French Dressing Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

A tangy condiment with a mix of bright colors from mustard, paprika, and powdered garlic, french dressing is a versatile, creamy topping for salads, grilled vegetables, and lean proteins. Somewhat similar to thousand island and Catalina dressing, french dressing differentiates itself from other dressing choices with its spicy ingredients and ability to be substituted for ketchup.

French Dressing Nutrition Facts

This nutrition information for 30 grams of french dressing, is provided by the USDA.

Carbs

A serving of french salad dressing contains 5 grams of carbs, which come from corn syrup, sugar, and mustard—all of which are in flour, liquid, or powdered form.

Fats

French dressing has 11 grams of fat per serving. This represents 17% of your daily recommended allowance of fat. The total fatty acid count of french dressing is 1.5 grams per serving, which amounts to 8% of the total saturated fat you should consume in a day. You can, however, find brands on the market with less fat, made with a smaller amount of soybean oil or consider making your own dressing.

Protein

French dressing offers no protein.

Vitamins and Minerals

French dressing contains approximately 250 milligrams of sodium per serving. Americans are advised to eat less than 2,300 milligrams per day, which is about 1 teaspoon of table salt.

You won’t find any cholesterol, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, or calcium in most french dressing brands. If you want to add some vitamin C, you could incorporate a citrus fruit into the recipe when making the dressing at home rather than using a store-bought brand. You could also add lemon juice to increase your vitamin C intake.

Calories

French dressing is high in calories. Depending on the brand, the dressing has 120 calories for a 30-gram serving.

Health Benefits

The ingredients in french dressing contain vitamins and minerals that may contribute to its health benefits. Here is an overview of the potential health benefits of french dressing.

May Improve Eye Health

The vitamin E found in french dressing could help lower your risk of cataracts, which cloud your eye lens, especially as you age. In observational published studies, researchers found that lens clarity was better in participants who consumed vitamin E supplements and in those who had higher blood levels of vitamin E than those who skimped on this necessary vitamin.

Could Impact Glucose and Insulin Levels

Vinegar, one of the main ingredients in french dressing, could help lower blood glucose and insulin levels. A comprehensive systematic review of control trials studying vinegar intake effects found that vinegar can effectively reduce both glucose and insulin levels to improve glycemic control. If glucose and insulin levels are important issues for you, make sure you also read the ingredients list to determine how much sugar has been added to the dressing.

Could Maintain Bone Health

Paprika, which gives french dressing its red coloring, might help maintain bone health. A 2020 study published in Food and Nutrition Research found that the carotenoid in paprika improved bone turnover in 100 postmenopausal women when compared to a placebo.

In this study, researchers gave one group 20 milligrams of paprika carotenoid extract each day or a placebo for 24 weeks. The group consuming the extract experienced less bone tissue breakdown than the placebo.

Allergies

The main allergic reactions experienced when consuming french dressing are due to the mustard and mayonnaise found in the dressing. Although rare, some people are allergic to mustard seeds. Generally, allergic reactions occur within minutes to 2 hours after eating.

Allergic reactions include hives on the body, tingling in the mouth, and swelling of the face and throat. Severe reactions can range from difficulty breathing to nausea. If you experience any of these symptoms, whether mild or serious, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Mayonnaise also can trigger allergic reactions for those with egg or milk allergies depending on the ingredients in the mayonnaise. And, if you have other allergies like soy or wheat, you should read the label to ensure you are not inadvertently consuming an allergen.

Storage and Food Safety

Most store-bought brands will last in the refrigerator for up to 9 months. The vinegar helps the dressing quality last for more than half a year. For the homemade dressing, you should throw it out after 2 weeks. Homemade versions contain fewer preservatives, which decrease its storage length.

You should keep french dressing in the refrigerator once opened. Make sure you tighten the bottle to avoid spoiling the product. If you must keep the dressing out of the refrigerator for an extended time, it will keep to 24 hours. (The acidity of dressings purchased in stores generally prevents bacterial growth.)

However, any dressing left out of the refrigerator for longer than a day should get tossed out to avoid food poisoning. You will most likely need to shake the dressing each time before you pour it, as the texture will change as it sits.