Let’s look at some of the best options for salad dressing for diabetes- both store bought and homemade!
A salad dressing can make or break an otherwise delicious salad, but how do you know if a dressing is a good salad dressing for diabetes or not? In this article, we’ll cover what to look for in a salad dressing, some of my favorite store bought options, as well as some delicious dietitian-approved recipes.
What people with diabetes should look for when picking salad dressings
As a dietitian living with diabetes myself, when looking for diabetes-friendly salad dressing options, I recommend choosing salad dressings with:
- Less saturated fat
- Less sodium
- Little or no added sugar
- More protein
- More fat
There are no hard and fast guidelines for how many of these nutrients to stay above or under. But, in general I try to look for dressings with:
- <5g saturated fat/serving
- <250mg sodium/serving
- Little to no added sugar
Most of the time, salad dressings made with oils or Greek yogurt meet these criteria. But, dressings made from cream tend to be too high in saturated fat.
Most salad dressings don’t have a significant amount of protein or fiber simply because of the nature of the ingredients used, so if we find varieties with those nutrients it’s an added bonus!
What is the best salad dressing for diabetes?
Below, we will go through some of my favorite salad dressing for diabetes. We’ll cover store bought options in some classic varieties. And then, I’ll share some of my favorite homemade recipes from fellow dietitians.
Best store-bought salad dressings for diabetes
The salad dressing options below can be found at most major grocery stores and include many of my personal favorites.
- Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch
- Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing with Avocado Oil
- Bolthouse Farms Chunky Blue Cheese
- Marie’s White Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette
- Bragg Organic Vinaigrette
- Leo’s Honey Mustard
- Primal Kitchen Caesar Dressing
- Cardini’s Light Caesar Dressing
- Marie’s Italian Vinaigrette
- TesseMae’s Organic Lemon Garlic
*Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to purchase through the link provided.
Best ranch dressings for diabetes
Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch
Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch is in my top 3 favorite salad dressings. It can be found at all times in my own refrigerator. It’s made from Greek yogurt instead of cream so in addition to having less calories it’s also got a lot less fat than regular ranch dressing. The flavor is spot on and it’s not quite as thick as traditional ranch.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat:4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Total Carb: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 1g, Sodium: 260mg
Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing with Avocado Oil
Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing with Avocado Oil is another tasty ranch dressing option with less saturated fat and no added sugar. It’s made from avocado oil which helps decrease the amount of saturated fat. It has a thicker consistency than the Bolthouse Farms variety highlighted above.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat:12g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Total Carb: 2g, Sugar: 0g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 240mg
Best blue cheese dressing for diabetes
Bolthouse Farms Chunky Blue Cheese
Bolthouse Farms Chunky Blue Cheese is another tasty option from the folks over at Bolthouse. Like the ranch dressing, it is made from Greek yogurt but tastes just like a classic blue cheese dressing. The sodium is slightly higher than I typically like to see, but it’s hard to find a pre-made blue cheese option much lower than this.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 4g, Saturated fat: 1.5g, Total Carb: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 2g, Sodium: 280mg
Best vinaigrette for diabetes
Marie’s White Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette
Marie’s White Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette is a classic good-on-anything kind of salad dressing! It’s another one of my top 3 personal favorite salad dressings. I love to use it in my Chopped Veggie Salad recipe.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Total Carb: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 170mg
Bragg Organic Vinaigrette
If you’re looking for a classic vinaigrette that’s really low in sodium, Bragg Organic Vinaigrette is a great choice. It’s perfect for salads and dipping veggies in.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Total Carb: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 60mg
Best honey mustard dressing for diabetes
Leo’s Honey Mustard
Honey mustard dressing by nature has honey in it so finding an option with less added sugar is next to impossible. What I love about Leo’s Honey Mustard is that it’s lower in saturated fat and sodium (compared to other options) while keeping the added sugar as low as possible without sacrificing the classic honey mustard taste.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Total Carb: 6g, Sugar: 5g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 1g, Sodium: 170mg
Best Caesar salad dressing for diabetes
Primal Kitchen Caesar Dressing
Primal Kitchen Caesar Dressing is oil based and thus has less saturated fat than traditional caesar salad dressing options.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g , Total Carb: 2g, Sugar: 0g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 230mg
Cardini’s Light Caesar Dressing
Cardini’s Light Caesar Dressing is another great and tasty option that has less sodium than other brands. And less added sugar!
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Total Carb: 1g, Sugar: 0g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 1g, Sodium: 180mg
Best Italian dressing for diabetes
Marie’s Italian Vinaigrette
Marie’s Italian Vinaigrette is another delicious refrigerated option from Marie’s. Personally, I prefer the flavor of their Italian dressing over others and it makes a perfect marinade for poultry and fish.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Total Carb: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 230mg
Other favorite salad dressings for diabetes
TesseMae’s Organic Lemon Garlic
TesseMae’s Organic Lemon Garlic dressing is so good it’s built a cult like following over the years. And, I love that it has no added sugar and is lower in saturated fat.
Nutrition: Serving size: 1 Tbsp, Total Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Total Carb: 0g, Sugar: 0g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 105mg
Best Homemade salad dressings for diabetes
Honey Orange Vinaigrette
Honey Orange Vinaigrette can be used on anything, and it doesn’t have any unnecessary saturated fat, added sugar, or sodium. It’s got just enough to offer great flavor but still a great heart healthy option! It’s got hints of honey and orange and is the perfect vinaigrette.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Total Carb: 7.5g, Sugar: 7g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 230mg
Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette comes together so easily. You can whisk it together in a bowl or add it to some sort of mason jar and shake it up. I love this dressing on salads but I also love tossing vegetables in it and roasting them.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Total Carb: 5g, Sugar: 4g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 290mg
Lighter Parmesan Dressing
Lighter Parmesan Dressing by Toby Amidor Nutrition is rich and creamy, low in saturated fat, and also packs a little extra protein compared to other dressings.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: <1g, Total Carb: 3g, Sugar: 2.5g , Fiber: 0g, Protein: 3.5g, Sodium: 220mg
Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette
Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette by Street Smart Nutrition pairs well with roasted vegetables, grilled meats, and pasta or grains, and is lower in sodium than other dressings.
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Total Carb: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g, Sodium: 70mg
Homemade Ceasar Salad Dressing
Homemade Ceasar Salad Dressing (with no raw egg yolk) by Street Smart Nutrition uses fresh garlic and lemon juice, plus umami flavor from kewpie mayo and anchovy fillets. You may never buy the store bought dressing again!
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 17g, Saturated fat: 3g, Total Carb: 0.5g, Sugar: 0g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 1.5g, Sodium: 275mg
Creamy Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
Creamy Avocado Green Goddess Dressing by Nicole Addison, MHSc, RD is creamy and heart healthy. Made with fresh herbs, lemon and olive oil, it can be added to any salad or sandwich. And, I love the extra boost of fiber from the avocado!
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 10g, Total Carb: 3g, Sugar: 0.5g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 1g, Sodium: 128mg
Lemon Herb Kefir Salad Dressing
Lemon Herb Kefir Salad Dressing by Craving Something Healthy is packed with gut-friendly probiotics and has 2g each of protein and fiber in each serving!
Nutrition: Serving size: 1/4 cup, Total Fat: 8g, Total Carb: 5g , Sugar: 2g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 2g, Sodium: 164mg
Miso Tahini Dressing
Miso Tahini Dressing by Fueling Fertility combines the creamy richness of tahini with the umami depth of miso, making it a perfect addition to salads, bowls, and more. And, it packs a whopping 5g protein per serving!
Nutrition: Serving size: 2 Tbsp, Total Fat: 11.5g, Total Carb: 4g, Sugar: 0g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 5g, Sodium: 200mg
My favorite salad recipes for diabetes
Now that you have a full collection of salad dressing for diabetes options, here are a few of my favorite salad recipes to use them on!
Fall Harvest Salad with Grapes, Squash & Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
References
- What is Fat? American Diabetes Association. (2023) https://diabetes.org/food-nutrition/reading-food-labels/fats
- Watching Salt When You Have Diabetes, University of Rochester. (2024) https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=85&contentid=P00352
- One Simple Salad Dressing May Benefit You in More Than One Way, Cleveland Clinic. (2018) https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-one-simple-salad-dressing-benefits-you-in-more-than-one-way
