by Judith Willson

Created on: April 03, 2010   Last Updated: October 25, 2010

For most salad dressings you are advised to include something oily, something acidic, something sweet and something hot.  Oil and sugar (or honey) are of course fattening.  One consists of fat and another of, well, sugar.  The simplest salad dressing is straight olive oil, which consists of fat.   However these are only fattening in excess.

Drinking most salad dressings by the pint would of course pile on the pounds.   However there is nothing wrong with consuming certain high calorie foods in moderation.  Salad dressings are not going to be fattening unless you use too much, a couple of tablespoonfuls is not going to make you fat.

The next question really should be 'are salad dressings healthy'?  And the answer again is yes.  They encourage you to eat more fresh vegetables, the fats are often good fats (for example the olive oil just mentioned) and many people are unlikely to enjoy salads without them. 

To enjoy salad dressings without getting too fat you should use them sparingly.  Half a gallon of oil on your tomatoes is not recommended, a tablespoonful is fine.  If you include garlic and herbs then the taste will be as delicious whether you are drowning or drizzling your lettuce leaves. 

Making your own salad dressings means you know exactly what is going into them.  Store bought dressings often contain long lists of strange ingredients that are unlikely to be good for you and are full of sugar, including those sold as low fat.  An easy dressing for beginners consists of three parts olive oil, one part vinegar and herbs to taste.  This is healthier and tastier than most premade dressings.

In a restaurant you can order the dressing on the side.  Then simply add as much as is required to make a dull pile of leaves a delicious meal.  This will probably not be all the dressing they give you but don’t worry if it is; the nutrients you get from your salad are worth the calories.  

Simply because a dressing soaked salad might contain slightly more calories than a serving of fries does not mean the fries are the better option.  The fries only provide empty calories and don’t fill you up.  The salad, especially if eaten with wholemeal bread, should stop you feeling hungry for ages.  In the end, if you choose the fries you will probably eat more. 

It is all too easy to concentrate on calorie counts rather than nutrition.  If salad dressings encourage you to eat salads then go for it.  Be aware that they contain fats so do not soak your salads in dressing but don’t be scared of them.  The key to a long-term healthy diet is tasty, healthy foods and this includes dressed salads.

Learn more about this author, Judith Willson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.