Guilt-Free Ranch-Style Dressing

Guilt-Free Ranch-Style Dressing

Looking for a guilt-free way to enjoy creamy Ranch dressing without derailing your diet?

This low-calorie alternative is the perfect dip for veggies or dressing for salads, delivering a burst of flavour and a satisfying texture to liven up your meals. While it’s not an exact match for the rich, indulgent original, this recipe is a fantastic way to stay On-Protocol and hit your daily servings of vegetables with ease.

Whether you're meal-prepping for the week or just need a quick, healthy accompaniment to your favorite greens, this dressing has your back—no compromise necessary!

I’m still tweaking the recipe to really dial in the flavour, but it’s quite tasty as-is.

Ingredients (Makes about 1 Cup)

  • 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese

  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar

  • 1 ¼ tsp dried parsley

  • ½ tsp dried chives

  • ½ tsp onion flakes

  • ½ tsp garlic powder

  • ½ tsp onion powder

  • ¼ tsp dried dill

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Water as needed to adjust consistency

Method

  1. Using an immersion blender, food processor or blender, purée all ingredients together, adjusting consistency with water as needed.

  2. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, then mix well again.

  3. Dressing should keep, refrigerated, until the “best before” date of your cottage cheese, but I would aim to use it within a week of making it for the best flavour.

Nutritional Info

For the Full Recipe:

  • Calories: 104 kcal

  • Protein: 13 g (52 kcal, 50% of total calories)

  • Fat: 0 g (0 kcal, 0% of total calories)

  • Total Carbohydrate: 7 g

  • Fiber: 0 g

  • Net Carbohydrate: 7 g (28 kcal, 27% of total calories)

Per 2-Tablespoon Serving (1/8th of recipe):

  • Calories: 13 kcal

  • Protein: 1.6 g (6.4 kcal, 50% of total calories)

    • Approximately 0.06 palm-sized portions (1 palm = 20–30 g of protein)

  • Fat: 0 g (0 kcal, 0% of total calories)

    • Approximately 0 thumb-sized portions (1 thumb = 10–15 g of fat)

  • Total Carbohydrate: 0.9 g

  • Fiber: 0 g

  • Net Carbohydrate: 0.9 g (3.6 kcal, 27% of total calories)

    • Approximately 0.03 cupped-palm portions (1 cupped palm = 20–30 g of net carbs)

This nutritional analysis is an estimate only, based on available knowledge regarding the nutritional content of the individual ingredients. Nutritional content of foods is HIGHLY variable, so you should always base your dietary intake on whether it meets your needs and progresses you towards your goals rather than any theoretical numbers on paper.

Notes and Options

  • If you want to use this both as a dip and a dressing, you can leave it thicker (as a dip) and thin your individual portion with water when you want it to be more of a dressing.