Thousand Island dressing: what the fat does for your salad

We found no study that tested Thousand Island dressing itself, so the science on this page comes from oil and mayonnaise dressings in general. The clearest of it is about the salad underneath. In a randomized crossover trial in 7 healthy adults, salads with a fat-free dressing delivered a negligible amount of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene into the blood, and a dressing with 0.99 oz (28 g) of canola oil delivered more than one with 6 g. Seven people eating single meals make that a small test. In 16 adults eating an identical salad, an emulsified test fat raised total carotenoid absorption by 40.0% over the same fat left unemulsified, and how far that applies to a bottled creamy dressing is untested. The bottle itself varies a lot. The UK composition table lists Thousand Island at 210 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g), and the US survey database lists 379 calories, a gap that comes from different recipes and oil content across countries and brands.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Thousand Island dressing in the UK composition table has 210 calories, 16.4 g fat, 13.4 g total sugars and 470 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). — Food composition data, UK Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 873 kJ, fat 16.4 g, sugars 13.4 g, sodium 470 mg, vitamin E 4.40 mg
• The US survey database lists regular Thousand Island dressing at 379 calories and 35.06 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), about 1.8 times the energy of the UK record. — Food composition data, US vs UK Evidence E source
  Energy 379 vs 210 calories/100 g; fat 35.06 vs 16.4 g/100 g
• Light and fat free Thousand Island dressings cut fat to 11.32 g and 1.45 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) while total sugars stay about 17 g per 3.5 oz (100 g). — Food composition data, US Evidence E source
  Fat 35.06 / 11.32 / 1.45 g; sugars 15.18 / 17.31 / 16.83 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) (regular / light / fat free)

What a real portion looks like

• One tablespoon of regular Thousand Island dressing (16 g) provides about 59 calories, 5.5 g fat and 150 mg sodium, and a 1.6 oz (44 g) packet about 167 calories and 423 mg sodium. — US household measures Evidence E source
  1 tbsp 16 g: 59.1 calories, 5.5 g fat, 150.1 mg Na; 1 packet 44 g: 166.8 calories, 15.4 g fat, 423.3 mg Na

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover trial in 7 adults, salads with fat-free dressing gave negligible carotenoid absorption, and full-fat dressing (28 g canola oil) gave more than reduced-fat (6 g). — healthy adults, single salad meals with 0, 6 or 28 g canola oil in dressing (n = 7) Evidence B source
  Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene in chylomicrons: fat-free negligible; 6 g > 0 g (P < 0.04); 28 g > 6 g (P < 0.02)
• In a randomized crossover trial in 16 adults, emulsified fat with a salad raised total carotenoid absorption by 40.0% over non-emulsified fat, and olive oil beat coconut oil by 55.2%. — adults eating an identical salad with 0.99 oz (28 g) of one of 4 test fats (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Positive iAUC 1-10 h of total carotenoids: +40.0% emulsified vs nonemulsified; +55.2% olive vs coconut oil
• In 18 healthy adults eating broccoli in random order, broccoli with mayonnaise raised serum beta-carotene at 2, 4 and 6 h while broccoli with plain oil did not. — healthy adults, single broccoli meals: plain, with oil, with mayonnaise (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Beta-carotene elevated 2-6 h after mayonnaise meal; no change after oil or control; lutein/zeaxanthin IAUC higher after mayonnaise than control
• In 9 adult men, carrots eaten with mayonnaise gave a larger rise in serum beta-carotene than plain carrots or carrot juice. — adult males, four carrot meals in random order (n = 9) Evidence B source
  Incremental AUC of serum beta-carotene higher after carrot with mayonnaise than after carrot alone or carrot juice

What it does to your health

• In a 4-week randomized crossover trial in 34 healthy adults, 20 g a day of soybean oil mayonnaise lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.6 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L) compared with palm olein mayonnaise. — healthy Malaysian adults, 20 g/day mayonnaise for 4 weeks per arm (n = 34) Evidence B source
  TC -0.25 mmol/L (P = 0.001), LDL-C -6.6 mg/dL (-0.17 mmol/L) (P = 0.016), HDL-C -4.6 mg/dL (-0.12 mmol/L); LDL:HDL ratio unchanged
• Observational data rank salad dressing among foods that predict higher blood urate in a dietary index built from US cohorts. — Lifestyle Validation Study, NHS, HPFS, NHANES, UK Biobank Evidence C source
  Salad dressing a positive predictor of urate in the EDINU index; index extreme quintiles HR for gout 0.48 (0.42, 0.55)

Who this works differently for

• In 12 women eating salads with dressing containing 0 to 32 g soybean oil, absorption of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins was highest at 32 g, but the response varied widely and some women barely responded. — women, 5 test salads with 0, 2, 4, 8 or 32 g soybean oil in dressing (n = 12) Evidence B source
  All carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins highest with 32 g oil (P < 0.002); linear dose response for alpha-carotene, lycopene, phylloquinone over 0-32 g

