Love It, Like It, Hate It: Vinaigrettes & salad dressings

We know that a hefty dose of creamy salad dressing is the quickest way to sabotage a healthy salad, but more and more options are making it easier than ever to keep a salad nutritious, in spite of creamy dressings – and on the flip side, many seemingly low-cal vinaigrettes and “light” dressings can be loaded with sodium and more than a day’s worth of added sugar! In today’s Love it, Like it, Hate it, we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on the best & worst dressings and vinaigrettes in stores.

LOVE IT!

All of the “Love It” salad dressings are low in calories and sugar, with less than 200 mg sodium per ounce

Hanley’s Dressings & Vinaigrette (e.g. Strawberry Vinaigrette)

• Per 2 tbsp: 30 calories, 100 mg sodium, 5 grams carbs, 1 gram sugar, 0 protein

• Ingredients include: strawberries, cane syrup, red wine vinegar, olive oil…

Trader Joe’s Almond Butter Turmeric Salad Dressing

• Per 2 tbsp: 60 calories, 90 mg sodium, 4 grams carb, 2 grams sugar (1 gram added sugar), 2 grams protein

• Ingredients include almond butter, ginger puree, cane sugar, garlic, sea salt…

Whole Foods Brand Vegan Caesar Dressing (in produce section)

• Per 2 tbsp: 15 calories, 20 mg sodium, 2 grams carbs, 0 sugar, 1 protein

• Ingredients include: non-GMO silken soy pure, white wine vinegar, garlic, lemon juice concentrate…

Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• Per 2 tbsp: 15 calories, 0 sodium, 4 grams carbs, 3 grams sugar, 0 protein

• Ingredients include: water, apple cider vinegar, apple juice concentrate, onions, black pepper

LIKE IT!

Marzetti’s Simply 60 (e.g. Creamy Caesar)

• Per 2 tbsp: 60 calories, 250 mg sodium, 2 grams carbs, 1 gram sugar, 1 gram protein

• Ingredients include: buttermilk, canola oil, red wine vinegar, parmesan and romano cheeeses…

HATE IT!

Newman’s Own Family Recipe Italian

• Per 2 tbsp: 130 calories, 320 mg sodium, 1 gram carbs, 0 sugar, 1 gram protein

• Ingredients include: soybean oil, water, vinegar…

Brianna’s Home Style Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing

• Per 2 tbsp: 120 calories, 420 mg sodium, 14 grams carbs, 14 grams sugar, 0 protein

• Ingredients include: sugar, water, red wine vinegar, canola oil, salt, spices…

• 25% day’s worth of sodium and more than half the recommended upper limit of sugar in a single ounce – and most people can easily use at least 2-3 ounces of dressing on a salad.

To catch the full segment on WGNO.com, click here.