Hidden Valley Ranch on Keto: Discover the Best Keto Ranch Alternatives

Ranch lovers worldwide pour Hidden valley ranch dressing on nearly everything, but keto dieters have to be cautious with their condiments so they aren’t kicked out of ketosis.¹

Truth be told, Hidden valley ranch dressing is typically not keto friendly but it depends on how much is consumed and the type chosen. So rather than buying any ranch to eat pizza, veggies or wings, use this keto ranch seen below instead to stay within your daily allotted carbs.

Can You Include Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing in a Keto Diet?

Hidden valley ranch dressing is generally not keto friendly due to the ingredients that are contained such as sugars and modified starch. However, smaller quantities of the dressing when consumed can be keto friendly—a serving of 2 tablespoons which equates to approximately 29 grams can be keto friendly due to a fairly low carb count.

For a diet to remain keto, the range of carbs that can be consumed in a day must be between 20 and 50 net grams of carbs and contain a high amount of fat and moderate protein content based on a 2000 kcal diet.²

Source: BaileysTable via Canva.com³

Hidden valley ranch dressing has evolved from its humble beginnings as merely a salad dressing—it can be added to chicken or pasta to make for a flavorful topping, or used as a condiment and dip with chips pizza or buffalo chicken wings, as a marinade for chicken or beef or even when savoring Marco’s pizza bowls keto or a smash burger keto.

Hidden Valley Ranch dressing’s suitability for a keto diet depends on its ingredients. While it may not be ideal due to components like sugars that can cause insulin spikes or be converted into fat, it also has a high fat content, which can be beneficial for a keto diet focused on weight loss.

Moderation must be exercised when consuming this extremely popular condiment that is the holy grail of ranches for it to be incorporated into a keto diet.

How Much Carbs in Hidden Valley Ranch?

The carb content in Hidden valley ranch is relatively low—one serving which equates to 30 grams contains 2 grams of net carbs with no dietary fiber. This is information obtained from the nutrition label of the 24 oz. bottle.

This macro applies to the original ranch flavor of the products from Hidden valley ranch, there are other varieties that do not contain fat and may have much more carbs than required. For a diet to remain keto, it must contain a high amount of fat to ensure that ketosis remains.

Ketosis is a state where the body as a result of the lower presence of carbs reverts to using ketone bodies for fuel instead of glucose.⁴ Ketones are created by the liver from the stores of body fat which results in weight loss—the goal of the keto diet.

Those on a keto diet also have the option of Hidden valley ranch packets that comes in a myriad of flavors including original ranch, buttermilk ranch and ranch night premium seasoning; these have a serving size of ¼ teaspoon which is about 0.8 grams and have a net carb range of between 0-2 grams.

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Nutrition & Ingredients

Hidden valley ranch dressing comes in a variety of flavors, however the macro nutritional information and ingredients below pertains to the original ranch flavor. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing can be considered keto-friendly to some extent. The data below provides details on its carbohydrate content, protein, and fats.

Nutrition (serving of 2 tablespoons [30ml])

• Total Carbohydrate: 2 grams
• Dietary Fiber: 0 grams
• Total Fat: 13 grams
• Protein: 0 grams
• Total Sugars: 1 gram

Ingredients

Among the ingredients contained in this popular dressing are sugar, vegetable oil and egg yolk—the detailed list appears below.

• Calcium disodium
• Disodium inosinate
• Natural flavors
• Dried garlic
• Sorbic acid
• Guanylate
• Dried onion
• Vinegar
• Phosphoric acid
• Xanthan gum
• Modified food starch
• Vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola)
• Water
• Monosodium glutamate
• Artificial flavors
• Disodium phosphate
• Sugar
• Salt
• Buttermilk
• Egg yolk

Is Ranch Dressing Suitable for a Keto Diet?

Typically, ranch dressing, regardless of brand, shows relatively low amounts of carbs in its nutritional information, leading many to consider it suitable for a keto diet. This depends on the ingredients that go into the different brands. Some brands are made with high quality ingredients such as sour cream, buttermilk or even mayonnaise.

For those wondering if buttermilk is keto-friendly, the answer is yes. Buttermilk, being low in carbs and high in fat, makes many ranch brands suitable for a keto diet when included as an ingredient.