The bottom line

A tablespoon of regular Thousand Island (16 g) gives about 59 calories, 5.5 g fat and 150 mg sodium, and a 1.6 oz (44 g) packet about 167 calories and 423 mg sodium. The US database recalculates those portion values from 100 g rather than measuring them. Light and fat free versions cut fat to 11.32 g and 1.45 g per 3.5 oz (100 g), while total sugars stay near 17 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) in all three US survey composites. In the salad trial above, the fat-free dressing is the one that left carotenoid absorption negligible. The response differs from person to person. In 12 women given salads with dressings holding 0 to 1.1 oz (0 to 32 g) of soybean oil, absorption of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins was highest at 32 g, but the effect varied widely and some women barely responded. Two small trials used mayonnaise. In 18 healthy adults, broccoli eaten with mayonnaise raised serum beta-carotene at 2, 4 and 6 hours, and broccoli with plain oil did not, with no absolute size given in the abstract. In 9 men, carrots with mayonnaise gave a larger rise in serum beta-carotene than plain carrots or carrot juice, again without an effect size. On blood lipids, a 4-week randomized crossover trial in 34 healthy Malaysian adults compared two mayonnaises at 20 g a day. The soybean oil version lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.6 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L) against a palm olein version, lowered HDL by 4.6 mg/dL (0.12 mmol/L) as well, and left the LDL to HDL ratio unchanged. That trial compares two oils. It tells you nothing about eating dressing against eating none. Observational data from several large cohorts rank salad dressing among the foods that predict higher blood urate in a dietary index, and dressing is one item in that pattern with no dose of its own. We have no card on allergy, pregnancy or medicine interactions for this dressing, so the page has no safety section. That is a gap in what was studied, and it is no evidence that the dressing is free of such concerns.

Sources

1. thid-daily-r6-01 · food composition table
   CoFID 2021 17-717 Dressing, thousand island (group WCG): Energy 873 kJ / 210 kcal, Fat 16.4 g, Total sugars 13.4 g, Protein 0.7 g, Sodium 470 mg, Vitamin E 4.40 mg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, code 17-717 · checked 2026-09-28
2. thid-daily-r6-02 · food composition table
   FNDDS 2024-10-31 83114000 Thousand Island dressing (fdc_id 2710213): Energy 379 KCAL, Total lipid (fat) 35.06 G per 100 g; CoFID 2021 17-717 Dressing, thousand island: Energy 210 kcal, Fat 16.4 g per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS (FoodData Central survey foods) 2024-10-31, food code 83114000, fdc_id 2710213; CoFID 2021 code 17-717 · checked 2026-09-28
3. thid-daily-r6-03 · food composition table
   FNDDS 2024-10-31 per 100 g: 83114000 Thousand Island dressing Total lipid (fat) 35.06 G, Total Sugars 15.18 G; 83207000 Thousand Island dressing, light Total lipid (fat) 11.32 G, Total Sugars 17.31 G; 83301000 Thousand Island dressing, fat free Total lipid (fat) 1.45 G, Total Sugars 16.83 G
   USDA FNDDS 2024-10-31, food codes 83114000, 83207000, 83301000 · checked 2026-09-28
4. thid-daily-r6-04 · portion data
   FNDDS 2024-10-31 83114000 Thousand Island dressing (fdc_id 2710213): 1 tablespoon 16 g = 59.1 KCAL, 5.5 G fat, 150.1 MG sodium; 1 packet 44 g = 166.8 KCAL, 15.4 G fat, 423.3 MG sodium
   USDA FNDDS 2024-10-31, food code 83114000, fdc_id 2710213 · checked 2026-09-28
5. thid-daily-r6-05 · RCT, crossover
   The subjects (n = 7) each consumed 3 salads consisting of equivalent amounts of spinach, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and carrots with salad dressings containing 0, 6, or 28 g canola oil. ... After ingestion of the salads with fat-free salad dressing, the appearance of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene in chylomicrons was negligible.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2004 · checked 2026-09-28
6. thid-daily-r6-07 · RCT, crossover
   Sixteen subjects consumed salad with 4 test fats in random order ... the positive iAUC1-10h of TC, α-carotene, and lycopene were 55.2%, 110.8%, and 45.8%, respectively, higher with olive oil than with coconut oil. Emulsified fat induced 40.0% greater positive iAUC1-10h of TC than nonemulsified fat.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-28
7. thid-daily-r6-08 · RCT, crossover
   Serum beta-carotene concentrations did not change after ingestion of either the CON or the OIL meal but were elevated 2, 4, and 6 h after MS ingestion as compared with the fasting state.
   J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2009 · checked 2026-09-28
8. thid-daily-r6-09 · RCT, crossover
   Following collection of fasting blood samples, nine adult males consumed one of the four diets in random order. ... The incremental areas under the curves of serum β-carotene concentration were higher following MS than following both CON and JU.
   J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2011 · checked 2026-09-28
9. thid-daily-r6-10 · RCT, crossover
   Treatments resulted in significant reductions in TC (diff = -0.25 mmol/L; P = 0.001), LDL-C (diff = -0.17 mmol/L; P = 0.016) and HDL-C (diff = -0.12 mmol/L; P < 0.001) in SB-mayo compared to PO-mayo without affecting LDL-C:HDL-C ratio (P > 0.05).
   Lipids Health Dis, 2016 · checked 2026-09-28
10. thid-daily-r6-11 · cohort
    The EDINU positively ranks low-fat milk, blueberries, grapes, and cheese as negative predictors of urate and negatively ranks mixed vegetables, liquor, red meat, liver, artificially sweetened beverages, tomato products, wine, and salad dressing as positive predictors.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-28
11. thid-daily-r6-06 · RCT, dose-response
    Women (n = 12) each consumed 5 vegetable salads with salad dressings containing 0, 2, 4, 8, or 32 g soybean oil. ... Absorption of all carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins was highest with 32 g oil (P < 0.002). ... However, the effect varied widely, and some individuals showed a negligible response.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2017 · checked 2026-09-28