How many calories are in Thousand Island dressing?
Two tablespoons of Thousand Island dressing weigh 31.2 g and carry 118 calories. Per 100 g the dressing runs 379 calories, which puts it among the heavier bottled dressings on the shelf. The fat does the work: 10.9 g in that small pour, next to 4.6 g of carbohydrate and almost no protein.
You'd need to walk about 24 minutes to burn the 118 calories in two tablespoons (31.2 g).
How long does it take to burn off 118 kcal of Thousand Island dressing?
Two tablespoons (31.2 g) is 118 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 118 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 24 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 15 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 17 min |
| Jogging | 14 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 26 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (31.2 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Thousand Island dressing quick facts
- US servings, from one tablespoon to a full cup
- Light, fat-free and reduced-fat versions
- Sodium is the row to watch
- How does Thousand Island dressing compare?
- Most popular thousand island dressing brands
- FAQ
Thousand Island dressing quick facts
The numbers below come from the USDA record FNDDS 2710213, "Thousand Island dressing". That is the plain full-fat dressing that comes out of a bottle or a diner ramekin — the one most people are actually holding when they look this up. Light and fat-free dressings are separate products with their own records, and they get their own section further down rather than being blended into an average.
One quirk worth flagging: the record lists 14.64 g of carbohydrate and 15.18 g of total sugars per 100 g, so sugar accounts for effectively the whole carbohydrate figure, with the two rows landing a hair apart in the source data. Nothing else in the dressing contributes carbohydrate in any meaningful amount.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 2 tbsp (31.2 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 379 | 118 | — |
| Total fat | 35.06 g | 10.9 g | 14% |
| Saturated fat | 5.09 g | 1.6 g | 8% |
| Carbohydrate | 14.64 g | 4.6 g | 2% |
| Dietary fiber | 0.8 g | 0.2 g | 1% |
| Total sugars | 15.18 g | 4.7 g | — |
| Protein | 1.09 g | 0.3 g | 1% |
| Sodium | 962 mg | 300 mg | 13% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Two rows you will see on a bottle are missing here on purpose. USDA does not publish added sugars or trans fat for this FNDDS record, so listing either one would mean inventing a number. Cholesterol and potassium are in the record: 26 mg and 107 mg per 100 g, which works out to 8 mg of cholesterol (3% DV) and 33 mg of potassium (1% DV) in a two-tablespoon pour. The %DV column follows the FDA Daily Values for a 2,000-calorie day.
US servings, from one tablespoon to a full cup
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 15.6 g | 59 kcal |
| 2 tablespoons | 31.2 g | 118 kcal |
| 1 oz | 28.3 g | 107 kcal |
| 1 dipping-size container | 57 g | 216 kcal |
| 1 cup | 250 g | 948 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 379 kcal |
The single tablespoon and the cup are USDA household measures for this record, and the two-tablespoon line is that tablespoon doubled. The 1 oz line and the 57 g dipping container are our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure, not USDA servings — an ounce is what a small deli cup of dressing tends to hold, and 57 g is the standard clamshell that comes with fried strips or onion rings.
This is where the dressing gets people. Nobody eats a cup of it in one sitting, but the gap between the measures is enormous: one cup is 948 calories, eight times the two-tablespoon pour, and that is before the salad underneath is counted. A single tablespoon smeared on a sandwich is 59 calories and hardly registers. The same dressing poured freehand over a chopped salad, three or four tablespoons deep, lands between 177 and 236 calories — more than most people assume the whole salad costs.
The practical move is to spoon it rather than pour it. Two level tablespoons is a real, satisfying amount of dressing on a side salad, and it keeps the whole thing under 200 calories with the greens included.
Light, fat-free and reduced-fat versions
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Thousand Island | 379 kcal | 2 tbsp (31.2 g) | 118 kcal |
| Light Thousand Island | 195 kcal | 2 tbsp (30.6 g) | 60 kcal |
| Fat-free Thousand Island | 132 kcal | 2 tbsp (32 g) | 42 kcal |
| Reduced-fat Thousand Island (SR Legacy) | 195 kcal | 1 tbsp (15 g) | 29 kcal |
| Fat-free Thousand Island (SR Legacy) | 132 kcal | 1 tbsp (16 g) | 21 kcal |
Light halves the calories, and fat-free cuts them by about two thirds. The trade is visible in the other rows. Going from regular to fat-free drops fat from 35.06 g to 1.45 g per 100 g, but total sugars go the other way: 15.18 g becomes 16.83 g. Carbohydrate doubles, from 14.64 g to 29.27 g per 100 g, because starch and sugar replace the oil that was providing the body. Light sits in the middle at 11.32 g of fat and 17.31 g of sugars per 100 g — the sweetest of the three.
The two SR Legacy rows are older editions of the same reduced-fat and fat-free products, and they carry the identical per-100-g profile as the FNDDS light and fat-free records. They are listed here only because a search often surfaces them; there is no nutritional disagreement between the editions.
Bottled brands sit above the generic record rather than below it. Wish-Bone and Ken's Steak House both list 140 calories per 2 Tbsp on their regular labels, and Kraft lists 130 — all higher than the 118 in the USDA generic, because bottled dressing is a touch more oil-dense than the diner-style average. Their light versions come in at 70 and 80 calories per 2 Tbsp. USDA even carries three separate Wish-Bone regular labels ranging from 367 to 467 calories per 100 g, so if you are logging a specific bottle, the label beats any generic figure.
Sodium is the row to watch
Two tablespoons deliver 300 mg of sodium, 13% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value — roughly what you would get from an eighth of a teaspoon of table salt. That sounds small until it stacks. The 57 g dipping container is 548 mg (24% DV), and a full cup is 2,405 mg, or 105% of the Daily Value, which clears the entire day's limit on its own.
Here is the part the "light" label does not tell you: sodium barely moves between versions. The regular dressing has 962 mg per 100 g, light has 955 mg, and fat-free has 788 mg. Swapping to light saves you 58 calories per two tablespoons and about 7 mg of sodium. If sodium is the thing you are managing, the fix is a smaller pour, not a lighter bottle.
Saturated fat is the calmer row. Two tablespoons carry 1.6 g, or 8% of the Daily Value, which is modest for a mayonnaise-based dressing — the Dietary Guidelines for Americans put the ceiling at under 10% of daily calories. A poured cup would be a different conversation at 12.7 g, but that is not a serving anyone should be measuring against.
How does Thousand Island dressing compare?
| Dressing | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousand Island | 379 kcal | 1 oz (28.3 g) | 107 kcal |
| Russian dressing | 355 kcal | 1 oz (28.3 g) | 100 kcal |
| French or Catalina dressing | 419 kcal | 1 oz (28.3 g) | 119 kcal |
| Ranch dressing | 430 kcal | 1 oz (28.3 g) | 122 kcal |
Our take: Thousand Island is the second-lightest of these four per 100 g, and Russian is the only one below it. The spread is narrower than the reputations suggest — an ounce of ranch is 122 calories against 107 for Thousand Island, a difference of 15 calories that no one would notice on a plate. If you want a real cut, the lever is portion size or the fat-free version at 132 calories per 100 g, not swapping one creamy dressing for another. For a salad you want to actually finish, two tablespoons of the regular dressing beats four tablespoons of anything labeled light.
Most popular thousand island dressing brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Wish-Bone Thousand Island Dressing | 467 cal |
| Wish-Bone Light Thousand Island Dressing | 233 cal |
| Ken's Steak House Thousand Island Dressing | 452 cal |
| Ken's Steak House Lite Thousand Island Dressing | 250 cal |
| Kraft Thousand Island Dressing | 433 cal |
| Wish-Bone Thousand Island Dressing (041321006456) | 367 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Thousand Island dressing FAQs
How many calories are in 2 tablespoons of Thousand Island dressing?
Two tablespoons weigh 31.2 g and carry 118 calories, since the dressing runs 379 calories per 100 g. That spoonful also brings 10.9 g of fat and 300 mg of sodium, or 13% of the daily limit. Most restaurant side salads get poured with more than two tablespoons.
How many calories are in 1 tablespoon of Thousand Island dressing?
One tablespoon is 15.6 g and 59 calories, with 5.5 g of fat and 150 mg of sodium. It is the honest measure for a sandwich smear or a single dip. Two tablespoons double it to 118 calories, and a poured cup reaches 948.
How much sodium is in Thousand Island dressing?
Two tablespoons carry 300 mg of sodium, 13% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value, and 100 g holds 962 mg. A 57 g dipping container is 548 mg, and a full cup 2,405 mg, more sodium than the whole day's limit. Light and fat-free versions are barely lower.
How many carbs are in Thousand Island dressing?
Two tablespoons hold 4.6 g of carbohydrate, and almost all of it is sugar: 4.7 g. Per 100 g the record shows 14.64 g of carbohydrate against 15.18 g of total sugars. Fat-free doubles the carbs to 29.27 g per 100 g while cutting fat to 1.45 g.
How many calories are in fat-free Thousand Island dressing?
Fat-free Thousand Island runs 132 calories per 100 g, so a 32 g spoonful is 42 calories against 118 for the regular dressing. The fat falls from 35.06 g to 1.45 g per 100 g. The sugar does not follow: 16.83 g, slightly more than the full-fat version's 15.18 g.
Is light Thousand Island dressing lower in sugar?
No — light Thousand Island holds 17.31 g of total sugars per 100 g, more than the 15.18 g in the regular dressing. What light cuts is fat, from 35.06 g to 11.32 g, and calories, from 379 to 195 per 100 g. A 30.6 g spoonful is 60 calories.
How many calories are in a dipping cup of Thousand Island dressing?
A 57 g dipping-size container holds 216 calories, our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure rather than a USDA serving. It also carries 20.0 g of fat, 8.7 g of sugar and 548 mg of sodium, 24% of the daily limit. That is nearly twice a two-tablespoon pour.
What is the difference between Thousand Island and Russian dressing?
Russian dressing is the lighter of the two: 355 calories per 100 g against 379 for Thousand Island. Russian leans on chili sauce and horseradish, so it carries 31.9 g of carbohydrate per 100 g and 26.18 g of fat; Thousand Island is a sweet-pickle mayonnaise at 35.06 g of fat.
Similar foods
- Gouda cheese — 75 cal per slice
- Cheese — 113 cal per slice
- Oat flour — 105 cal for 1/4 cup
- Condensed Milk — 122 cal per 2 tbsp
- Honey — 64 cal per tablespoon
- Cheeseburger — 488 cal per cheeseburger
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal counts the dressing along with everything under it.
