When I'm in the mood for a salad, I'm in the mood to feel healthy, but sometimes just adding the wrong dressing can completely ruin my intentions to eat clean. I don't have dietary restrictions, but I want to make sure the food I'm eating is still good for me. That's why when I found a gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan salad dressing at Whole Foods, I felt I had hit the healthy jackpot.
I hadn't paid attention to it until recently, but a lot of salad dressings are made with gum pastes and starches and weird, unrecognizable ingredients. Like, do you know what maltodextrin is, because I certainly don't?
I decided I wanted to find healthier (and tastier) salad dressings, so my salad-eating efforts would feel more fulfilling. And then, I was lucky enough to come across exactly what I was looking for: Dress It Up Dressing.
Dress It Up Dressing
After a thorough inspection of their bottles, and then thorough research of their website, I've come to the unprofessional conclusion that this brand is at the top of the list for healthy salad dressings. Every dressing is made from olive oil, so they don't need additives to stay fresh and they don't need to be refrigerated.* They're all gluten-free, have no sugar or low sugar, and are vegan or vegetarian.
Champagne Vinaigrette
The champagne vinaigrette is my favorite. It's a classic taste and goes with everything. Here are the ingredients: Olive Oil, Champagne Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic, Dijon Mustard, Sea Salt.
It's also gluten free, sugar-free, and vegan.
Sesame Tahini Dressing
Okay, I might've lied before. I think this one is my favorite. It's a dressing unlike any I've ever owned before (and it also tastes really good in a stir-fry). Here are the ingredients: Rice Vinegar, Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds, Tamari, Lemon Juice, Sesame Oil, Sugar, Water, Garlic, Spice, Sea Salt.
This one is gluten-free, has 1g of sugar, and vegan.
Caesar Dressing
Before Dress It Up Dressing, I had no idea that a lot of caesar dressings were actually made with anchovies. I just thought sometimes they would pop-up on a menu at restaurants and then I'd politely say "no anchovies please." This dressing is vegetarian, so no anchovies here - yay! Here are the ingredients: Water, Oliver Oil, Dijon Mustard, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Chia Seeds, Tamari, Parmesan Cheese.
It's gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegetarian.
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
In my personal opinion, apple cider vinegar is the worst flavor ever, but this vinaigrette changed my mind. I wish I could explain the difference in taste from vinegar to vinaigrette, but I honestly don't understand it. I'll let the ingredients try to explain it for me, here they are: Olive Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic, Dijon Mustard, Sea Salt.
This dressing is gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan.
Ranch Dressing
Common ranch dressing brands contain hidden sugars, which is probably why it was the only dressing I'd eat as a child. Dress It Up's Ranch Dressing has only a little sugar which comes from a bit of cane sugar and lemon juice, not hidden chemicals. Here are the ingredients: Olive Oil, Dijon Mustard, Distilled Vinegar, Cultured Sour Cream, Water, Whole Eggs, Dry Cultured Buttermilk, Cane Sugar, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Chives, Parsley, Spices.
It's gluten-free, has 2g of sugar, and vegetarian.
Blackberry Vinaigrette
Blackberries are my 3rd favorite fruit (I know it would be more compelling for me to say they're my favorite, but I can't wrong strawberries and mangoes like that). Anyways, this dressing is unique because of the subtle blackberry flavor, its sweet and tangy and light and just good. Here are the ingredients: Olive Oil, Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic, Sea Salt.
It's gluten-free, has 1g of sugar, and vegan
Red Wine Vinaigrette
The Red Wine Vinaigrette tastes like a homemade dressing your fancy aunt would make for Thanksgiving (but in a bottle). It's also a delicious marinade for chicken or pork. Here are the ingredients: Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic, Dijon Mustard, Sea Salt.
It's gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan.
I hope this made you think about salad dressing and how it can really make or break your salad. Dress It Up Dressing is sold at Whole Foods mostly on the east coast, if you really want to try it you can order some online or I think you can request your local Whole Foods provider to supply it if they don't already have it.
*Caesar and Ranch Dressings need to be refrigerated because they have dairy.
Disclaimer: Their dressing is so good that I now work for them as a summer intern. All the opinions above are my own and I wrote this because I felt inspired to, not because I was required to by my job.