Sweet-tangy dressings are ultra-processed condiments. An umbrella review of 45 meta-analyses in 9.88 million people (Lane et al., BMJ 2024) found higher ultra-processed food intake raised cardiovascular mortality by 50% (RR 1.50). A single tablespoon is small; frequency is the real exposure.
How should I track Thousand Island dressing?
With calorie-dense foods like Thousand Island dressing, a kitchen scale is your best friend. Research shows that portion estimation errors reach 50–200% for fats and oils (Almiron-Roig et al., Appetite 2013) — even a tablespoon off can mean 40–120 extra calories. Weigh on a scale rather than eyeballing — this applies to both liquid oils and solid fats like butter. If you use cooking sprays, note that "0 calorie" labels are per fraction-of-a-second spray — a realistic burst is closer to 5–10 calories, and multiple sprays add up.