This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
Salad is a popular choice for people trying to lose weight. What can be better for your health than leafy greens and some vegetables mixed in for added flavor and nutrition? As good as salads are for your health, there is one popular mistake many people often make when preparing their salads, which actually causes bloating and might even lead to weight gain. It all has to do with your salad dressing.
Salad dressing can add high levels of unnecessary fat, sodium, sugar or carbs to your otherwise healthy meal. There are many salad dressings that aren’t bad for you, but the problem is trying to determine which dressings you should eat and which you should avoid. We did some research and found four dressings you should always avoid.
![](https://www.shefinds.com/files/2025/01/Valentines-Day-GG-Square-2.png)
![worst salad dressing weight gain](https://www.shefinds.com/files/2020/03/salad-dressing-caesar-slide.jpg)
Creamy Caesar
Store-bought creamy caesar dressing often contains high levels of cheese, sour cream and buttermilk, which translates into fat. Instead of buying caesar dressing, try making your own using Greek yogurt, olive oil and lemon juice.Get the full recipe here.
![worst salad dressing weight gain](https://www.shefinds.com/files/2020/03/salad-dressing-thousand-island-slide.jpg)
Thousand Island
Thousand island dressing often contains a lot of high fructose corn syrup and even more sodium. This can raise your blood pressure and lead to weight gain. There isn’t really a great alternative to this dressing, so you should find a new dressing to try in its place.
![worst salad dressing weight gain](https://www.shefinds.com/files/2020/03/salad-dressing-buffalo-ranch-slide.jpg)
Buffalo Ranch
Most buffalo ranch dressing is made with a high amount of carbs, which can cause your body to develop fat cells. Next time you’re in the mood for this dressing, you can opt for a lighter version that uses less sugar and contains less carbs than traditional options.
![worst salad dressing weight gain](https://www.shefinds.com/files/2020/03/salad-dressing-blue-cheese-slide.jpg)
Blue Cheese
As delicious as it usually is, blue cheese dressing is usually made with a recipe that is heavy in cheese and mayonnaise to give it the creamy texture people love. This translates into a lot of fat, and usually high levels of sodium. Instead of using blue cheese dressing, you can sprinkle pieces of blue cheese directly onto your salad to get a similar flavor.