7 Deliciously Low-Carb Salad Dressings (2024)

You know what's incredibly disheartening? The fact that a healthy salad can be sabotaged by something as simple as the dressing that goes on top of it. We get so focused on creating a nutritious base of grains, vegetables, and protein that we forget to consider the often over-processed, sugar-filled, and/or carb-heavy condiment we pour on top. Salad dressings can be sneaky and deceiving, and I feel the same way about an unhealthy salad dressing as I do about HIIT workouts. You see, I'll become convinced that I'm more than halfway through a 45-minute class, only to glance at the clock and realize, much to my chagrin, that I'm less than five minutes in. (That's not just me, right?) But I digress.

Finding a healthy salad dressing becomes even trickier when you follow a ketogenic diet—the celeb-favorite eating philosophy in which fats and protein are consumed in place of carbohydrates. Since so many dressings are high in carbs, it can be difficult to find one that's as tasty as it is in tune with your diet. Well, that is, until now. We did the digging for you and found seven low-carb salad dressings that you'll want to use all year round. Keep scrolling to see them all.

1. Olive Oil and Vinegar

This is probably the most classic and basic of all dressings (it's also one of my personal favorites). The two ingredients combine to create something that's equally smooth, sweet, and tart. The best part is that by opting for this low-carb salad dressing, you're avoiding other carb-heavy, store-bought versions. Most olive oil-and-vinegar dressings have zero net carbs, which is why they're recommended for followers of the keto diet.

2. Honey Mustard Dressing

This tangy honey mustard dressing recipe comes courtesy of Kyndra Holley, from Peace, Love, and Low Carb. All it takes is five ingredients, and each serving only has 0.5 grams of carbs, which, by the way, is well under the volume in most store-bought dressings. Combine 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon granular erythritol. Pour it over salad or use it as a dipping sauce.

3. Avocado Ranch Dressing

Here's another one from Holley and Peace, Love, and Low Carb. Avocado ranch is the perfect low-carb salad dressing for Southwestern salads, wraps, and pretty much all other foods. It takes all of 10 minutes to prepare, with 10 ingredients, and it's keto-certified since it focuses on fats over carbs. Think avocado, mayonnaise, and sour cream (along with other tasty ingredients like chives, parsley, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt). For the full recipe and directions head over to the blog.

4. Trader Joe's Green Goddess Dressing

If you lack the ingredients (or the time) to craft a homemade dressing, make sure you're buying the best packaged products. One of the most accessible is Trader Joe's Green Goddess Salad Dressing, which has 1 gram of carbs per serving. The main ingredients, after all, are avocados, a blend of olive oil, herbs, apple cider vinegar, and green onions.

5. Cilantro Lime Dressing

This keto recipe is from Healthful Pursuit. It's gluten-free, vegan, and keto, so rest assured it will fit nearly all dietary philosophies (which makes it the perfect potluck dressing). Simply combine jalapeño peppers, with garlic, lime, salt, cilantro, and hemp oil. That's it. Add the ingredients to a blender and blend until it's smooth. The final result has only 3.2 grams of carbs per serving. Head to the website to see the full list of instructions.

6. Caesar Dressing

7 Deliciously Low-Carb Salad Dressings (3)

Primal KitchenCaesar Dressing With Avocado Oil$6.00

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Primal Kitchen is a company that makes Paleo-friendly foods. The Paleo and keto diets overlap in that they don't allow processed sugars and carbohydrates. This salad dressing uses avocado oil and organic coconut to create a healthy take on traditional Caesar. It only has 1 gram of carbs per serving.

7. Basil Mint Vinaigrette

For a salad dressing that can only be described as refreshing, look no further than the basil and mint vinaigrette by Kim from Low Carb Maven. This is a dressing that sounds delicious for everything from salads to marinades to dipping sauces. Click on the link to see the full, detailed recipe (you won't regret it—this one sounds so good).

Khloé Kardashian's Go-to Daily Health and Wellness Routine

7 Deliciously Low-Carb Salad Dressings (2024)

FAQs

What is the number 1 salad dressing? ›

Ranch Dressing

The ranch is hands down America's most beloved salad dressings. It is made from a number of ingredients such as buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, onion, chives, salt, and pepper.

Is ranch dressing OK for low carb diet? ›

Ranch dressing is generally low in carbs, so it is keto generally speaking; however, many bottled dressings use vegetable oils and add sugars that some following a strict keto diet may be avoiding.

Can I eat as much salad as I want on keto? ›

Vegetables do contain carbohydrates, so it is possible to eat too much salad and exceed your carb limit for the day. However, if you're careful about the greens and other veggies you include and don't overdo it, delicious salads can be a staple in your keto diet.

What carbs should I stay away from when trying to lose weight? ›

Which foods are high in carbohydrates to avoid? You should be careful of foods that are high in carbs but have little nutritional value. Although they taste good, limit your helpings of cakes, pastries, full-sugar sodas, candy, and refined starches (like white pasta, white bread, and white rice).

What salad dressing is the least fattening? ›

Generally speaking, the healthiest salad dressing will be a vinaigrette like balsamic or oil and vinegar, while Caesar, ranch or anything with the word “creamy” will be the unhealthiest. The exception? We like products made with healthy swaps—think Greek yogurt in place of mayo or heavy cream.

What salad dressing has the most sugar? ›

As you can see, Italian dressing is generally the most calorie-dense, with French and honey mustard close behind. In terms of sugars, honey mustard packs the most, with 6 grams of sugar in a single 2 tablespoon serving! French dressing also loads the sugar into the same size serving.

What is the oldest salad dressing? ›

French dressing is the oldest one on our list, but vinegar and oil dressing goes back nearly two-thousand years to ancient Babylonia.

Are pickles keto friendly? ›

Luckily, pickles are keto friendly, especially those that are of the dill pickle variety, as sugar is low. “Simply put, sweet pickles are made with sugar which will automatically push the carb count up,” says Hultin. “Dill or salt pickles don't have the added sugar and carbs, naturally,” she says.

Are cucumbers keto? ›

Cucumber is another popular salad vegetable. It contains many essential nutrients, including vitamin K. Cucumber is also suitable for the keto diet, as its carb content is just 3.63 g per 100 g. To make the carb content lower, a person can peel the cucumber before eating it.

Can you eat Olive Garden dressing on keto? ›

Olive Garden's regular Italian dressing contributes 8 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbs, and 0 grams of protein per serving. (Avoid the low-fat dressing, which has the same amount of carbs but less fat). Or ask your server for carb-free oil and vinegar and mix your own.

What kind of salad dressing can a diabetic eat? ›

If you can stick to a small serving, branded dressings can be okay. Remember that vinegar-based and less creamy options will always be lower in calories and fat. Think about adding extra to flavour to salads with pomegranate seeds, herbs, citrus juice or zest and using seasonings like oregano, cumin and coriander.

Is cottage cheese low carb? ›

Plain, full-fat cottage cheese has a modest amount of carbohydrates, with most not exceeding 5 grams. It also contains no added sugar, so experts say it's a good candidate for those observing a low-carb and low-glucose diet. Low-fat and fat-free cottage cheese, on the other hand, may contain more carbs and sugar.

Is balsamic vinegar low carb? ›

Most balsamic vinegar are keto-friendly, such as this commercial, sugar-free balsamic vinegar. Depending on the balsamic vinegar brand, one tablespoon typically contains between 2 and 6 grams of net carbs, with some as low as 1 net gram and some as high as 10 grams.

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