# What on Earth is healthy about this salad dressing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315 "2012-05-08T19:45:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/21 "2012-05-08T22:32:35Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > No fat and a little over 20 calories per serving. No fat salad dressing may not be the best thing for absorption of vitamins and nutrients. [An article here](http://www.naturalnews.com/001545.html) talks about how fat helps in the absorption of a variety of nutrients. It points out that people who eat salads with fat-free dressings absorb far less of the nutrients from the salad. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/22 "2012-05-08T22:47:02Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > No fat salad dressing may not be the best thing for absorption of vitamins and nutrients. [An article here](http://www.naturalnews.com/001545.html) talks about how fat helps in the absorption of a variety of nutrients. It points out that people who eat salads with fat-free dressings absorb far less of the nutrients from the salad. That’s why they make cheese and sunflower seeds 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/23 "2012-05-08T23:45:57Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > I believe Nathan Pritikin would like a word with you. Dean Ornish, too, perhaps. > > Remember: **When you’re studying diet, for every expert there’s an equal and opposite expert.** and they all post on message boards 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/24 "2012-05-09T02:47:46Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > and they all post on message boards 😉 What? Where are there diet experts posting on message boards? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/25 "2012-05-09T03:52:48Z")
it is healthy because it gets you to eat your greens. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/26 "2012-05-09T04:27:34Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Exactly, the reduced calories are the good part. Bull. Eating 1200 calories a day of fat laced Little Lardies Snack Cakes is not better for you than eating 1500 calories worth of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not all calories are equal. > [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > A lot of “diet” salad dressings will trumpet how low in fat they are, but they’re high in sugar (and have a lot more calories than the one in the OP) to make it taste good. How is the dressing in the OP low fat? 87.5% of all the calories come from fat. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/27 "2012-05-09T04:42:18Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Bull. Eating 1200 calories a day of fat laced Little Lardies Snack Cakes is not better for you than eating 1500 calories worth of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not all calories are equal. [Amazing what a little research can dig up](http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html): > [@](#): > > For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too. > > His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most – not the nutritional value of the food. > > The premise held up: On his “convenience store diet,” he shed 27 pounds in two months. > > [snip] > > Haub’s “bad” cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his “good” cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent. And [here is a more informative take on the concept](http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/06/health/la-he-fitness-twinkie-diet-20101206): > [@](#): > > Many express surprise that you can lose weight eating junk food, which is why Haub’s story made international headlines. This air of mystery is partly due to diet “gurus” who claim weight loss involves something other than calories in versus calories out. > > But it doesn’t. The first law of thermodynamics (FLoT) proves that caloric deficits are all that matter for weight loss. FLoT is an expression of the conservation of energy, stating that it can neither be created nor destroyed. A calorie is just a unit of energy. > > [snip] > > Researchers with the Laboratory of Human Behavior and Metabolism at New York’s Rockefeller University conducted a carefully controlled study that kept 16 people on diets with just enough calories to maintain their current weight but that varied the ratios of fat, protein and carbohydrates. After 33 days, those assigned to a no-fat diet were still at their pre-study weight. So were those who got 70% of their calories from fat. Percentages of carbs and protein didn’t matter either. The results were published in 1992 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. So, about those equal and opposite experts… ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/28 "2012-05-09T04:58:36Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > How is the dressing in the OP low fat? 87.5% of all the calories come from fat. Because it has less fat than regular versions of ranch dressing. I don’t know why you think the percentage of calories from fat is relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/29 "2012-05-09T05:07:00Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most – not the nutritional value of the food. > > > > The premise held up: On his “convenience store diet,” he shed 27 pounds in two months. […] > > > > Many express surprise that you can lose weight eating junk food, which is why Haub’s story made international headlines. Not really relevant. This thread isn’t about weight loss _per se_, it’s about “healthiness” of foods. **pkbites** was pointing out that fatty junk food is not **better for you** on average than fruits and vegetables. Sure, you can lose weight while eating lots of junk food (as long as you manage to consume less total calories than you burn), but that doesn’t mean you’re eating **healthily**. An effective diet in terms of weight loss and a healthy diet in terms of nutrition are not automatically the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/30 "2012-05-09T05:10:51Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > [Amazing what a little research can dig up](http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html):And [here is a more informative take on the concept](http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/06/health/la-he-fitness-twinkie-diet-20101206):So, about those equal and opposite experts… You’re cites are suspect as they mostly revolve around one schmuck. Metabolisms vary from one to another. My wife stops short of putting butter in her coffee yet her cholesterol/triglyceride is below the level considered excellent. Up until I was 35 I could eat 8000 calories of deep fried lard biscuits and lose weight. And I’m not kidding. I desperately tried to gain weight in high school to get out of a more difficult wrestling weight class. Losing weight was costing me muscle mass but I couldn’t gain weight to save my tush. I was shoving Randys Big Dandy burgers and greasy Little Red Hen chicken down my throat and actually lost weight. I even skipped work outs and lost weight. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/31 "2012-05-09T05:11:47Z")
And if someone were arguing that it’s better to eat fatty junk food than fruits and veggies then you might have a point. No one’s made that claim, though so I dunno why y’all are snapping at each other. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/32 "2012-05-09T05:12:04Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Not really relevant. This thread isn’t about weight loss _per se_, it’s about “healthiness” of foods. **pkbites** was pointing out that fatty junk food is not **better for you** on average than fruits and vegetables. > > Sure, you can lose weight while eating lots of junk food (as long as you manage to consume less total calories than you burn), but that doesn’t mean you’re eating **healthily**. An effective diet in terms of weight loss and a healthy diet in terms of nutrition are not automatically the same thing. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/33 "2012-05-09T06:26:09Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Thank you. That’s fine, but I don’t see this product being advertised as “healthy,” as you characterize it. It’s a freaking salad dressing–do you expect it be loaded with multivitamins and fiber and crap? No. For a salad dressing, it is, indeed, relatively healthful. Salad dressing is just oil, vinegar, and spices, for the most part. A standard vinaigrette is 3:1 oil:vinegar, which would put it at about 180 calories for a 2 tbsp serving, with almost 100% of the calories coming from the oil. This product, for a salad dressing, is what I would characterize as “light.” There is nothing wrong with fat in your diet, and I, personally, would like to balance the carbs in my salad with a bit of fat for satiety, rather than eating a completely low-cal salad dressing made with non-fat yogurt or something of that nature. A bit of fat is good. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/34 "2012-05-09T07:09:36Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Not really relevant. This thread isn’t about weight loss _per se_, it’s about “healthiness” of foods. **pkbites** was pointing out that fatty junk food is not **better for you** on average than fruits and vegetables. The statement, and I quote (again), was “Not all calories are equal.” which is just as scientifically illiterate as saying “Not all grams are equal.” > [@](#): > > An effective diet in terms of weight loss and a healthy diet in terms of nutrition are not automatically the same thing. I fully agree with this. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/35 "2012-05-09T09:46:00Z")
Foods are not healthy or unhealthy: an overall diet is healthy or unhealthy. A moderate amount of low-fat ranch on a salad for dinner is quite healthy: the same ranch poured on top of pizza is just meaningless extra calories. **Pkbites** , instead of thinking of it as % of calories from fat, think of it as calories/gram. The calories/gram of the light dressing is significantly lower. Or, to put it another way, olive oil is pure fat. That doesn’t make it unhealthy. It’s an ingredient, not a meal. Salad dressing is an ingredient. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/36 "2012-05-09T17:09:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s fine, but I don’t see this product being advertised as “healthy,” as you characterize it. No but it insinuates it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/37 "2012-05-09T17:42:58Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > No but it insinuates it. It is what it is, a reduced calorie and fat product. Since pretty much all salad dressings have twice as many calories and they all get their calories from fat, this is a healthier alternative. Food, by itself isn’t healthy. Your diet is healthy or not. This is one ingredient that can help you create a healthier diet. If you are going to concentrate on the fact that it contains fat and has calories you’re missing the point. There’s nothing wrong with putting oil on a salad, it can easily be part of a well balanced diet. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/38 "2012-05-09T18:15:43Z")
How does one calculate calories and/or fat from a homemade vinaigrette dressing such as 3 tbs of evoo, 2 tbs red wine vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp dijon, and one pressed garlic clove? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/39 "2012-05-09T19:11:16Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > How does one calculate calories and/or fat from a homemade vinaigrette dressing such as 3 tbs of evoo, 2 tbs red wine vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp dijon, and one pressed garlic clove? You can look up the nutritional info of all the ingredients, add it up, and then divide by the number of servings that the recipe makes if necessary. For instance, [lemon juice](http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-lemon-juice-i9152?size_grams=30.5). Of course, you’d need to know what ‘evoo’ is. 😉 Which I do not. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315/40 "2012-05-09T19:41:47Z")
“EVOO” is extra virgin olive oil. I think it’s been popularized by cooking shows. And even diets aren’t necessarily health or unhealthy: It’s lifestyles as a whole that matter. The typical Olympic athlete eats more than any of us folks, and yet remains healthy, because they’re getting a ton more exercise and burning all those extra Calories. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-on-earth-is-healthy-about-this-salad-dressing/621315.md?page=3)