Salad dressings
Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dressing & Dip
13 fl oz/384 mL
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in salt
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
Why it scores 16
Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dressing & Dip scores 16 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Dextrose: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better ranch dressing
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Ranch Dressing & Dip Toby's · 12 oz/340 g Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 79 out of 100 , 63 points higher -
Classic Ranch Dressing & Dip 365 Whole Foods Market · 12 fl oz/355 mL Not ultra-processed · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 62 out of 100 , 46 points higher -
Classic Ranch Dressing & Dip Tessamae's · 10 fl oz/296 mL Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 77 out of 100 , 61 points higher -
Classic Ranch Dressing & Dip Chosen Foods · 237 mL No gut-studied emulsifiers · No seed oils Score 48 out of 100 , 32 points higher -
Ranch Dressing & Marinade Primal Kitchen · 8 oz No added sugars · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 70 out of 100 , 54 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Homestyle Ranch Dressing & Dip
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Dextrose minus 20 points
- Carrageenan minus 7.5 points
- Canola oil minus 1.5 points
- Locust bean gum minus 1 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 4.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Saturated fat 3.3 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Salt 1.9 g / 100 g minus 7 points
- Energy 400 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
100 − 84.5 = 15.5 → 16
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in fat and salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [15]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 400 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated fat | 3.3 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6.7 g |
| Sugars | 3.3 g |
| Added sugars | 3.3 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 3.3 g |
| Salt | 1.9 g |
Serving: 1 portion (30 ml)
Ingredients
- CANOLA OIL
- NON FAT BUTTERMILK (WHEY, WATER, SKIM MILK POWDER, CORN STARCH, TAPIOCA STARCH, CARRAGEENAN, LOCUST BEAN GUM, CULTURE)
- WATER
- EGG YOLK
- NON FAT SOUR CREAM (CULTURED SKIM MILK, CORN STARCH, TAPIOCA STARCH, CARRAGEENAN, LOCUST BEAN GUM)
- SALT
- DISTILLED VINEGAR
- SUGAR (high concern)
- DRIED GARLIC DRIED ONION
- DEXTROSE (high concern)
- SPICES
- MODIFIED CORN STARCH
- DRIED GREEN ONION
- LACTIC ACID
- XANTHAN GUM
- GUAR GUM
- NATURAL FLAVORS
Label text, as published
CANOLA OIL, NON FAT BUTTERMILK (WHEY, WATER, SKIM MILK POWDER, CORN STARCH, TAPIOCA STARCH, CARRAGEENAN, LOCUST BEAN GUM, CULTURE), WATER, EGG YOLK, NON FAT SOUR CREAM (CULTURED SKIM MILK, CORN STARCH, TAPIOCA STARCH, CARRAGEENAN, LOCUST BEAN GUM), SALT, DISTILLED VINEGAR, SUGAR, DRIED GARLIC DRIED ONION, DEXTROSE, SPICES, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, DRIED GREEN ONION, LACTIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, GUAR GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS.
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Soy, Egg
- Not vegan
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Sources
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Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
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Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
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Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“We found direct associations between the risk of type 2 diabetes and exposures to various food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods, in a large prospective cohort of French adults.”
doi.org
-
Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome
“carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”
doi.org
-
Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives
“However, the Panel noted uncertainties as regards the chemistry, the exposure assessment and biological and toxicological data.”
doi.org
-
Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)
monographs.iarc.who.int
-
“replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”
doi.org
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org
-
Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline
“WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”
who.int
-
“For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”
who.int
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
“Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”
doi.org
-
“Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”
doi.org
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“This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”
doi.org