5 Inside Secrets on How to Choose the Healthiest Salad Dressing

Eat Like Me, SELF Magazine

It's every dietitian's recommendation to eat more salad but just as important as what you put in the salad is what you put on the salad: the dressing. Here is how I choose my salad dressing with the goal of keeping my salad healthy--as it is intended to be!

If you go through all the trouble of making a salad you should reward yourself with a tasty dressing to compliment it. But be aware that some dressing can do more harm than good. Dressings add calories to a low-calorie meal, which is good because the fats in dressing add nutrition and satiety to your bowl--so long as you are choosing the right kinds.

Here are my 5 simple rules for choosing and using salad dressing!

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1. Avoid fat free dressing.
-- Fat is okay, in fact fat is good! Fat helps you absorb fat soluble vitamins found in certain vegetables and fat slows the digestion process so it helps to keep you feeling full for longer. Healthy fats like those that come from oils can improve heart health. Fat free dressings are usually highly processed and contain no good nutrition. The calories are reduced significantly but it's not a place where you should be looking to save them, you'll just end up hungry.

2. Save creamy dressing for special occasions.
-- Creamy dressings are a special treat. They taste great but they can be a downfall to your diet if you are loading up on them often. I save creamy dressing for special occasions like a night at a nice restaurant or dinner at a friend's house. Creamy dressing are higher in calories but the real problem is the saturated fat content, usually 1.5-3 grams per serving. Saturated fat is harmful to the heart so don't undo the good salad choice with a bad dressing choice.

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3. The first three ingredients should be oil, water and some kind of vinegar.
-- This is the base for a good salad dressing and it's this combination that will keep your salad healthy. Vinegar and water are calorie free and oil adds the good fat and nutrition we want. Make sure there is less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat per serving to ensure they are not sneaking in unhealthy fats after they use a little good fat. Ideally the rest of the ingredients in the dressing should be all natural - herbs, spices and other seasonings you are familiar with...not additive names you can't pronounce.

4. Drizzle don't drench!
-- Even if you pick the healthiest salad dressing, using too much of it will load your salad with calories and you won't reach your weight goals as easily. It's a great idea to actually measure out a standard 2 Tablespoon serving into a small bowl then pour that over your salad...you may be surprised how much less dressing that is compared to what you usually have. When taking a salad to work find a small container and pour your 2 Tablespoon serving in there and bring with!

5. Make your own once in a while.
-- The best way to ensure you are having a healthy dressing is to make it yourself! I love making fresh salad dressing using ingredients I always have at home. Here is a great recipe to try. Enjoy!

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BASIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING FOR ANY SALAD:
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup red wine or cider vinegar
-1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
-2 garlic cloves, pressed
-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
-2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
-Kosher salt
-Fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a salad dressing shaker and shake well to combine.

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