Ranch is an American salad dressing made from mustard, buttermilk, garlic, salt, onion, herbs, and spices mixed in a mayonnaise-based sauce. If you have used this dressing before, you understand its unique tangy flavor that goes well in salads and dips.
Some ranch dressing brands contain gluten additives, while others don’t. Being on a gluten-free diet means you should always understand what exactly is on your plate. You do not want to get distressed because you missed a gluten additive.
Not only will a person on a gluten-free diet get distressed, but they might suffer digestive issues and skin irritation. So let’s understand whether ranch has gluten or not.
What is ranch dressing?
Ranch dressing is a salad dressing consisting of buttermilk, spices, seasonings, and herbs. It has a tangy taste with the creaminess of eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Ranch dressings are used as dips for crackers, salads, or even marinades for chicken.
What exactly is gluten?
Gluten is the protein in wheat, rye, and barley. These proteins are responsible for holding food together. They can be found in so many other foods, some of which might even surprise you. So you understand why gluten-intolerant people need to understand what’s really is in their plates.
I know you might be wondering why one has to be on a gluten-free diet. People on a gluten-free diet usually avoid it due to celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder where the body acts as if gluten is poison. If such persons consume gluten, their immune systems react by destroying the part that absorbs nutrients- the small intestines.
This leads to malabsorption of the nutrients in the small intestines, leading to serious health complications. So now let’s understand whether ranch is gluten-free.
Is ranch gluten-free?
The common ranch dressing ingredients are a mixture of spices, herbs, and buttermilk. The possibility of gluten in such dressing is close to nil. However, the ranch might contain additives with gluten like soy sauce, malt syrup, semolina, and cracker meal.
The commercially prepared ranch dressings usually contain oils (canola or soybean), buttermilk, xanthan gum salt, eggs, water, vinegar spices, flavors, and preservatives. Ensure you read the packaging carefully to determine whether there are gluten additives.
Identifying whether ranch has gluten or not
So when shopping for ranch dressing, there are certain things you can check out on the package to determine whether the ranch has gluten or not.
- Some manufacturers add thickening gluten products like wheat flour to the ranch. You will see ingredients like wheat flour on the ingredients list.
- The dressing might also contain gluten from cross-contamination during manufacture. Some companies will include a statement stating the product was manufactured in a company that processes wheat products.
- The ranch package will have a “gluten-free” label on it. Ranch dressing companies include this label just below the ingredients list.
- The companies’ websites give information on gluten-free products in the nutritional information section.
Note that not all companies will give this information. So it’s easy to come across one that offers no information as to whether their product is gluten-free or not. In such cases, you can contact the company to inquire about their product’s gluten information.
Does ranch dressing have gluten
Does ranch dressing have gluten is a question many ask. Ranch dressing is usually made from buttermilk, garlic, herbs, pepper, spices, onions, and mustard, all gluten-free ingredients. It is wise to read the labels to be sure. Ranch dressings have many options, with some more famous than others. So below are some famous ranch dressings you might want to understand whether or not they contain gluten.
1. Great value ranch dressing
Great value ranch dressing doesn’t contain any gluten ingredients in it. However, the dressing does not include a gluten-free label on it, meaning that either they haven’t tested for gluten, or there is a possibility of cross-contamination during manufacture.
2. Ken’s steakhouse ranch
The ken’s steakhouse ranch dressing has a gluten-free label, so you don’t have to worry about suffering brain clogs after consuming this ranch if you are on a gluten-free diet.
3. Lighthouse ranch dressing
According to the lighthouse ranch dressing website, this product is gluten-free. Manufacturers have also put the “gluten-free” sign on the packaging.
4. Marie’s ranch dressing
This ranch dressing doesn’t contain gluten ingredients on its ingredients list. However, their packaging also has no gluten-free label, which leaves us to wonder whether there’s any gluten in it. We can only judge this product after consuming it and if you understand your body’s reaction to gluten.
5. Primal kitchen ranch
Enjoy the Paleo kitchen ranch dressing if you are on a gluten-free diet without any worry. It is paleo-friendly, keto certified, and of course, gluten-free! What’s good about this ranch is it is also dairy-free.
