Grocery Shopping Showdown
- By Matthew Kadey, M.S., R.D.
- Published Nov 12, 2012
- Updated Dec 17, 2012 at 4:13 PM UTC
Vinaigrette vs. fat-free salad dressing
The champ: vinaigrette
Bottled fat-free salad dressings are often laced with added sugars and sodium to make up for the loss of flavor when the fat is sucked out. What’s more, a 2012 study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research found that adding some fat to your salads greatly increases the absorption of carotenoid antioxidants, such as cancer-fighting lycopene. Look for bottled salad dressings made with extra virgin olive oil and a simple ingredient list with little more than oil, herbs and vinegar.