Tangy, creamy blue cheese salad dressing is a popular condiment, salad dressing and dip that originated in the United States. It has a thick base made from fresh ingredients like mayonnaise, buttermilk and sour cream. To this, blue cheese is added along with vinegar for tanginess, and then it is seasoned with a mixture of spices like cumin, garlic and onion powder.
If you’re trying to lose weight on a low carb diet, you may be wondering if you can still have blue cheese dressing. Discover what to look for in the healthiest blue cheese dressings, what unhealthy ingredients to avoid, and which brand is best for weight loss.
Not a fan of store-bought dressings? No problem! Keep reading for a Keto-friendly Blue Cheese Dressing recipe that you can make yourself out of fresh ingredients at home.
Is Blue Cheese Dressing Keto Friendly?
Blue cheese dressing is fairly low in carbs, containing 4.4 grams of carbs per tablespoon. As long as you don’t exceed the recommended serving size, this dressing can definitely be a part of a strict low carb diet, like Keto.
Blue cheese dressing isn’t just good for salads. You can add it to a number of low carb dishes and snacks. Keep reading for a list of some great ways to enjoy this tangy, flavorful dressing on Keto.
How Many Carbs are in Blue Cheese Dressing?
One tablespoon of Blue Cheese Dressing contains 4.4 grams of carbs. A low carb hack to avoid using too much dressing: Dip the prongs of your fork into the dressing before stabbing some salad. You’ll still get the flavor of the dressing in every bite while consuming fewer carbs.
How Many Calories are in Blue Cheese Dressing?
One tablespoon of Blue Cheese Dressing (fat-free) contains only 20 calories. Full-fat brands are significantly higher in calories, so if you’re counting calories, stick to low fat and fat-free varieties.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving: 1 Tablespoon of Blue Cheese Dressing, Fat-free | |
| Calories 20 | |
| Total Fat 0.2 grams | 0% |
| Saturated fat 0.1 grams | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated fat 0 grams | |
| Monounsaturated fat 0.1 grams | |
| Trans fat 0 grams | |
| Cholesterol 0.3 milligrams | 0% |
| Sodium 138.4 milligrams | 5% |
| Potassium 33 milligrams | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 4.4 grams | 1% |
| Dietary fiber 0.3 grams | 1% |
| Sugar 1.3 grams | |
| Protein 0.3 grams | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 0% | Vitamin C | 0% |
| Calcium | 0% | Iron | 0% |
| Vitamin D | 0% | Vitamin B-6 | 0% |
| Cobalamin | 0% | Magnesium | 0% |
Main Ingredients
Mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, blue cheese, milk, vinegar, onion powder, wine, cumin, and garlic powder.
Health Benefits
Let’s take a look at some of the health benefits related to the following main ingredients in blue cheese dressing:
Blue Cheese to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
Blue cheeses have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease. A study in the UK conducted by Lycotec and published in the journal Medical Hypothesis reported that blue cheese may have anti-inflammatory properties that protect against a number of diseases.
Mayonnaise for Heart Health
Research shows that the vitamin E contained in mayonnaise (a main ingredient in blue cheese dressing) can help prevent strokes. Mayonnaise also helps your body absorb nutrients better and contains a wide range of fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamins A, D, E and K.
Sour Cream for Gut Health
The sour cream typically used to make blue cheese dressing is particularly high in vitamin A in its most bioavailable form (retinal), riboflavin (vitamin B2), calcium, and phosphorus. Fermented dairy products, such as sour cream, support gastrointestinal health due to the probiotic bacteria that they contain.
Garlic to Fight Chronic Disease
Garlic is rich in vitamins C and B6, manganese, selenium and other antioxidants, including allicin. Studies show that garlic helps prevent high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, colds, and even certain forms of cancer.
Side Effects
Bottled blue cheese salad dressings are often high in saturated fat, calories, sodium, and added sugar.
Eating a diet high in saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol to unhealthy levels and clog arteries. Stick to low fat or fat-free varieties especially if you’re trying to lose weight or suffer from a heart condition.
Eating dressings that are high in sodium on a regular basis can increase the risk of a heart attack or a stroke in some people and negate the effects of certain medications that treat high blood pressure.
Dressings that are high in sugar can spike your blood sugar and insulin, leading to weight gain.
Always check the nutrition label when buying salad dressing and choose a product with no more than 120 calories, 200 mg of sodium, 2 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of saturated fat per serving.
Creamy Keto Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, (Full fat mayo for Keto or reduced-fat for calorie reduction diets)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup blue cheese crumbles, divided
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Add all the ingredients except for the blue cheese into a processor and mix until well combined.
- Pulse in the blue cheese, just well-mixed and serve over a fresh garden salad.
Ways to Enjoy Blue Cheese Dressing on Keto
- Use blue cheese dressing as a dressing for salads or as a dip for raw low carb veggies.
- Use it to season Buffalo wings.
- Add it to baked chicken casseroles.
- Rub it on steaks.
- Add it to chicken salad in place of mayonnaise.
- Put it on tacos and wraps in place of sour cream.
- Add a dollop on top of chilli.
- Use it on BBQ Chicken pizza with a cauliflower crust.
- Use it as a chip dip for low carb veggie chips.
Related Questions:
Does Blue Cheese Dressing Cause Weight Gain?
Salads are a dieter’s best friend when it comes to weight loss, however, if you put the wrong dressing on your salad, it can defeat the purpose. Those thick, creamy dressings like blue cheese, ranch, and Caesar, are often super high in calories, fat, sodium and even sugar.
While fat-free salad dressings help cut the fat, they often contain high fructose corn syrup and titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is a chemical used in processed dressings to whiten their color. This ingredient has been linked to some negative health effects.
The upside of blue cheese dressing is that the flavor is quite strong, so you can get away with using less of it on your salad. Shop smart for your dressing by comparing the nutritional labels of different brands before you buy your blue cheese dressing. One great brand that we can get behind is Marie’s Lite Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing because it only contains 35 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, and only half a gram of sugar per tablespoon.
Ultimately, the healthiest dressing to use on your salad is one that you make yourself homemade with fresh ingredients, like extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, herbs and spices.
Is Blue Cheese Dressing Gluten-Free?
Certain brands of blue cheese dressing may contain gluten if certain emulsifiers are used that contain wheat flour. The milk used to make blue cheese is traditionally inoculated with mold spores grown on bread or cultures that contain gluten.
Is Blue Cheese Dressing Vegetarian?
One type of blue cheese called Stilton is most often vegetarian and free of rennet. Rennet is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Versions of Stilton blue cheese that contain the traditional rennet are clearly marked, but most do not contain this nonvegetarian ingredient.
With that being said, most brands of dressing on the market simply list “blue cheese” as an ingredient without specifying the type of blue cheese used; therefore, it can be hard to tell if the product is truly vegetarian.
The best way to guarantee your blue cheese dressing is in fact vegetarian is to make your own using rennet-free stilton blue cheese. Try the Keto-friendly recipe above, you won’t be disappointed.