6. Wish bone ranch dressing
The manufacturers of this product haven’t made a statement on whether or not it has gluten or not. Their ingredients list on the package doesn’t have any gluten ingredients, but we all wonder there is a risk of cross-contamination during production or they just don’t test for it. Here, you will judge according to how sensitive your body is to gluten.
Does Kraft ranch have gluten?
Kraft ranch dressing does not contain gluten even though it is not gluten-free certified. Their website statement states that it doesn’t include any gluten ingredients. So to understand better, check this breakdown of the ingredients in Kraft ranch.
Kraft dressing ingredients
The Kraft ranch dressing is a mixture of soybean oil, vinegar, water, and dairy products. It also includes several additives like calcium Disodium EDTA, monosodium glutamate, and Polysorbate 60.
- Disodium EDTA
Disodium EDTA is a preservative and flavor agent. EDTA tends to bind the minerals in our bodies, inhibiting the body from using them, a reason doctors advise against consuming more than 3g a day.
- Polysorbate 60
This emulsifier helps create the texture in foods and stabilize ingredients. Polysorbate 60 is added to almost all products like loaves of bread, coffee, and whip cream. It should be used in low amounts as an excess of it causes cancer, organ toxicity, and reproductive health problems.
Other ingredients include;
- Water
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vinegar
- Soybean oil
- Egg yolk
- Whey
- Garlic juice
- Modified food starch
- Buttermilk
- Phosphoric acid
- Xanthan gum
- Egg yolks
- Tartaric acid
- Artificial flavors
- Sorbic acid
- Spices
Why do some ranch dressings contain gluten?
Gluten is added to some ranch dressings for several reasons. It could add flavor, be used as a filling or a thickener.
- Flavoring
Some ingredients containing gluten contribute to the flavor of the dressing. For instance, soy sauce has wheat, which indicates the presence of gluten. Malt vinegar blue cheese also contains gluten.
- Filler ingredient
Filler ingredients with gluten are pretty hard to spot. However, processed and artificial salad dressings will likely have one gluten filler. Always check the filler ingredients used or red-flag ingredients like flavorings, artificial colors, and dextrin.
- Thickening
Salads dressings could contain thickening ingredients with gluten. Those ingredients could be food starch, flour, or modified cornstarch.
Making homemade ranch dressing- Gluten-free
The only way to ensure there’s no gluten in your ranch dressing is to make it from scratch in your kitchen. With just some items from the pantry and your fridge, you get to make the best ranch dressing!
Ingredients
- Apple cider vinegar
- Onion powder
- Milk(use any type of milk
- Pepper
- Salt
- Mayonnaise
- Garlic powder
- Dry chives
- Dry parsley flakes
Method
- Add the ingredients into a medium-sized bowl and combine them well.
- Whisk till it gets smooth and well-combined.
- That’s it! You can use the ranch dressing as a dip for your chicken, burgers, snap peas, pizza, and homemade fries.
- Store the ranch dressing in the fridge and use it as often as you can for up to 2 weeks.
Tip:
- Check that the mayonnaise you use is gluten-free
Frequently asked questions
1. How can I know the gluten information of my ranch dressing?
A gluten product will have a label indicating gluten presence or not. Check out for signs like:
- Gluten-free
This label means that the product has no gluten or has been treated to reduce glutens’ intensity if any ingredient contains gluten.
- Certified gluten-free
This product has had an approval stamp from corporations that check on products’ gluten status.
- Has no gluten ingredient
A ranch dressing with no gluten ingredient means there is no tested gluten ingredient. That means there’s a possibility of cross-contamination.
2. Is hidden valley ranch dressing keto?
Hidden valley ranch dressing has high carb with unhealthy ingredients like maltodextrin that should be avoided on a keto diet.
Conclusion
Ranch salad dressing might either contain gluten or not. Some ranch salad dressing brands with gluten do state their product has gluten on the package or not. To be sure, always read the ingredients list of ranch dressing before purchasing.
If the ranch dressing you purchase has no “gluten-free” label and no gluten ingredient in their list, then it’s probably safe for a gluten-free diet. If you are not sure, contact the brand to find out!