10 Unhealthiest Salad Dressings on Grocery Shelves

While anything can technically be called a salad, dishes loaded with leafy greens, fresh vegetables, and lean protein can pack a lot of nutrition into one dish. However, the salad dressing you choose to drizzle on your plate can either be an unhealthy option that adds a lot of calories, sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats, or it can be a healthier option that helps keep you full and satisfied.

Opting for a healthy salad dressing can help you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins found in vegetables and greens, including vitamins A, D, E, and K. Leafy greens like spinach and kale are rich in carotenoids, which are converted into vitamin A in the body. At least 3 to 5 grams of fat need to be eaten with the leafy greens to absorb these nutrients, so a little fat can actually make your salad healthier.

Meanwhile, unhealthy salad dressings can sabotage a perfectly good salad by adding sodium, unhealthy fat, sugars, and significant calories. So, it’s important to know what to look for when you’re at the grocery store and trying to determine whether your dressing of choice is unhealthy.

Read on for what dietitians say are some of the unhealthiest salad dressings on supermarket shelves, and for more healthy grocery tips, check out the 6 Healthiest Potato Chips, According to Dietitians.

In This Article:

Methodology: How to Identify An Unhealthy Salad Dressing

When looking for salad dressings you’ll want to limit or avoid, dietitians recommend being aware of these deciding factors:

• Types of fat: Dressings made with olive oil or avocado oil are higher in monounsaturated fats, which have been found to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Salad dressings that include low-oleic oils or vegetable oils are high in Omega 6 fatty acids and are more likely to oxidize and cause free radicals leading to inflammation, explains Lara Clevenger MSH, RDN, CPT. Saturated fat is often found in oils that use dairy or cream as a base, which is okay in moderation but should be limited to less than 10% of the daily value (DV) per serving.
• Added sugars: The average American eats 17 teaspoons of added sugars per day, which is more than double what we should be eating. It’s recommended to limit added sugar to only 10% of our daily calories, or less than 50 grams per day. Even dressings that don’t seem “sweet” can have sneaky sugars.
• Sodium: The serving size of salad dressing is small, usually around two tablespoons, and just a small amount can pack a lot of sodium. When choosing a salad dressing, limit sodium to less than 10% of your DV to avoid eating too much, which is associated with a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
• Calories: While it’s good for a salad dressing to add energy to your salad (we want to be full and satisfied, after all), some dressings can add 180 calories or more from just a small, two-tablespoon serving, making it easy to add unnecessary, extra calories to your day.

Marie’s Chunky Blue Cheese

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 160
Fat: 18 g (Saturated Fat: 3.5 g)
Sodium: 170 mg
Carbs: 1 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 1 g

In just two tablespoons of Marie’s Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing, you get 3.5 grams of saturated fat, or 18% of your daily value. “What makes this particularly unhealthy is that due to its chunky nature, it is easy to use more than two tablespoons on your salad,” says Amy Beney, MS, RD, CDCES. Adding extra could add a third of your total saturated fat recommendations—just from your salad dressing!

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Olive Garden’s Classic Caesar Dressing

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 100
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 340 mg
Carbs: 1 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: <1 g)
Protein: 1 g

“I recommend limiting the use of Olive Garden’s Classic Caesar Dressing, as the calories, fat, and sodium can add up quickly,” says Mandy Tyler, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD.

With 340 milligrams of sodium in each serving, you’re adding 15% of your daily value from just the dressing alone.

 10 Best & Worst Caesar Salad Dressings, According to Dietitians

Ken’s Steakhouse Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 170
Fat: 19 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
Sodium: 250 mg
Carbs: 1 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 0 g

“Ken’s Steakhouse Buttermilk Ranch Dressing is made predominately from soybean oil, which is high in omega-6 fatty acids,” says Wan Na Chun, MPH, RD, CPT, of One Pot Wellness. “Excessive consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, without a balanced intake of omega-3 fatty acids, can lead to inflammation, which is associated with various health conditions,” Chun adds.

One serving also adds 15% DV for saturated fat and 11% DV for sodium—two nutrients that should be limited for heart health.

 9 Best & Worst Ranch Dressings on Store Shelves

Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 0
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 360 mg
Carbs: 1 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 0 g

“While Walden Farms Chipotle Ranch boasts zero calories, it’s essential to recognize the potential drawbacks,” explains Jessie Hulsey, RD, LD, an Atlanta-based registered dietitian.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

While zero calories might sound like a good thing, the lack of fat will prevent your body from absorbing essential fat-soluble vitamins in greens and vegetables. And while there’s no fat or calories, this dressing does add 360 milligrams of sodium (15% of the daily value) to your diet.

Wishbone Thousand Island Dressing

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 120
Fat: 11 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 300 mg
Carbs: 4 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 0 g

While we’re not concerned about the saturated fat in Wishbone Thousand Island Dressing, the four grams of added sugars and 13% of your daily recommended sodium per serving make it a less-than-nutritious choice.

Ken’s Steakhouse Country French with Orange Blossom Honey

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 140
Fat: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 230 mg
Carbs: 10 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 0 g

Ken’s Steakhouse Country French with Orange Blossom Honey is as sweet as it sounds, with a whopping 9 grams of added sugar in each serving. While it does fall within 10% of the DV for saturated fat and sodium (at exactly 10% for each), the high amount of added sugar (18% of the recommended daily value in one serving) in this dressing makes it one you should limit or avoid.

If you like a little sweetness, add fresh fruit to your salad instead!

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Wishbone Original Western Salad Dressing

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 160
Fat: 12 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 250 mg
Carbs: 13 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 12 g)
Protein: 0 g

While we’re talking about added sugars, Wishbone Orginal Western Salad Dressing is one of the worst. Described on the product page as a “twist on traditional French dressings,” just one serving of this dressing has 24% of the recommended daily limit of added sugars—all from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

While HFCS hasn’t been found to be worse for our health than table sugar, it should be limited in the diet just the same, as it’s associated with a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. All in all, this is one unhealthy salad dressing.

Hidden Valley Buffalo Ranch

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 110
Fat: 11 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 410 mg
Carbs: 2 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 0 g

Testing the limits of just how much sodium can be packed into two small tablespoons, Hidden Valley Buffalo Ranch contains a massive 18% in each serving. And if you don’t limit yourself to just two tablespoons? It only goes up from there.

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Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 100
Fat: 7 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 310 mg
Carbs: 11 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 0 g

Vinaigrettes have often been thought to be the healthier of the salad dressings, as they’re lower in saturated fat and often in total fat, as vinegar makes up a larger proportion than most dressings.

But the first ingredient in Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette is sugar, and each serving adds 9 grams, or 18% DV, of added sugars. I’d recommend steering clear of this one.

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Maple Grove Farms Fat-Free Honey Dijon Dressing

Nutrition (Per 2 tbsp serving):
Calories: 40
Fat: 0 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 220 mg
Carbs: 9 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 0 g

Low in calories and with zero grams of fat, Maple Grove Farms Fat-Free Honey Dijon Dressing may seem like a healthier salad dressing choice. But while it won’t add unnecessary calories to your diet, it will add unnecessary sugar and sodium.

Each serving has 9 grams of added sugar and 10% DV of sodium. Plus, you’ll miss out on the nutrient boost from adding fat to your greens, leaving valuable vitamins unabsorbed.

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