Most store-bought dressings are loaded with added sugar, preservatives, and artificial flavorings those can take away from the potential health benefits of your salads and veggies. 

How to Choose a Healthier Salad Dressing or Dip

Read The Labels

• The shorter the ingredient list the better
• Look for clean ingredient list
• Skip the cheap, hydrogenated oils, HFCS, tons of additives, food coloring and thickeners.
• Look at the sugar content. My recommendation is to look for a dressing around 2 grams of added sugar or less per serving. There are somany delicious dressing options that have 0 sugars, see below recommendations.

Say NO to Fat-Free

Healthy fats are good for us and research shows pairing a salad with a little healthy fat can help our bodies absorb the nutrients in those veggies we eat. 

• “Fat-free” usually means it is loaded with extra sugars to make up for the lost favor from fat. 

Skip the Vegetable Oils

• Most vegetable oils (including soybean, cottonseed, canola, corn and plain vegetable oil) are highly processed, usually made from GMO crops.
• They are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which can contribute to inflammation when consumed in access. We get enough in our diets, about 16:1, so we don’t need to add anymore. 

Check the Serving Size

• Check the serving size first as the nutrition panel goes off of that. Most dressings are 2 T per serving but there are some that are only 1 T per serving. 
• Most healthier dressings options are anywhere from 50-200 calories per serving. Measure based on serving size, eyeballing can easily stack up calories without realizing it. 

And just remember the delicious flavors from the fresh veggies and fruit in the salad, you don’t need as much dressing anyway. 

Healthier Store-Bought Options 

• Whole Foods Garlic Tahini
• Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard or Ranch
• Tessemae Organic Lemon Garlic
• Braggs Organic Vinaigrette 

All of these have ZERO sugar with the exception of Primal Kitchen Ranch that has only 2 grams of sugar, within the desired range.

Home Made is Best

Making your own salad dressing at home is easier than you think and more cost-effective alternative to store-bought. AND it can give you better control of what you’re putting on your plate and in your body. 

I have a yummy recipe for you. 

To me, a good Green Goddess recipe is exactly what everyone who is wanting to eat cleaner needs to have. Green Goddess dressing and dip is usually very creamy and little tangy. It is loaded with fresh herbs and those flavors give it a savory base, so much so, with this yogurt-based recipe, you could eat it by the spoonful. 

High Protein Green Goddess Dressing & Dip

Typically, you’ll find mayonnaise and anchovies on the ingredients list. This recipe uses on Greek yogurt giving it the same creaminess but with more protein per serving. Here’s why this recipe is one you need in your recipe files. 

Greek Yogurt

A High-quality, whole-milk yogurt makes this dressing spectacular. A regular plain yogurt would work well, too, though it will be more runny. 

Fresh Herbs

Now we’re talking! This dressing calls for an overflowing cup of fresh, leafy herbs. Here are some notes on your options.

Chives or green onion

I love chives, but green onion works almost nearly as well. Keep the amount lower to avoid it overpowering the flavor.

Basil, parsley, cilantro, dill and/or mint

Any one of these herbs, combination or all together will work beautifully. Use what you love most.

Garlic

Just one small-to-medium clove—no more! In sauces and dressings, garlic often grows in intensity as it rests.

Lemon

Lemons add a little zest and zip to this creamy dressing. 

Salt and Pepper

Add these seasons to your desire. And more black pepper, to me, the better!

High Protein Green Goddess Dressing Recipe

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably 2% or full-fat (made with whole milk), I used FAGE
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh herbs (tender stems are fine): cilantro, parsley, dill, basil and/or mint, with up a couple table spoons of chives
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/4 lemon, squeezed
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and green, with tiny flecks of herbs. If your using a blender, you can add a little water or even EVOO to thin it a little so it blends better. 

Use as desired, or cover and refrigerate for later. This will keep well in the fridge for about 5 to 7 days.

Nutritional Value

• 1/2 cup serving size
• 50 calories
• 12 grams protein
• 0 added sugars 

With this nutritional value, I can use the whole thing at once but I usually use the 1/2 cup serving for my veggies to dip and ½ cup on my veggie salad for a dressing. 

Enjoy!