TOTAL FAT
A dressing is supposed to be fat-based, so don’t compare fat grams among brands. And skip fat-free varieties. If you want to focus on fat, then check out the type(s) used in the ingredient list.
Even though I always have the highest healthy-eating aspirations Monday morning, I’ve learned that being prepared also means being realistic—meaning there are days where a homemade dressing just isn’t in the cards. To keep this from being a roadblock to healthy eating, I keep an assortment of store-bought dressings in my fridge to drizzle on salads and veggies, or use as a last-minute marinade, when needed.
TOTAL FAT
A dressing is supposed to be fat-based, so don’t compare fat grams among brands. And skip fat-free varieties. If you want to focus on fat, then check out the type(s) used in the ingredient list.
ADDED SUGARS
A touch of sweetness is sometimes needed to balance flavors, but make sure the dressing has <3 grams total sugars per serving.
SODIUM
<250mg per serving (ideally <200mg per serving)
INGREDIENT LIST
Look for those that contain the same or very similar ingredients to what might be in a homemade recipe. These will typically be your less processed.
TYPES OF FATS AND OILS
Avoid hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Find a dressing using flaxseed oil, olive oil, avocado oil, or walnut or other nut oils since they have more omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.