Popular salad dressing brands ranked by a dietitian
In many cases, it is the dressing that makes the salad, but some can be filled with high calories and fat.
So, as we move into salad season, here are some of the most popular commercial dressings and the best options should you prefer your crunchy salad heavily dressed.
Marion's Kitchen Miso & Sesame Vinaigrette
Per serving:
- 53kJ (13 cal)
- <1 gram fat
- <1 gram sugars
Made from just vinegar and miso, this is one of the best tasting, lightest salad dressings you can find.
Praise Traditional 99% Fat Free Mayo
Per serving:
- 96kJ / 23cal
- <1 gram fat
- 4g sugars
With a base of sugar and vinegar rather than oil and egg yolk in regular mayonnaise, this is certainly a lower calorie and lighter product but also lacks the creaminess of full egg based mayo.
Praise Italian Dressing
Per serving:
- 170kJ (40 cal)
- 3.7 gram fat
- 1.5 gram sugars
With a base of vinegar as opposed to oil, this is one of the lowest fat and calorie dressings you can find.
Praise Dressings Balsamic
Per serving:
- 180kJ / 42cal
- 4 grams fat
- 2 grams sugars
This is a relatively light option overall with a base of water, vinegar and vegetable oil.
The only better option would be to combine the vinegar itself with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Birch & Waite Dressings Green Goddess
Per serving:
- 174kJ (42 cal)
- 3 grams fat
- 2 grams sugars
For the amount of fat and sugar, this dressing is a tasty, light option for your favourite salad
Praise Dressing Honey Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette
Per serving:
- 180kJ (43 cal)
- 3 grams fat
- 3 grams sugars
Made with a base of vinegar, sugar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, this dressing is one of the lightest on the market and a great light addition to salads.
Marion's Kitchen Coconut Sriracha
Per serving:
- 155kJ (37 cal)
- <1 gram fat
- 8 grams sugars
This option has a base of sugar. The salt and the sugar in this dressing add up so use sparingly.
Beerenberg Dressing Mango Lime Chilli
Per serving:
- 159kJ (38 cal)
- 2 grams fat
- 4 grams sugars
Offering a relatively clean ingredient list compared to other highly processed dressings, this dressing is a good option if you stick to the 20ml or 1 tbsp serving.
Coles Coleslaw Dressing
Per serving:
- 253kJ (60 cal)
- 5 grams fat
- 4 grams sugars
While this is lower in calories than some other creamy dressings, the base of sugar and vegetable oil in this option is not adding anything positive into the diet.
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