What salad dressing is good for high blood pressure

Give your balsamic vinegar salad dressing a whole lot of zip with this recipe, plus garden-fresh complexity, compliments of the fresh basil, garlic, and shallots. And all for much less sodium, fat, sugar -- and money -- than most store-bought vinaigrettes. This dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for about one week.

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Salad, Salad Dressing

Cuisine: Easy, Italian, Mediterranean, Quick, Vegan, Vegetarian

Yield: 2 cups

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, no-salt-added
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock (low-sodium) (or use water)
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano (dry)
• 1 tablespoon apple juice concentrate
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon shallots thinly sliced

• In a food processor, puree all ingredients until smooth.

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Whether your incentive is to lose weight fast or improve your overall health, tossing your own homemade salad with a healthy salad dressing is a great way to get your greens in. But if you're opting for store-bought salad dressings, the sauce may be the reason you're not witnessing your waistline whittle down. Why? The bottled brand you buy will play a role in how many calories you consume.

In fact, many bottled salad toppers are jam-packed with bloating amounts of salt and sugar in addition to sketchy dyes and preservatives. So why taint your nutritious bowl with these health-undoing ingredients? If you're bored of plain ol' olive oil and lemon juice or don't have the time or ingredients to whip up a flavorful salad dressing at home, we've put together a guide that'll help you sort through the good and bad bottles at the supermarket.

The best healthy salad dressing brands.

Ideally, you want your healthy salad dressing to meet certain nutritional criteria. (All numbers are listed for a two-tablespoon serving.)

• Less than 250 milligrams of sodium
• Less than 3 grams of added sugar
• No artificial colors or preservatives
• Few to no vegetable oils

And while "fat-free" dressings may seem synonymous with fitting into your skinny jeans again, that's not actually the case. You want your topper to contain some healthy fats, which help your body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K—slimming nutrients found in many salad staples such as spinach and tomatoes.

These are the 10 healthiest salad dressings you can buy.

1. Bolthouse Farms Chunky Blue Cheese Yogurt Dressing

per 2 tbsp: 35 calories, 2.5 g fat (1 g saturated fat) 135 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 2 g protein

We love that Bolthouse Farms uses protein-rich yogurt for its base to keep the fat content of this healthy salad dressing respectably low. The combination of yogurt and blue cheese bring the amount of protein to 2 grams per serving. And with an impressively low 35 calories per serving, you won't believe this bottle packs in velvety blue cheese in almost every bite.

2. Organic Girl Avocado Cilantro Vegan Vinaigrette

Per 2 tbsp: 120 calories, 13 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 80 mg sodium, 2 g carbs (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 0 g protein

If the avocado on your countertop isn't yet ripe for use, don't fret—you can still get the coveted creamy flavor with this organic offering. Organic Girl boasts a kick of jalapenos and invigorating lime juice as well as satiating unsaturated fats that help you absorb many veggies' fat-soluble nutrients. Squirt this over a Mexican-style salad when you're short on time to make fresh guac.

3. Bragg Vinaigrette

Per 2 tbsp: 80 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 20 mg sodium, 4 g carbs (0 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 0 g protein

Apple cider vinegar, which has been linked to weight loss and appetite suppression, is the top ingredient in Bragg's healthful vinaigrette. This healthy salad dressing is sweetened with a drop of organic honey and liquid aminos, and balanced with a dash of black pepper for a low-sodium sauce that's as wholesome as it tastes.

4. Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric Vinaigrette & Marinade

Per 2 tbsp: 100 calories, 11 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 120 mg sodium, 2 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 0 g protein

Curcumin, the main antioxidant in turmeric, has been shown to fight inflammation—a key driver of weight gain. After you've drizzled your greens with the golden stuff, add a dash of black pepper. The zesty spice helps increase turmeric's bioavailability.

5. Hilary's Ranch Chia

Per 2 tbsp: 45 calories, 4.5 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 150 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 0 g protein

Instead of relying on a fatty base of vegetable oil and buttermilk, Hilary's concocts its creamy ranch with hearty coconut milk. To add to the benefits, this healthy salad dressing packs in heart-benefitting chia seeds for a dose of omega-3s in every bite.

6. Annie's Organic Red Wine & Olive Oil Vinaigrette

Per 2 tbsp: 140 calories, 14 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 170 mg sodium, 1 g carbs, 0 g protein

Annie's adds tang and body to your salads without breaking your calorie budget. Two tablespoons pack in under 140 calories and boast 14 grams of fat coming from extra virgin olive oil. EVOO is brimming with oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that has been shown to prevent heart disease.

7. Primal Kitchen Dreamy Italian Dressing

Per 2 tbsp: 110 calories, 11 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 220 mg sodium, <1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 0 g protein

Avocado oil—the first ingredient in this pick—has been shown to prevent metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, a study in BioMed Research Journal shows. What's more, this dreamy dressing features aromatic flavors from basil, garlic, red chile peppers, and thyme, deeming this the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

8. Annie's Organic Caesar Dressing

Per 2 tbsp: 100 calories, 11 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 150 mg sodium, 2 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 1 g protein

If you're yearning for an indulgent flavor factor to keep your salad streak going, Annie's organic Caesar trumps most commercial brands that inject their formulas with belly-ballooning fat and salt. Plus, this Ceasar is egg-free and non-GMO.

