Ranch has taken over America and is known as one of the most loved or hated salad dressings out there. However, does this high-fat salad dressing fit into our low-carb keto diet? Is ranch keto friendly?
Well, what you need to know is:
YES. Most generic ranch dressing is keto-friendly as it is low carb.
But how can you use it safely in the keto diet without over-indulging?
Make sure to keep reading down this article to find out the ins and outs of ranch sauce, and which store-bought ranch is keto-friendly, and how you can use the ranch to make your ranch dressing keto!
Why Is Ranch Popular In Keto Community?
There are various reasons as to why low carb ranch dressing is suitable for keto, such as:
- The ranch contains very low carbs if sticking to recommended brands found below
- The fat content found in fat is a healthy mix of saturated and unsaturated fat
- The ranch is versatile and can be used as a dip, food flavoring, and salad dressing
- Making ranch dressing keto at home is very simple and tastes fantastic
Is Ranch Keto Approved?
Ultimately, yes – the majority of ranch dressings found in your local stores are keto-friendly. The average carbs in ranch dressing is around 2-3 net carbs per serving of around 2 tablespoons.
However, you need to be aware when buying specific brands of the ranch in stores as some of these can contain a whopping 15 grams of net carbs per serving.
Why? Well, these brands may contain extra added sugars which increase your net carb intake.
The majority of us in the keto community try our best to restrict our total carb intake to 20-50 grams per day. Therefore, if you follow a strict keto diet, it is best to ensure that you pick out the correct brand of ranch or else follow one of the best keto recipes found below to make a rang dressing suited to you!
How Can You Use Ranch Dressing Keto-Wise
There are various ways to use the ranch as not only a salad dressing. The ranch is a wonderful condiment that has versatility and can be used as the following:
- Mix with blue cheese to make a wonderful complement to your buffalo chicken wings
- Drizzle some keto-friendly ranch on your keto pizza recipes that you have created
- Marinade for chicken and white meat – trust us, this works a treat!
- Add into scrambled eggs with some heavy cream to make them fluffy
What Ranch Dressing Brands Are Keto Friendly?
We know to find the low carb or keto ranch dressing in your local store may be difficult. So for all your ranch dressing keto needs, please follow our top picks below. It will help you shop for the best brands more conveniently!
One quick tip before we start – try to avoid the fat-free ranch dressings.
We need a high-fat content in our keto diet, and to sustain the thickness of fat-free ranch dressings, brands tend to add lactose which is converted into sugar.
So, without further ado:
Top 3 Store-Bought Low Carb Ranch Dressing Brand:
- Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing – Hidden Valley has created a wonderful and versatile ranch dressing that works perfectly as a dip, salad dressing, and even marinate for those who are feeling more adventurous! Hidden Valley’s ranch is low in net carbs with only 2 grams of net carbs per serving.
You need to try your best to avoid the light ranch created by Hidden Valley as this contains 4 grams of net carbs per serving. This is due to the added sugar found from the addition of lactose to counter-act the low-fat properties.
- Yo Mama’s American Ranch Dip – Mama has approved this wonderful ranch recipe which contains no dairy, sugar, or unwanted preservatives! Although one serving has a whopping 140 calories, with only 1 gram of net carbs, this product has to be on our list!
- Wish-Bone – Whether you decide to smother your food in ranch or simply use it as a dip, Wish-Bone has created a product with only 1 gram of net carbs that is high in healthy fats which fit right into our keto condiment list.
The main takeaway when deciding which ranch to buy at your local convenient store is that you should try your best to avoid the light dressings when you can. These contain less fat than normal ranch and use ingredients that have higher net carbs.
Homemade Keto Ranch Dressing Recipe
Making your own keto ranch dressing has never been easier. This can be used as a wonderful keto salad dressing that has an immense flavor and a low net carb content!
The best part? Prep time for this homemade ranch sauce is just 5 minutes!
Ingredients:
- One half of a cup of full-fat mayo
- One half of a cup sour cream
- One-quarter cup heavy whipping cream
- Seasoning with salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp of grated garlic
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar (counteract the tartness of the mayo)
- 1 tsp of onion powder
- 1/2 tsp of paprika
- A pinch of dried dill
- 2 tbsp of oil (you can use MCT oil, olive oil, and avocado oil to make it healthier)
Instructions:
- Mix all of the ingredients together either by hand or using an electric whisk, until the mixture is smooth.
- Add mixture into a glass jar and store in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
- Serve!
Approximate Nutritional Value:
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories per serving: 49
- Net carbs per serving: 2g
Dietary Alternatives:
We understand that some people may suffer from certain intolerances, and therefore you can try substituting various products to suit your dietary needs.
Instead of sour cream, you can opt for coconut cream which gives your ranch a more sweet taste if you are lactose intolerant.
If you want a less-fat ranch sauce you can try adding a low-fat Greek yogurt with half of the required amount of mayonnaise.
Get Recipe: savorytooth.com
FAQS
The Takeaway
As we have mentioned, the majority of brands of ranch found in stores are keto-friendly. You need to make sure to look out for the nutrition labels and not pick out any that contain a considerable amount of net carbs.
Better yet, you can make your own ranch at home using our infamous recipe which takes no time to create at all, is low in carbs, uses easily found ingredients, and satisfies your ranch cravings!