Source: allisonc004 via Canva.com⁵

Generally, ranch can be keto if consumed in moderation and not splurged—the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the carb content for one serving equating to 30 mg of generic ranch dressing as 1.77 grams of net carbs.⁶ Generally and on average, 2 tablespoons of these delicious dressings regardless of brand can set someone back 2-3 grams of net carbs.

Conversely, other brands as briefly mentioned before contain sugars or preservatives that may render them unfit for those on a keto diet. There are types of ranch such as French dressing that contain as much as 15 grams of net carbs per serving!

This obviously makes these choices a no go for those on a keto diet even if they are to be consumed in moderation, unless someone is planning on having them as the sole source of carbs for the day. Conversely, other brands have carbohydrates in the region ranging 5-6 grams of net carbs which is still relatively high considering this is the amount that is being sourced from a condiment and not actual meal with nutritional value.

Since the minimum allotment of carbs a day for those on a keto diet is at a minimum of 20 grams of net carbs, it remains clear that if ranch is to be consumed and incorporated into a keto diet, there must be careful selection of what brand to choose to ensure that the state of ketosis is not interfered with.

Alternate Ranch Brands That are Keto Friendly

There are several ranch brands that are keto friendly with low carb content for those that are not too keen on the popular Hidden ranch valley dressing or are simply looking for better lower carb options—use this keto ranch instead.

• Newman’s own classic oil & vinegar salad dressing—this is a tasty option and what’s more it has 0 grams of net carbs per serving, making this dressing a tasty and perfect way on how to jump start weight loss. In addition, as per their website, 100% of profits of every bottle sold goes to charity!
• Marie’s chunky blue cheese dressing—this is easily available in the big grocery stores and 2 tablespoons of this delicious dressing has a dismal 1 gram of net carbs making it a keto dressing.
• Ken’s steak house chunky blue cheese—this is a family owned brand and the dressing has a low calorie count and is gluten free. One serving of 2 tablespoons also contains a lowly 1 gram of net carbs.
• Marzetti’s avocado ranch—this is a popular and tasty choice and contains no preservatives, is gluten free and adds a hint of lime making it a delicious and smooth dressing. It has a high fat content at 13 grams and also has a low carb count of 1 gram of net carbs making it a perfect choice for a keto diet.
• FAT & happy—these dressings are manufactured from MCT oil which provides a fats to protein and carb ratio of 2:1. Diets that have a ratio fats to protein and carb ratio of 1.5:1 have been shown to reach nutritional ketosis.⁷ They have both balsamic and Italian dressing with the former providing 1 grams of carbs and the latter having 0 grams of net carbs per serving of 2 tablespoons with both making good additions for weight loss solutions.
• Kraft Greek vinaigrette—this is a great alternative for those on a budget and provides 2 grams of net carbs per serving of 2 tablespoons.
• Tessemae organic salad dressing—this organic dressing is gluten free and contains no sugar or dairy products. It has only 1 gram of net carbs per serving of 2 tablespoons.
• Primal kitchen—this ranch dressing is organic and rather than use oil and buttermilk as core ingredients, it uses avocado oil as a quality source of fats. It contains a colossal 13 grams of fat and 2 grams of net carbs making it keto friendly.

Homemade Keto Ranch Sauce

For those wanting to make their own ranch and have a say on what goes into their ranch, there are recipes that they can use to make a keto ranch sauce that is tasty, healthy and most importantly low in carbs. This recipe ensures that the ranch is free from preservatives which may sometimes contain carcinogens. Keto enthusiasts concerned about whether Hidden Valley Ranch dressing is keto-friendly will be pleased to use the homemade recipe provided below as an alternative.

Ingredients:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Finely minced garlic clove
• Mayonnaise—this should contain no sugar
• Heavy cream—instead of buttermilk and is lower in carbs
• White vinegar
• Fresh or dried chives
• Smoked paprika

Directions:

Pour all ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Then transfer the contents into a jar and shake well until the mixture becomes soft and fluffy. This can be then stored in the fridge for use and is good for a week. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

Ranch makes for an excellent condiment and can transform any chicken or beef snack into a delicious treat. For those considering Hidden Valley ranch dressing for a keto diet, it ultimately depends on the quantity consumed. The good news is that using a keto-friendly ranch alternative can alleviate these concerns, providing a healthier option that fits within keto guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions