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10 Best & Worst Salad Dressing Brands, According to Dietitians

Dress your salad with the healthiest dressings—and avoid the ones that are loaded with calories and saturated fat.
FACT CHECKED BY Olivia Tarantino
The product recommendations in this post are recommendations by the writer and/or expert(s) interviewed and do not contain affiliate links. Meaning: If you use these links to buy something, we will not earn a commission.

Salads wouldn't be the same without a delicious salad dressing. Of course, you can always whip up a dressing at home, but sometimes it's easier to grab a bottle at the grocery store. The only problem is that there are dozens if not hundreds of salad dressing brands out there, and not all of them are good for your health. You want your salad dressing to enhance the flavor and nutrient density of your salad—not detract from it. Certain salad dressings are made with unhealthy ingredients that leave them high in calories, sodium, artery-clogging saturated fat, and sugar. On the other hand, there are healthy salad dressings that are made with better-for-you ingredients.

How can you differentiate what salad dressings are good for you and which aren't? As a registered dietitian, I recommend choosing vinaigrette dressings over creamy dressings, as the former is typically made using a healthy plant oil base. Creamy dressings, on the other hand, are generally high in calories and artery-clogging saturated fat. However, there are some new dressings made with yogurt or avocado, so it is possible to get a creamy dressing without as many calories or saturated fat.

That's why it's important to read the nutrition facts panel and check the calories and saturated fat. If you find your dressing has over 10% of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat, there are many healthier choices you can make. Sodium is another nutrient to be wary of—if you need to cut back on the salty stuff then comparing labels is essential.

To help you make better choices at the grocery store, we spoke to registered dietitians from around the country who did the research for you and came up with six salad dressing brands that are lower in calories, saturated fat and/or sodium. Many of these brands can be found in their own pantries! There are also four dressings they recommend skipping due to their unhealthy attributes.

The 6 Best Salad Dressing Brands

Best: Primal Kitchen

primal kitchen ranch
Primal Kitchen

Our Top Choice: Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing

Per 2 tbsp serving: 110 calories, 12 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 240 mg sodium, 2 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 0 g protein

According to Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LDN, CLEC, CPT  author of Fueling Male Fertility and partner with Primal Kitchen, "Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing offers a distinct creaminess but without any questionable ingredients. Made with organic cage-free egg yolks and avocado oil, this dressing checks so many boxes when looking for a good-for-you topping for your salad or dip for your snacks." As a bonus, Manaker points out that the dressing is free from added sugars, soy, dairy, and gluten—factors that are important for some people on certain restrictive diets.

RELATED: The Best & Worst Fast-Food Salads

Best: Fanny Menciboni's

Fanny Italian Lite Salad Dressing
Mencoboni Foods

Our Top Choice: Fanny Italian Lite Salad Dressing

Per 2 tbsp serving: 70 calories, 7 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 510 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 0 g protein

"Being 110% Italian and living in Massachusetts, this salad dressing is a neighborhood favorite because it was born out of a little restaurant called La Cantina Italiana in Framingham, MA," says Dr. Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND, nutrition professor at Boston University, author of Nutrition & You, and the host of the nutrition & health podcast, Spot On! "It is flavorful, wicked low in saturated fat, but it tastes as though my Italian grandmother made it fresh just for me before I sat down to dinner." Salge Blake also recommends using this dressing as a marinade for chicken and it's gluten-free for those who need to follow a gluten-free diet.

Best: 365 by Whole Foods Market

365 Light Balsamic Vinaigrette
365 by Whole Foods Market

Our Top Choice: 365 Light Balsamic Vinaigrette

Per 2 tbsp serving: 45 calories, 4.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 210 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0.99 g sugar), 0 g protein

This dressing is a favorite of Washington, DC-based dietitian Caroline Thomason, RD, CDCES who says, "With 45 calories per serving and simple ingredients, I love that I can dress my salads with some heart-healthy fat at home without the added calories." Thomason also uses this vinaigrette as a marinade for chicken or veggies before roasting in the oven.

RELATED: 10 Best Frozen Foods To Buy at Whole Foods for Weight Loss

Best: Bolthouse Farms

Bolthouse Farms Creamy Dressings Cilantro Avocado
Bolthouse Farms

Our Top Choice: Bolthouse Farms Creamy Dressing Cilantro Avocado

Per 2 tbsp serving: 40 calories, 3.5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 160 mg sodium, 2 g carbs (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 1 g protein

"Bolthouse Farms dressings are located in the produce refrigerated section because they don't contain artificial preservatives or flavors," explains Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, founder of NutritionStarringYOU.com and author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook. "These flavorful creamy dressings are made with Greek yogurt to limit fat and caloric content with a range of 35-50 calories per 2 tablespoon serving." Other favorite flavors Pincus loves include Honey Barbecue Ranch, Avocado Green Goddess, and Creamy Caesar.

Best: Haven's Kitchen

Haven's Kitchen Edamame Green Goddess
Haven's Kitchen

Our Top Choice: Haven's Kitchen Edamame Green Goddess

Per 2 tbsp serving: 45 calories, 5 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 45 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 1 g protein

"As a registered dietitian and single mom of three, I love products that make it easier to serve vegetables and get a healthy meal on the table quickly," says Malina Malkani, MS, RDN, CDN owner of Malina Malkani Nutrition and author of Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention. She recommends Haven's Kitchen's collection of vegan, gluten-free, versatile dressings that contain premium ingredients like lemongrass, white miso, Serrano pepper, basil, tahini, and mint. Every flavor tastes amazing and works well equally drizzled over salad or as a marinade or sauce for cooked vegetables, meats, and grains.

Best: Trader Joe's

trader joe's vegan creamy dill dressing
Trader Joe's

Our Top Choice: Trader Joe's Vegan Creamy Dill Dressing

Per 2 tbsp serving: 60 calories, 6 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 120 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (<1 g fiber, 0 g sugar), <1 g protein

Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD owner of Sound Bites Nutrition recommends this dressing because it's low in sodium, carbs, and saturated fat with only 60 calories per 2-tablespoon serving. Plus, in addition to dressing your salad, Andrews recommends this dressing for your tuna salad.

RELATED: Trader Joe's 16 Best High-Protein Foods

The 4 Worst Salad Dressing Brands

Worst: Ken's

Ken's steakhouse ranch dressing
Ken's Foods

The Worst Offender: Ken's Ranch Dressing

Per 2 tbsp serving: 140 calories, 15 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 290 mg sodium, 2 g carbs (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 0 g protein

Although a little ranch goes a long way, Andrews says that Ken's provides 140 calories and 15 grams of fat per serving with 2.5 grams being the artery-clogging saturated kind—which is 13% of the recommended daily max. The sodium is also 13% of the daily recommended max—just for a bit of salad dressing. You can surely find many other options with a better nutrition breakdown (many of which are listed above).

Worst: Brianna's

Briannas classic buttermilk ranch dressing
Brianna's

The Worst Offender: Brianna's Classic Buttermilk Ranch

Per 2 tbsp serving: 170 calories, 17 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 320 mg sodium, 2 g carbs (0 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 1 g protein

Although Brianna's has some great dressing choices, their Classic Buttermilk Ranch isn't the healthiest choice. Per 2-tablespoon serving this dressing contains 170 calories, 17 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 320 milligrams of sodium. It's just increasing the calories and saturated fat of a healthy salad which can sabotage a perfectly healthy meal. Opt for Brianna's healthier and tasty options like their Blush Wine Vinaigrette and Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Worst: Marie's

Marie's Thousand Island Dressing
Marie's

The Worst Offender: Marie's Thousand Island Dressing

Per 2 tbsp serving: 160 calories, 16 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 220 mg sodium, 4 g carbs (0 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 0 g protein

Besides containing just too many calories, this dressing provides 15% of the recommended daily max of saturated fat. Opt instead for their raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette with a fraction of the calories and less saturated fat.

Worst: Olive Garden

bottle of olive garden parmesan ranch dressing
Olive Garden

The Worst Offender: Olive Garden Parmesan Ranch Dressing

Per 2 tbsp serving: 150 calories, 16 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 250 mg sodium, <1 g carbs (0 g fiber, <1 g sugar), 0 g protein

This creamy option from the popular restaurant provides 13% of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat and 11% of the recommended daily max of sodium. There are certainly better options available—even from the Olive Garden line including the signature Italian and light Italian dressings.

RELATED: The 8 Unhealthiest Orders at Olive Garden

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN
Toby Amidor is an award winning dietitian and Wall Street Journal best-selling cookbook author who believes healthy and wholesome can also be appetizing and delicious. Read more about Toby