- Ranch is a popular American salad dressing.
- Ranch may or may not be gluten free.
- A homemade ranch can be gluten free.
- Some brands make gluten-free ranch.
Ranch is a popular American dressing used in salads. It is made from buttermilk, garlic, salt, onion, mustard, herbs like chives, dill, parsley, and spices like mustard, paprika, and pepper. Is ranch gluten free? Well, let’s find out throughout this guide.
Later they mix it into a sauce of mayonnaise and oil. Some people prefer to add yogurt and sour cream as well. As much as people love eating this dressing, health-conscious people worry about its gluten status.
Ranch: The Popular Dressing
Along with the Italian dressing, Ranch is the second most popular salad dressing in the United States. This delicious dressing is made with a combination of buttermilk, garlic, salt, minced green onions, and a few other ingredients.
Ranch is not just a salad dressing; people also love it as a dipping sauce. Moreover, you can add it to multiple other dishes to enhance the taste. Ranch dressing has a high-fat content. Just two tablespoons of this dressing contain 145 calories, and 90% of the calories come just from fat.
Does Ranch Have Gluten?
This has become one of the common questions about Ranch in recent times. The new surge of gluten intolerance and sensitivity among people has made them picky about food.
Whether ranch is gluten free or not is a bit difficult to answer. There are numerous brands that make this dressing, and the ingredient list is different for all.
The original ingredient list of ranch does not have any gluten. However, some brands might add it for thickening purposes.
Water, eggs, sugar, buttermilk, vinegar, salt, spices, artificial flavors, vegetable oil like canola or soybean oil, and preservatives; are the common ingredients in any commercially prepared ranch. But some add flour for better consistency in the dressing.
Therefore, it’s safe to say that the gluten content in Ranch will depend upon the brand and their preparation procedure. If you’re making the dressing at home, you can make it gluten free.
What Is Gluten? Is it Harmful to Your Health?
Gluten is a natural protein in grains like wheat, barley, etc. Although gluten is naturally occurring, you can extract it and add it to food items to develop their flavor and texture. Moreover, gluten gives elasticity and acts as a binding agent in food.
Proteas is the enzyme that helps process protein in our body. But it can’t completely break down gluten, and undigested gluten can enter our small intestine. Most people face no severe health issues with undigested gluten, but some might experience severe unpleasantness.
People with celiac disease can’t tolerate gluten and experience problems like headaches, diarrhea, bloating, or skin rashes.
Gluten isn’t harmful to people who can tolerate it. Besides, people have been consuming gluten for as long as we have been eating things like bread, pasta, cereals, etc.
But you should be careful with food items like snacks or crackers that use processed gluten.
How to Find Hidden Gluten in Ranch Dressing?
Whenever you buy a readymade ranch, make sure to read the label. Even if the ingredient list doesn’t show any gluten substance, below that, you might see a statement saying the product was manufactured in a facility that also processes wheat.
You can also check the brand’s website to check the product’s gluten content. Go to the allergy section or FAQs to find the complete information about your query.
If you are gluten intolerant, avoiding products made in the same facility that processes wheat would be best. There are always chances of cross-contamination, which will harm your health.
You can also look for brands that make gluten free ranch. Two well known brands that make gluten free ranch are- Ken’s and Hidden Valley Original. Go for their regular ranch dressing as they are completely gluten free.
If you’re gluten sensitive, you should avoid flavored ranch dressing. These have higher chances of containing gluten.
Wrapping Up
Ranch is the most loved dressing all over America, and they consume it as a dressing, dipping sauce, flavoring ingredient, and the list goes on. If you prepare it at home, you can make it entirely gluten free.
For the store-bought ones, you must check the gluten label. Only go for the product that claims to be gluten free. If you are ordering a ranch dressing salad in any restaurant, ask them about the gluten status.
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