There are many reasons I choose to not consume fat-free dressing when choosing a salad dressing. The main two reasons are the found in the ingredients lists in fat free dressing and issues with vitamin absorption.
Although making homemade dressing is so simple and quick, I know that people will still buy pre-made dressings once in a while. In fact, I bought one not too long ago because I really was not in the mood to get all the ingredients to make the dressing I wanted. Believe me, I get it.
In choosing a dressing, I still looked at the ingredients list to find the least processed one I could find, but I completely avoided any label that said fat free.
Here are a couple reasons not to consume fat-free dressing.
Ingredients
The first reason for full fat is the ingredients list. I love looking at ingredients lists. It just confirms to me why I want to eat real foods that do not come in packages. Looking at a few fat-free dressings labels, we can see some scary ingredients.An example of Fat Free Ranch
Ingredients
Water, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavors (Milk), Soybean Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Sugar, Garlic Juice, Onion Juice, Cellulose Gel, Lactic Acid, Distilled Vinegar, Chives, Monosodium Glutamate, Onion Powder, Xanthan Gum, Garlic Powder, Garlic, Color Added, (Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Calcium Disodium Edta) Used to Protect Quality, Cellulose Gum, Spice, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E).
An example of Fat Free Red Wine Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Red Wine Vinegar, Cabernet Sauvignon Wine, Sugar, Salt, Soybean Oil (Adds An Insignificant Amout of Fat), Garlic, Onion, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Calcium Disodium Edta (Used to Protect Quality), Natural Flavor, Sulfiting Agents.
I just don't feel comfortable eating some of those ingredients, and since it is so simple to avoid them in salad dressings, I do.
Vitamins and Vitamin Absorption
The second reason I do not eat fat-free dressing is because of vitamin absorption.
Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble vitamins. This means our bodies need fat accompanying them for vitamin absorption. Many people eat salads to be able to get more vitamins in their diet. But if we dress those salads with a fat-free dressing, our body may not optimally absorb them. So those great nutrients in the veggies could be lost.
I think everyone needs to make the decision for themselves on what they choose to eat. I just hope I provided more information so that people can make an informed decision.
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