Salads oftentimes feel like the lightest, healthiest meal options. They certainly can be, but depending on the dressing you’re using, they can also wind up being not so great for you either. There are so many “healthy” salad dressing options out there, but which salad dressings taste the best? I picked up nine options, all fully dairy-free and low-calorie. Here’s how they tasted.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
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Best: Briannas Home Style Rich Poppy Seed Dressing
$3.79 from Instacart
Welp, big surprise, this is probably the least healthy of anything on this list, at 150 calories per serving. It is still dairy-free, which makes it a lot better for you than other options, but man, this is very good. It’s creamy, tangy, bright, full of delicious poppy seeds, and an absolute perfect consistency. I’d include this in any recipe that uses salad dressing. The front label suggests putting this on a fresh peach. I can’t wait to try that.
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2. Trader Joe’s Cilantro
Have you ever had the cilantro dressing at El Pollo Loco? It’s incredible. This tastes almost exactly like that, except this is 50 calories a serving. And it’s even complete with those tasty little cotija cheese morsels floatin’ around in there. I’ll buy this again and again.
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3. Marie’s Smoked Black Pepper Caesar Dressing
$5.19 from Instacart
This is awesome. I can’t believe how low-calorie (45!) this is. It’s peppery and tasty, and though the all-around depth of flavor might not compare with Mother Raw, another standout on this list, this guy comes in a squeeze bottle. That pretty much answers the questions of which one I’d buy again.
4. Mother Raw Organic Roasted Garlic Caesar
$5.53 from Instacart
You really have to love garlic to get behind this. This dairy-free Caesar is quite the garlic punch, but that’s something I’m into. This is thick and creamy, and at no point does it taste like it was made with alternate ingredients. If you’re a Caesar salad-eater, you’ll want some of this in your fridge.
5. Trader Joe’s Green Goddess
Green Goddess has never been a flavor I fully understand, because it seems like every single time I have it, it tastes very different. I like what Trader Joe’s has going on here: vivid, herbaceous flavors. Chives, lemon, and avocado are a great combination, and at only 20 calories per serving, it’s one of the healthiest dressings on this list.
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6. Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch
$4.19 from Instacart
Now this Bolthouse Farms ranch, on the other hand? This is a lot more like my precious Hidden Valley — globby and creamy in the best, most nauseating way. I love it, I can’t explain it. This is an incredibly solid yogurt-based version.
7. Tessemae’s Pantry Classic Ranch
$5.54 from Walmart
There are, in my opinion, two kinds of people: those whole love Hidden Valley Ranch, and those who don’t. I’m the former. As such, I’ve never been much of a fan of homemade or restaurant-made ranch dressing — usually way too much dill for me. That said, if you like this type of ranch more than Hidden Valley, you’re going to be thrilled with Tessemae, the dairy-free healthy alternative. My criticism is not with any of its healthy ingredients. I’m just a Hidden Valley guy.
8. Skinnygirl Honey Dijon
$3.43 from Instacart
This is fine. Honey Dijon isn’t really a dressing I’d ever choose to make a salad with, so I suppose if I needed to, this would do. It’s both sugar and fat-free, so it’s clearly a better choice than traditional versions. The major upside? This is only 10 calories per serving, the lowest of anything on this list.
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9. Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Cilantro Lime
$8.63 from Instacart
Nope. This isn’t for me. I don’t know what this is supposed to taste like, but if this is correct, it’s a huge no-thanks. This kind of just tastes like somebody took the avocado spread at Subway, left it for a few days, and put in a jar. I’d leave this one on the shelf and look to TJ’s.
