This keto ranch dressing is a great way to dress your salads or burgers without soy or added sugar!

What’s wrong with the bottled ranch dressing from the store? It has very little carbs, and is generally a very tasty item, right?

There are a couple of things that you may want to watch for with commercial dressings. Most will contain MSG, monosodium glutamate, maltodextrin, and soybean oil. Due to the inflammation they can cause in the body, they are removed from a strict keto diet.

What is wrong with MSG?

“The dangers of MSG can include sweating, flushing, headache, nausea, facial tightness, numbness in the face and neck and weakness. As noted by Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, these effects are usually mild and do not require medical treatment.

“If you experience side effects when you eat high-MSG foods, the only way to treat the problem is to avoid MSG in the future. Sometimes MSG syndrome can cause serious symptoms, such as heart palpitations, chest pains and shortness of breath. (Livestrong)

Headaches from eating  a salad with ranch dressing? That doesn’t sound like my idea of fun at all. Or a way to better health.

What’s wrong with maltodextrin?

First, let’s find out exactly what it is. Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate that is high on the glycemic index. It is quickly digested and broken down into glucose.

The effects of maltodextrin are more like a simple sugar. They lead to spikes in blood sugar levels, and crashes. This cycle of rises and crashes can knock you out of ketosis and possibly cause weight gain.

What’s wrong with soybean oil on the keto diet?

Soy has been thought to cause endocrine disruption, hypothyroidism, and even growth problems in small children. The idea that “Asians consume it, so it’s safe” is not really true. For them, soy is fermented, and in small amounts. They use is as a condiment, like we would ketchup.

Soy can also inhibit protein digestion. When your goal is to hit the proper amount of protein for your body, not being able to digest that properly is not a good thing. It’s also thought to cause a B12 deficiency, which is needed to process sugars.

All of that can leave you not wanting to eat leafy green veggies, right?

This easy ranch dressing you can make at home will solve that. You will get the flavor, but not the chemicals you want to avoid!

Low carb ranch dressing has just a couple of ingredients, and that is all you need. Full fat sour cream, full fat mayo (get the recipe for homemade mayonnaise here), and just a few delicious seasonings.

You can add the seasonings together into a jar, and make your own homemade ranch dressing mix, too. Homemade ranch seasoning goes great on roasted cauliflower, over spaghetti squash, and even on chicken!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons dried minced onion
• 3 Tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 Tablespoon dried dill weed
• 2 Tablespoons cup garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/4-1/2 cup cool water

Instructions:

1. Mix seasonings in an airtight, quart sized jar. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
2. To make your ranch dressing, add 3 Tablespoons dry seasoning mix to ½ cup mayo and ¾ cup sour cream. Add water, starting with 1/4 cup and mix well.
3. Chill dressing mix for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.
4. If you would like it a bit thinner, add more water 1-2 Tablespoons at a time.
5. Store made dressing in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

What is your favorite way to use ranch dressing? Do you use it as a dip, or on salads? Will you try it over vegetables and chicken? Be sure to let me know what you think!

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Zach

Zach is the author behind Easy Keto Dishes, a site that shares easy-to-make keto-friendly recipes and dishes.

Some of Zach's favorite keto resources include:

Perfect Keto: For those who are looking for easy supplements that support a Keto diet, Perfect Keto offers a variety of products that make it easy to stay in ketosis including keto bars, whey protein, and keto nootropics.

KetoLogic: For those who have a sweet tooth, KetoLogic sells keto-friendly chocolate candies with only 1g of net carbs & zero added sugars.

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