Is Unsweetened ranch dressing & marinade Keto?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I look for two things in a keto condiment: the oil source and the thickener. This product gets the oil right by using Avocado Oil, a monounsaturated fat that is stable and heart-healthy. It avoids the soybean or canola oils found in cheaper dressings.

For the base, they use Filtered Water and Distilled White Vinegar. This creates the necessary acidity without adding carbs. The creamy texture comes from Organic Powdered Buttermilk and Whole Egg Powder. While these contain trace lactose and protein, the amounts are negligible in a single serving and fit within keto macros.

To keep the carb count near zero, the product relies on flavor enhancers like Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Nutritional Yeast rather than sugar. The thickening agent is Xanthan Gum, which is a carbohydrate derivative used in tiny amounts to create viscosity; it is widely accepted as keto-safe because it is not digested as a net carb.

Nutritional Value

Because this dressing is unsweetened and oil-based, the nutritional profile is dominated by healthy fats, which is ideal for ketosis. You should expect the calorie count to mirror that of standard dressings (roughly 60-100 calories per serving), but nearly all of that energy comes from the avocado oil, not carbohydrates.

The 'Unsweetened' label is the key metric here. Many commercial ranches contain high fructose corn syrup or cane sugar to balance the tanginess of the vinegar. By removing those sweeteners, this product likely keeps net carbohydrates under 1g per serving. This fits easily into the strictest keto daily limit of 20g net carbs.