Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I was eating out tonight and had my choice of dressings which included a wide range of fat free, low fat and full fat varieties. All of the full fat dressings you find in restuarants contain either soy, canola, or other type of vegetable oils with minimal sugar. However, the fat free choices contain no bad oils, but usually contain loads of sugar and/or corn syrup.

If your eating out and choose a salad as a side or meal and stomaching it without some type of dressing isn't possible, what's the best option.....fat free with the corn syrup or loads of sugar or full fat with the bad oils?

Ps....I realize you can ask the restaurant if they have olive oil or salsa, but in this scenario these options aren't available and again eating the salad plain isn't an option either.

EDIT: I guess my PS was clear enough. This is more of a hypothetcal, If there were no other options!

edited May 4 2012 at 1:57

asked May 4 2012 at 1:17

hemanvt
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why can't you ask or eat the salad plain? is this a hypothetical question? – smartcookie May 4 2012 at 1:23

I would be worried about parasites from plain salads. Various members of our family have had issues with it. I always recommend an acid (like citrus, vinegar, etc.) and an oil. At the very least an acid to kill many pathogens. You might get away with pouring a bit of red or white wine (which most restaurants carry for the profit margins) on the salad to kill microorganisms. – Lady_Arwen May 4 2012 at 2:59

Is just skipping the salad altogether not an option? It's not like there's a gun at your head? – gydle May 4 2012 at 13:01

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@Lady_Arwein - I'm curious how you came to this conclusion as I've never heard anyone say anything like that before. Stomach acid is more acidic than just about any acid you'd put on salad. – DerKommissar May 4 2012 at 15:07

Shari Bambino · Answer 1 · 2012-05-04 02:13:56Z UTC

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Other than grains there is nothing worse than vegetable oils IMO. If those are my only two choices I'd go fat free. Some thickeners and other crap but better than any vegetable oil you're going to get in a chain restaurant.

answered May 4 2012 at 2:13

Shari Bambino
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+1 for actually answering his question :) and not just giving him other options, lol – Andrea S. May 4 2012 at 2:31

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Agreed, though I believe vegetable oils are even worse than grains. – Korion May 4 2012 at 9:54

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By the way, Shari, you look amazing... – Korion May 4 2012 at 12:17

Wow thanks everyone. I appreciate the kind word. – Shari Bambino May 5 2012 at 1:28

Sunny Beaches · Answer 2 · 2012-05-04 01:27:50Z UTC

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What restaurant is this? Is it a fast food restaurant?

What if you asked for some extra lemons/limes for your water and used that over your salad? You could squeeze the juice over, add some pepper and salt and it's pretty delicious. If you're willing to pay extra, you can ask for extra salad ingredients that are more flavorful like olives, onion and tomatoes.

answered May 4 2012 at 1:27

Sunny Beaches
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	It was Johnny rockets. It's more of a hypothetical really. – hemanvt May 4 2012 at 1:55
	Great Idea Sunny Beaches!! – Eric May 4 2012 at 1:55
	Ah, I see. Hm, if I HAD to pick one, I'd go for a low-fat Italian/balsamic dressing. A lot of the full-fat ones have sugar anyways, so going low-fat/fat-free in my opinion isn't as bad if you put a few dashes on for some flavor. – Sunny Beaches May 4 2012 at 2:20

TLC · Answer 3 · 2012-05-04 01:48:32Z UTC

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Could you ask for vinegar? Balsamic, perhaps?

answered May 4 2012 at 1:48

TLC
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	I was thinking balsamic also! Mmmm. However, if the OP is in a place without olive oil, I'm guessing it's a place that is more like a cheap diner/fast food restaurant. – Sunny Beaches May 4 2012 at 1:56
	That is what I do... – Eric May 4 2012 at 1:56

Adam Adkins · Answer 4 · 2012-05-04 13:26:43Z UTC

Both are bad neither will kill you.

As others have said, I can't imagine this being the only choice but if it is I can see no benefit in selecting one over the other.

At Johnny Rockets - or any other burger joint for that matter - just order the burger (almost certianly grain fed and cooked in veggie oil by the way) without the bun (or ketchup and mayo) and let the fat from the meat be the dressing. Get an acid if you can - I bet there are lemons at the drink station if no vinegar is available.

If you want to be anal about it, megadose some fishoil after eating out to counterbalance the inevitable n-6 you got.

raydawg · Answer 5 · 2012-05-04 09:31:28Z UTC

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Order a steak instead. :)

answered May 4 2012 at 9:31

raydawg
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Evelyn aka CarbSane · Answer 6 · 2012-05-04 12:11:07Z UTC

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Almost any restaurant can and will provide you with oil and vinegar. Many will do olive oil. Go light on the oil, it won't kill you if this is not an everyday douse your salad in oil habit. Better than any of the crap in commercial dressings regardless of fat content.

I realize this violates your hypothetical, but in my experience your hypothetical sets up artificial choices.

answered May 4 2012 at 12:11

Evelyn aka CarbSane
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	I have found that what many restaurants and grocery store salad bars label as "olive oil" is really a blend of canola and olive oil. Unfortunately, it's usually mostly canola... – Dave S. May 4 2012 at 14:21
	1T oil = 14g fat. I'm not going to worry over it. Raises my cortisol too much. Also Canola is pretty high MUFA and higher in O3 than olive oil as well. – Evelyn aka CarbSane May 4 2012 at 15:31

Matt · Answer 7 · 2012-05-04 12:44:51Z UTC

A dressing with vegetable oils is probably worse. But then, I'd rather eat a small amount of vegetable oil-based dressing over larger amount of nasty, tasteless fat-free dressing any day. Also, the point of the dressing is to add fat to help with solubilizing fat-soluble nutrients in greens, fat-free dressing defeats that purpose.

Bee · Answer 8 · 2012-05-04 13:16:47Z UTC

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They are both bad. Next time just ask for vinegar and lemons. That's what I do when I am out at a restaurant that has nonpaleo friendly dressing options.

answered May 4 2012 at 13:16

Bee
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Kelly · Answer 9 · 2012-05-04 14:02:35Z UTC

At times I've been given EVOO and I can tell just by looking, smelling it, its cheap brand and probably a blend not pure, and I wont even bother with it.

I often just ask for wedges of lemon and squeeze that on it, balsamic vinegar is another option with salt/pepper. Passing on the dressings in general is best.

Eric · Answer 10 · 2012-05-04 01:55:24Z UTC

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As TLC states. I use balsalmic on my my salad even when I am home. I would use the lemon option as well.

answered May 4 2012 at 1:55

Eric
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DH · Answer 11 · 2012-07-19 22:40:44Z UTC

The answer is most definitely vegetable oil dressings because the omega-6 PUFA's in it will be stored in your body. Sugary dressings will hurt you today, vegetable oil dressings will hurt you for the next year. EAch time you down say 20g of veg oil, your omega 3:6 ratio starts to go to hell. and imo that ratio governs total body pro vs anti inflammation.

What’s a worse choice: fat free dressing or dressing with vegetable oils?

11 Answers