If you are watching your sodium intake, eating more salads can help manage your blood pressure. But if you are unknowingly dousing salad with a high sodium dressing, all that effort to be healthy just went out the window. In this post I’ll give you a list of 10 store bought low sodium salad dressings so that your salads can be heart healthy!

You can find them at your local grocery stores, Target, or Walmart. You don’t need to shop at Whole Foods or other specialty grocer to find them. Some low sodium dressings will be in the refrigerated case inside the produce section. Other dressings will be found in an isle in the middle of the store with other shelf stable products.

If you are on a health journey or wanting to eat better, but also concerned that it might cost you more when grocery shopping, be sure to read Smart Ways to Save Money on Groceries | Top Tips from a Dietitian for ideas that do not involve sacrificing your health or eating junk food.

Per the Food and Drug Administration, a low sodium dressing has 140mg or less of sodium in a serving. The image below with the green arrow shows where to find sodium on a nutrition label.

If you need other low sodium foods aside from just dressing, grab my free downloadable grocery list inside Low Sodium Grocery List PDF: [Includes Healthy Easy Snack Ideas]. If you see a “reduced” sodium claim on the front of a dressing, that does not mean it fits into the “low sodium” requirements of less than 140mg/serving. Reduced sodium just means it has less salt than the original flavor.

There is not one variety or brand that will always be low in sodium. Both creamy and oil based dressings can be high sodium. The salt content will be different depending on brand!

For example, I found a balsamic vinaigrette from Primal Foods which was low sodium. When I picked up the Kraft balsamic, the sodium was almost doubled! So now I’m thinking that Primal Foods is a low sodium brand. Nope. I picked up their green goddess dressing and the sodium was very high.

Bottom line, you can’t trust just from the way a bottle looks or the different health words on the label like “organic”, “goddess”, “lite”, or “sugar free”. If one brand has a low sodium option, it doesn’t mean all their flavors will be low sodium as well.

If you were hoping to find a good mayo for salads like coleslaw, tuna, or egg salad be sure to also read Best Mayonnaise for High Cholesterol:  Top Brands from a Dietitian. The brands inside are also low in sodium too.

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The list below are my top brands and flavors that meet the standard of 140mg or less in a serving. This does not include store brands. You can always double check labels for store brand dressings too.

Now you don’t have to turn 100’s of dressing bottles around in the store because I did that for you! : )

1. Panera Fiji Apple

2. Panera Balsamic

3. Marie Calendars Coleslaw Dressing

4. Marie Calendars Caesar Dressing

5. SkinnyGirl Balsamic Vinaigrette

6. Brianna’s Balsamic Vineagrette with Avocado Oil

7. Primal Kitchen Balsamic with Avocado Oil

I could not find any low sodium varieties from brands like major brands such as Kraft, Ken’s, Hellmans, Hidden Valley, or Chick-Fil-A.

Making salad dressing at home is an easy and cost effective way to have something tasty for your salads. I also like making a homemade option as the recipe portion is often smaller than a full dressing bottle. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve purchased a bottle of salad dressing and have not been able to finish it before it expires or goes bad!

Here are some highly rated recipes you can try at home:

1. Low Sodium Balsamic Vinaigrette

2. No Salt Vinaigrette

3. Za’atar Vinaigrette

What Salad Dressing is Best for High Blood Pressure?

A heart healthy dressing will have less than 140mg of sodium per serving and will use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or avocado oil for heart healthy fats. Most shelf stable salad dressings will use soybean or canola oil as they are less expensive compared to extra virgin olive oil.

A study in Biomolecules explains that EVOO specifically helps with nitric oxide bioavailability. Nitric oxide dilates (aka widens) your blood vessels and prevents your blood vessels from becoming too rigid. It is also pretty amazing that EVOO goes SO well with vegetables that are high in potassium and magnesium.

As a heart health dietitian I emphasize with my patients that avoiding high sodium foods is only 1 side of the solution for improving your heart health. You also need to ADD in high fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium foods. Whole foods that contain these nutrients keep your blood vessels flexible and prevent them from becoming rigid or building up plaque in your arteries which raises your blood pressure.

If you are currently managing high blood pressure and high cholesterol, I have some great smoothie ideas in Cholesterol Lowering Smoothie | 5 Recipes for Heart Health.

Heart Healthy Salads for High Blood Pressure

Here are some easy salads that include foods that are high in potassium and magnesium. Now you can go ahead and use the low sodium salad dressing brands from above and combine them with heart healthy veggies : )

The original recipes below are NOT all low sodium. Again, these are meant to be paired with the low sodium dressing brands suggested from above. Alternatively, you can modify the dressings by using 1/4 or 1/2 of the salt suggested.

1. Sweet Potato Spinach and Pinenut Salad– I would swap the pinenuts for pumpkin seeds or slivered almonds for a boost of magnesium. Use with store bought low sodium balsamic, or use less salt than recipe calls for.
   
2. Edamame Salad– use a pinch of salt instead of 1/2 teaspoon
   
3. Caesar Salad with Chickpeas– you can use store bought low sodium croutons or toast low sodium bread using brands in Best Low Sodium Bread: [Heart Healthy + Delicious]. Pair with the Marie Calendars Caesar dressing. Unlike other caesar salads, this has both chickpeas and kale which are high in magnesium and potassium!
   
4. Low Sodium Cowboy Caviar– an amazing heart healthy salad that is perfect for meal prep as it won’t get soggy after the first day in the fridge.

What Salad Dressing is Heart Healthy?

Heart Healthy Dressings will have Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Most plant based oils are rich in unsaturated fats, but EVOO has the highest ratio of unsaturated to saturated fats.

EVOO is also important for your heart because of the rich polyphenol content. A study in Antioxidants found the polyphenols in EVOO (hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol) have been studied to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Light and refined Olive Oils do not contain the same polyphenols, so paying the extra few dollars for EVOO will benefit you greater because of the health benefits.

Salad dressings or sauteeing veggies at home is the easiest way to get in EVOO into your diet.

Eating healthy can include salads, but you can enjoy a lot of other foods that fit into a heart-healthy way of eating! Be sure to grab these resources below to help you with eating a low sodium.

1. Best Low Sodium Cereal: 23 Dietitian Approved Brands (2026)
2. Delicious Low Sodium Desserts (Dietitian Approved + Heart Healthy!)
3. Low Sodium Snacks- 16 Easy Heart Healthy Ideas from a Dietitian
4. DASH Diet Snacks: 10 Delicious and Healthy Options to Satisfy Your Cravings
5. Best Low Sodium Protein Shakes: A Dietitian Shares All
6. Low Sodium Protein Powder [Best Tasting + Highly Rated 2026]
7. Best Low Sodium Bread: [Heart Healthy + Delicious]

Salad dressing recipes aren’t difficult to make at home and can be pulled together with just a few simple ingredients. When making your own dressing, be sure to use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for maximum heart health benefits. If you are short on time or just want to have something delicious, but premade, look for brands than have 140mg or less of sodium.

Laurie Thenedy, RD

Laurie is a Registered Dietitian passionate about helping healthcare professionals lower their weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol so that they can regain confidence and energy to live a more full life.