9. Tessemae's Green Goddess

Per 1 tbsp: 80 calories, 9 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 90 mg sodium, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein

Unlike our other healthy salad dressing contenders, Tessemae's serving size is trimmed down to a mere tablespoon. However, even if you double it to two, the nutritionals remain quite impressive. Instead of stuffing in deleterious amounts of sodium and sugar, Tessemae's flavors its sauce with organic tamari, EVOO, and turmeric.

The unhealthiest salad dressings.

Stay away from these salad dressings that are high in unhealthy fats, sodium, and sugar.

1. Hidden Valley Original Ranch

Per 2 tbsp: 140 calories, 14 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 260 mg sodium, 2 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 1 g protein

It's time to ditch the dressing that convinced you to eat your veggies as a child. Hidden Valley's original ranch sneaks in appetite-spiking MSG as well as artificial flavors and preservatives—scary ingredients you don't want lurking in your salad.

2. Kraft Zesty Italian

Per 2 tbsp: 60 calories, 4.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 300 mg sodium, 3g carbs (0 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 0 g protein

Sure, one serving size boasts just 60 calories but are you looking at the super-high sodium content and preservative-packed ingredient list when buying a bottle of this savory salad topper? Skip Kraft's Mediterranean-inspired sauce and go for one of our better store-bought salad dressings instead.

3. Wishbone Deluxe French

per 2 tbsp: 130 calories, 12 g fat (3 g saturated fat) 180 mg sodium, 5 g carbs (0 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 0 g protein

If you're looking to add some sweetness to your spring mix, you're better off tossing in some sliced fruit rather than drizzling on this dressing. Two tablespoons pack in 5 grams of sugar, which doesn't sound too horrendous until you've poured double the recommended serving size into your bowl.

4. Kraft Thousand Island

per 2 tbsp: 130 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 260 mg sodium, 4 g carbs (0 g fiber, 3 g sugar), 0 g protein

Your go-to French fry dip contains more sodium than 20 mini Snyder's pretzels! If your goal is to balance your blood pressure, skip this pick and opt for using these 20 Foods That Lower Blood Pressure to jazz up your lettuce.

5. Brianna's Homestyle Asiago Caesar

per 2 tbsp: 140 calories, 14 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat) 270 mg sodium, 1 g carbs (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 1 g protein

Don't let the modest and minimally-styled label fool you: this dressing is far from simple. In addition to including a laundry list of ingredients, Brianna's cheese-spiked caesar also manages to pack in a whopping 270 milligrams of sodium, which is why we omitted it from being deemed a healthy salad dressing.

6. Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette

per 2 tbsp: 90 calories, 9 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 280 mg sodium, 3 g carbs (0 g fiber, 1 g sugar), 0 g protein

When you're looking for a healthy salad dressing, balsamic is usually your go-to, right? Maybe not this one. Balsamic is known for its subtle sweet hints, but this offering is packed with a significant amount of heart-taxing salt. And contrary to its label, balsamic vinegar is a lowly third on the ingredient list, snailing behind fillers such as soybean oil and water.

7. Ken's Honey Mustard

Per 2 tbsp: 130 calories, 11 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 140 mg sodium, 6 g carbs (0 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 0 g protein

Whether you're slathering the stuff on baked chicken or stirring it into spinach, this honey mustard isn't a solid choice when you're shopping for that sweet tang. Ken could do without the preservatives and unnatural dyes.

8. Ken's Fat-Free Raspberry Pecan

Per 2 tbsp: 45 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 290 mg sodium, 11 g carbs (0 g fiber, 10 g sugar), 0 g protein

You'd think raspberries were bright enough to contribute enough color to their pulverized counterpart, but Ken doesn't seem to agree. This dressing packs in artificial dyes including Red 40 and Blue 1. It also lists sugar as the second most abundant ingredient.

9. Kraft Fat-Free Catalina

Per 2 tbsp: 50 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 350 mg sodium, 11 g carbs (0 g fiber, 7 g sugar), 0 g protein

The words "fat-free" plastered on the label are attractive, but don't let them convince you to buy this salad dressing. Turn the bottle around and you'll see that the reason why we advise against buying this. One serving boasts 350 milligrams of sodium and 7 grams of sugar to make up for the lack of fat. That's not worth the trade-off.

10. Newman's Own Low-Fat Sesame Ginger

Per 2 tbsp: 35 calories, 1.5 g fat (0g saturated fat), 300 mg sodium, 5 g carbs (0 g fiber, 4 g sugar), 0 g protein

Sesame and ginger are two fat-frying ingredients when found in their natural state. However, these ingredients lose their lustrous halo when tainted with 300 milligrams of sodium. Build a better salad by choosing one of our more healthy salad dressing options and tossing some of the best foods for fiber in your bowl.

11. Maple Grove Farms Fat-Free Greek

per 2 tbsp: 10 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat) 260 mg sodium, 2 g carbs (0 g fiber, 2 g sugar), 0 g protein

We were so close to loving this low-calorie condiment until we looked at the nutrition facts panel. The potassium sorbate on the bottle's backside indicate this is a dressing you should skip. The preservative has been shown to be genotoxic to human lymphocytes (or white blood cells), according to a study published in Toxicology in Vitro.

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