Going Bold and Healthy with Salad Dressings

Bold Palate Foods is a brand new product switching up the salad game for the healthier.

A simple salad sparked the idea that changed Bold Palate Foods founder Kate Mann’s palate and life. A self-described salad fanatic, Mann realized that while her salads were packed with healthy offerings, the dressings she was using were in fact not that healthy. “Once you add the dressing, you might as well be eating a cheeseburger,” she remembers thinking one night.

After experimenting in the kitchen in March 2020, Bold Palate Foods was launched. The 100% plant-based sauces can be used as a dressing, marinade or dip. And Mann says she’s committed to delivering a product that is not only a healthier option, but a tasty one as well. “If it doesn’t taste amazing, then I move on,” she said.

The California-raised former business reporter, now based in NYC, said that while on assignment years ago she learned about the importance of agriculture. “I had the opportunity to meet Midwest family farmers; to see and learn about the sources of our food supply and the challenges farmers were facing everyday,” she said. “Having been raised in West L.A., where picture perfect produce was taken for granted, well, this was a huge eye opener for me.”

Unlike other dressings, Bold Palate contains no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. It’s currently available in four flavors: The Beet Goes On, No Cows on this Ranch, Apple Spice Vinaigrette and Hint of Harissa.

The research for the brand first began almost four years ago with Mann experimenting with ingredients in her kitchen. She says the key was throwing out the traditional approach (2/3 oil and 1/3 acid).

“I started over with healthy, albeit less conventional ingredients. I mean who puts carrots, cauliflower and beets in dressings? I do. And guess what? It tastes great,” she said.

Customers were soon agreeing with her. Mann notes that customer feedback is the most rewarding part of this journey. While it was admittedly hard to launch a new product during the pandemic when people were reverting back to comfort foods, online reviews and in-store feedback was rejuvenating at a time when everything was an uphill battle. “To hear people say things like, ‘Wow, this is so delicious and your ingredients are incredible’ and ‘finally, something that tastes amazing with no sugar added!’ Those kinds of comments validate all the hard work that has gone into Bold Palate and motivate me and my team to keep going,” she said.

While Mann said she doesn’t have a personal favorite flavor herself because that would be like choosing a favorite child, she said that new flavors are being worked on now. Bold Palate Foods hopes to have a Caesar dressing variation on shelves soon and down the line, the company will add plant-based breakfast offerings.