I would have also done what you did. Compare labels and choose the lesser of 2 evils.

In the case of salad dressing, the ones kept in the refrigerated case near the produce have fewer additives (no preservatives). Fresh salsa is also a great alternative to salad dressing if you can find it.

I would have read all the bottles and been disgusted with the choices and picked something else like fresh fruit or lemon/lime juice or something from the deli to use as a topping.

You have to think outside the box sometimes. Not buying a packaged dressing does not mean that you have to choose "no dressing". I just find other items to use to give the salad a little kick.

If I were forced to choose between two poor choices, I'd pick the sub-par food with no grain or. rancid PUFAs. In reality, I'd have gone to the produce department, picked up an avocado and a citrus fruit and called it good.

Difficult to say in general because it all depends, but in that case olive oil and vinegar would have been largely innocuous. I dunno if you can purchase a premade one like that though.

First of all you should be commended for your critical thinking skills as well as your willingness to follow-up here asking for feedback and ideas on the subject. Just learning to really think about your choices and learning the best method of making a good evaluation is more than half the battle. I think you did a great job!

I know you didn't want to hear "neither" as an answer but see that you are getting that and I would probably have to say that would be my answer as well. I disagree that this answer doesn't further the conversation though. I hope you are able to see that. Given only those two choices of dressings with no other options I would have gone without and going without is a perfectly fine option if you allow it to be. It may be that you aren't in a place yet where that is a viable option but I hope you can see that for some it is a great solution to this problem.

I also think the idea of thinking outside the box is a great one. Learning to see options you might not normally see is a learned skill. Given I'm in a grocery store with a couple of bucks to spend I imagine I would have bought a lemon but the guac and salsa ideas are great ideas. Learning to expand our ideas to solve our problem without compromising our convictions is a skill honed by time and experience.

I would buy a small bottle of olive oil and a small bottle of apple cider vinegar and pout them on separately and lightly.

You dont need a mixing bottle.

I prefer my salad sans-dressing however I usually have salad and small can of tuna (in olive oil) for lunch and I pour a little of the oil over the salad. You could get the salad stuff and a small can of tuna in olive oil & a bottle of vinegar which are usually cheap and splash a dah of that on your salad, some lemon or lime juice are good options.

I keep some basics in my drawer (or locker) at work, salt/pepper, small cans of tuna and if you buy those trvael size (empty) shampoo containors you can fill them up @ home with a little oil or vinergar, or even make a dressing mix and keep it at work also.

I understand those options only work if you have prepared them in advance, but I also know that at least one day a week I will have left home without lunch packed due to timme constraints or no leftovers. In these instances I pop down to the local lunch place and buy a salad pack (lettuce & greek sald, no fetta cheese) and then pop back to work, grab seasonings & a can of tuna and utensils from my drawer and enjoy!

I really avoid buying a salad, for no other reason than the cost (AU$7.00) which drives me nuts when I think about what kind of gormet salad I could make with that much money if I went to the supermarket and made my own salad at home.

As a rule I think it's best to go with something high in sugar (or hfcs or other such carb) rather than high vegetable oil. The carbohydrate will just be turned relatively undestructively into fat, whereas the vegetable oil, in even relatively small quantities, will make quite an impact on your omega3:omega6 balance (e.g. a tablespoon of soybean oil is around 7g omega 6). Obviously hydrogenated oils are all the more worth avoiding and similarly, going for the product that doesn't contain (or contains least of) completely toxic substances like gluten should probably be the main priority.

I think we need a Paleo version of "eat this, not that!"

Think to yourself, salad dressing costs so much and an entire bottle of olive oil costs so and so. Buy the olive oil, steal a pack or two of salt and pepper from the local fast food chain. Plastic fork, and spoon and you're good to go.

Unfortunately, most of the "blue cheese" dressings available are heavy on the soybean oil etc., but what about some real blue cheese (already in crumbly form in a tub) along with some olive oil? Or if your market has one of those antipasto bars, I bet it would be delicious to get a few olives and other pickled-type goodies and go heavy on the marinade they're usually sitting in, and just pour the whole thing over the salad. Mmm.

By the way, Cost Plus World Imports has these great little travel-size bottles of olive oil and vinegar and such, and you can get packets of red pepper flakes from pizza places. These all make nice salad toppings.

I just sprinkle a LITTLE salt and pepper on the top. Actually a little salt and a bunch of pepper. That gives it the zip I'm looking for. Another great option is hot sauce if you like spicy stuff, which I do. :)