I want to eat healthy, and avoid stuff like MSG. My son likes to dip carrot sticks in ranch dressing which is great because he's eating vegetables but I can't find any "normal" ranch dressing without MSG in it. We tried cardini's parmesan ranch, but my son won't eat it. Any ideas?
Thanks for all the great suggestions! Next time I shop at a different store, I will take a look at some of the other brands. And I can't wait to buy some buttermilk and yogurt and try the recipes.
WHole Foods carries several brands of organic ranch - no MSG. (They have all the other kinds, too, if you want to avoid the high fructose corn syrup and other chemicals in regular dressings.)
Bolthouse Farms creamy yogurt dressing Classic Ranch. Healthy, and taste the same as any other ranch dressing. My kids love it.
You can try Newmans Own. I don't think they use msg.
Penzey's Spices makes a great one that we LOVE. It comes in a shaker bottle, so you can make as much or little as you want at a time, instead of having a huge amount left over. The instructions say to mix it with buttermilk, but we much prefer sour cream for the consistency and flavor.
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysbuttermil...
There is a mix at Sam's by Tones that tastes better than most ranch dressings we've tried and no MSG. Just add milk and mayo.
sass makes a good one and it is low fat. youcan get it at central market or whole foods.
Here's another recipe
3/4 C miracle whip
3/4 C buttermilk
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp instant onions (dried)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
Mix and enjoy
PS The best thing I've done recently is learn to make my own buttermilk. The live active cultures make it a healthy addition to any shake, gives a wonderful aroma to pancakes and can be used in dressing.
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/BUTTERMILK.HTM
Here is a recipe that maybe you could try. Hope you enjoy!
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
¼ cups Minced Red Onion
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Pepper
¼ teaspoons Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoons Chives
¼ teaspoons Parsley
Preparation Instructions: Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. Pour into a glass jar with a screw top. Refrigerate.
Make it. Or buy the pack of ranch and make it with skim milk & low fat mayo.
Good luck,
DH
For a long time I couldn't have msg, and I had to get creative with Ranch. Newman's Own doesn't have msg, but I have never seen a light ranch by them--theirs is high in fat.
Marie's Zesty Ranch Light had no msg, but I wasn'tvery fond of the taste. I can't wait to try some of these recipes others have posted!
I belong to a organic veggie club & they deliver straight off the farm.. I love it. they also provide recipes for things in my box that week. I just happened to get salad dressing recipes. I have yet to make so can't vouch for taste.
Honey mustard:3/4 c extra virgin olive oil, 2t. honey, 1/2 t salt, 1/4t dried or fresh basil, 1/4 c apple cider vinegar, 2 t Dijon mustard, pepper to taste - mix in jar w/ tight lid keep in fridge for flavor blending....take out 10 minutes before using so oil can liquify.
House ranch: clean out a bottle of bought Ranch & pour this one in...:
1/4c low fat buttermilk, 1/4 c plain yogurt, 2 T of honey mustard above, 1/2 t Italian seasoning, 1/4 t salt, dash of cayenne pepper, 1/2t snipped green onions tops, mix in jar & store in fridge.
if you like garlic, add some garlic powder
instead of italian seasonings, you can sub with Herbs de Provence
For southwest flavor, snip cilantro & green onion & add chipotle or regular chili powder & lime juice.
Hope this helps you...
Get the refrigerated ones like Lighthouse, Marsettis, or Marie's. They are all natural and do not contain MSG. Yes, they are slightly pricier, but there are often coupons available.
I buy Newman's Own and Annie's (you can get Annie's in the healthfood section at Kroger and Newman's Own in the dressings section.)
