I prefer to buy bottled salad dressing rather than make my own at home due to convenience, taste, and mouthfeel. The brand I currently purchase is Ken’s Simply Vinaigrette Italian. Since I work with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) Kelly Nordby, I thought it would be interesting to get her thoughts on this commercially processed product.
Questions:
1. What are your thoughts on the ingredient list and the nutition facts label in this product?
Of the bottled salad dressings that I have seen, this ranks at the top of the list. There are no additives, added sugar or added starches. Additionally, this is made with canola oil, containing heart healthy fat, with only 1 gram of saturated fat out of the 13g of total fat. All of the ingredients are natural.
2. Canola oil is listed as the first ingredient and extra virgin olive oil is listed as the 6th ingredient. From a nutritional standpoint, is canola oil acceptable? Why do you think they primarily use canola oil instead of extra virgin olive oil?
Yes, canola oil is acceptable and is generally considered a “healthy” oil because it is very low in saturated fat and similar to olive oil, it is high in monounsaturated fat (63%). Canola oil also contains a significant level of polyunsaturated omega-3s, a heart healthy fat that has been shown to lower triglyceride levels. Canola oil or soybean oil is primarily used in bottled salad dressings vs. olive oil because these are less expensive and more readily available.
Source: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/2015/04/13/ask-the-expert-concerns-about-canola-oil/
3. Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share?
I am a huge proponent of making homemade salad dressing vs. buying bottled dressing because it is generally healthier, very inexpensive and easy to make. It is just an oil + acid (e.g., vinegar, lemon juice etc.) + spices. You can better control the ingredients, specifically, the amount of sodium and avoid the added sugar, both of which are higher in bottled dressings. For example, the sodium in this dressing is 280 mg/serving, which could be greatly reduced in homemade dressing. For great homemade salad dressing recipes, visit medinsteadofmeds.com and search ‘vinaigrette’.
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