How to Choose Dressing for Your Salad

Let's face it...you can take a wonderfully healthy green salad and ruin it by the dressing you choose to slather on top of it! If you look at the added calories and fat, you might as well have chosen something sweet and naughty for the same calories! (I'm semi-joking - there's value in the nutrients a green salad provides over a slice of chocolate mousse pie!)

So the big question isn't: Should I eat a green salad? That's a no-brainer! The question is: If I need a dressing on my salad, what should I choose?

According to an MSN health article by Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., American Institute for Cancer Research, there are three nutrition factors to consider when choosing dressing: fat, calories and sodium. When looking at labels, the titles "regular, reduced fat and fat-free" simply denote differences in amounts of fat that usually correlate with calorie content. "Reduced-calorie and low-calorie" dressing labels are often reduced-fat and low-fat, too; it’s just a matter of what producers want to emphasize to consumers on their label.

According to Collins, "Most regular salad dressing contains 8 to 16 grams of fat and 80 to 140 calories in the standard two-tablespoon serving. Reduced-fat dressings often range from 4 to 10 grams per serving, which brings calories down to 20 to 60. Low-fat dressings must contain 3 grams or less of fat per serving. Fat-free dressings must contain less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving and calories usually range from 15 to 40, depending on how much sugar and starchy thickeners are added."

If you feel you MUST have regular salad dressing, MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE. You'll need to keep to 2 tsp or less. That's not much! But otherwise you're simply loading your salad with unnecessary calories and fat! My father insists on fat-free dressing for weight control, but keep in mind that having some fat "enhances absorption of certain nutrients and plant compounds like beta-carotene, and may increase your sense of fullness after eating," Consequently, reduced-fat dressings are a good compromise.

Let's not forget to look at the TYPE of fat the dressing contains as well as the amount of sodium! Olive and canola oils are great choices. But beware and read the labels carefully! Some dressings include olive oil in their name but when you read the label, another oil is present in greater amounts (the label will list another oil higher in the list than the olive oil)! You might find other common oils like soybean and sunflower, but "most of us already get plenty of the polyunsaturated fat they provide. Compare saturated fat content if you prefer creamy dressings," says Collins. For sodium, the 250 to 550 milligrams (mg) in a serving of many bottled dressings is 10 to 24 percent of the day’s recommended limit! Low-sodium options may contain from 50 to 140 mg per serving.

Finally, a sure fire way to make your dressing as healthy as you want it, is to make your own! It's soooo easy! Use canola or olive oil and skip the salt in favor of herbs, spices and garlic for seasoning. Follow these tips from Collins: "A classic vinaigrette uses three to four times as much oil as vinegar but you can reduce the oil to only double the acid ingredient with a few simple tricks. Instead of harsher acids like red wine or cider vinegar, try lemon juice or a milder vinegar such as rice, white wine or raspberry. To thicken the reduced-oil dressing try a little Dijon mustard or a dab of honey. For lower fat creamy dressings, experiment using nonfat or reduced-fat yogurt, reduced-fat sour cream or buttermilk."