegar and olive oil is most approved among dietitians, according to Today.
Extra-virgin olive oil is good by Fung, while Young likes to use balsamic or apple cider vinegar.
Avocado-based dressing
High in a healthy amount of monounsaturated fat, an avocado-based dressing is appropriate if the salad doesn’t contain more avocado.
“Avocado is good for you,” Young said, “but more is not better,” reported Today.
Honey mustard
It’s a sweet and savory, oil-based option, but be careful about the sugar content.
“If you’re making it yourself, great. If it’s a store-bought, (check) how much sugar it contains,” Young advised, per Today.
Tahini dressing
This dressing made out of sesame paste and contains proteins and vitamin E.
Green Goddess dressing
If you want a plant-based option, this dressing is made of olive oil, herbs and assorted greens.
It’s healthier to make it homemade
Although there are quality in-store options, experts suggest the healthiest choice is to make salad dressing at home.
Registered dietitian Jamie Allers shared with Hartford HealthCare that homemade dressing may help to reduce calories and harmful ingredients.
“When in doubt, making your own is always the best option. Instead of scouring the ingredients list for additives, you can control what you use,” Allers said.
Both Fung and Young recommend to make your own dressings at home, as you can control what ingredients you put into the dressing — plus it could taste better than if it’s store-bought, per Today.