Creamy salad dressings might make your veggies taste better, but they can be sneaky when it comes to hidden fats and calories. Eating too much of them regularly can lead to extra abdominal fat, which isn’t great for your overall health. From classic Caesar dressing to sweet and tangy Thousand Island, it’s always a good idea to check the label or go for a lighter option before drenching your salad in these sauces.
We checked in with various health experts to discover two salad dressings that can sabotage your veggie bowl and lead to abdominal fat. They revealed that Thousand Island dressing and ranch are the ones to minimize. Read on to learn more.
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1. Thousand Island Dressing
Thousand Island dressing can contribute to belly fat due to its high calorie, fat, and sugar content. It's typically made from ingredients like mayonnaise, ketchup, and sugar, which are calorie-dense and contain significant amounts of unhealthy fats, particularly saturated fats.
"This dressing is not only packed with calories due to its high-fat content, but the kind of fat it carries can be a concern," registered dietitian Catherine Gervacio says, noting that it's "high in saturated fat, which is known to increase the bad cholesterol in the body."
She adds, "Excessive saturated fat intake is associated with insulin resistance, which can lead to fat storage, commonly in the belly area."
2. Ranch Dressing
Ranch dressing may seem innocent as it is often associated with vegetable sticks, but it’s full of unhealthy fats, sodium, and even added sugars. It primarily contains unhealthy fats, which can slow down metabolism if consumed in excess.
"Ranch is considered a dressing that can boost any meal, though it does not come scot-free of calories, sodium, and bad fats," Michael O. McKinney, MD, physician and nutrition expert from Healthy Outlook, notes. "Practice and convenience of using ranch dressing regularly would bring about added weight and metabolic slowdown resulting from what one can't control in terms of caloric intake and qualitative intake of processed oils and fats. There is also sodium, which causes water retention and bloating, making matters worse for metabolism," he adds.
If you love mixing flavor into your salads but want to avoid the hidden fats and calories, don’t worry—there are healthier options that are just as delicious!
Simple options like a homemade vinaigrette or Greek yogurt-based are a great way to get that creamy texture without all the fat.
Citrus-based dressings can also be a refreshing choice! Just squeeze some lemon, lime, or orange into olive oil or honey.
