Ranch vs Mayo (by a Registered Dietitian)
“Ranch is just seasoned mayo,” my uncle used to say. And it seems it was not entirely wrong.
Some called the US “Ranch Nation” because ranch dressing is hugely popular here.1
As far as I know, many restaurants make ranch dressing using a lot of mayo. Around 50-75% of the base is mayo. Some other restaurants use extra-heavy mayonnaise with a 1:1 composition.
So, it’s actually not that strange to get confused about those 2 dressings. But still, they’re technically 2 different things.
How do we tell them apart? You’ll be able to tell them apart after reading this article.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Ranch Dressing vs Mayonnaise Differences
There are several aspects that differentiate ranch and mayo. I’ll start to pick the differences apart for you one by one.
Organoleptic Differences
Organoleptic is a fancy, sciency name for using our senses to taste food. The physical differences between ranch vs mayo in this aspect are:
- Taste: Ranch dressing has a distinct flavor of buttermilk, garlic, onion, and a little mayo. It also has the spiciness and freshness of herbs. Mayonnaise has a tangy, salty, tart taste. So, it’s clear they have 2 wholly different tastes.
- Aroma: Ranch dressing ingredients release quite a strong scent of herbs and spices. Mayonnaise has a citrus fragrance.
- Consistency: Ranch dressing is pourable, thin, and chunkier. Mayonnaise should not be pourable with a creamy, smooth, thick consistency.
- Color: Ranch dressing is white with a hint of mixed spices. Mayonnaise is never as white as ranch dressing; it is usually off-white or cream-yellow.
Usage Differences
As the flavor differs, ranch dressing and mayo have different uses:
- Salad: Ranch dressing is good for green salads as it complements the bitterness of leafy greens and is thinner and pourable. Mayonnaise is good for potato and pasta salad because it helps bind the ingredients together.
- Pizza: Ranch is a well-known combination for pizza. On the contrary, only a few people would choose mayonnaise for pizza.
- Sandwiches, burgers, wraps: Few people will choose ranch for a sandwich. Meanwhile, mayo is the ultimate choice for sandwich (it’s even better with a turkey or avocado sandwich).
- Dipping sauce: Ranch is better for chicken wings and vegetables. Mayo is better for garlic aioli or chipotle.
- Other: Mayonnaise is usually the base of various sauces, dressings, and mixes. Ranch dressing also uses mayonnaise as a base too.
- Cooking: You can marinate meats and vegetables with ranch dressing, while chicken can be marinated with mayonnaise.
- Shelf life: Ranch is good for 12 months unopened and 6 months if opened. Mayo can hold up to 2-3 months past its “best by” date, and only 2 months if opened.2 You can consume homemade ranch and mayo for up to 2 weeks.
Price & Product Differences
Ranch dressing and mayonnaise are two of the most popular sauces in the US. Both dressings are available in various brand names, which determine their prices. A little tip: If you’re unsure which brand to choose from, you can compare by their price per oz.
The price range per oz for ranch is $0.3 to $1.5 with some well-known brands such as Hidden Valley, Ken’s Steak House, Kraft, and Litehouse. According to Statista, the 2021 total sales of ranch dressing sat in the second place with $103 million.
On the other hand, the price of mayonnaise per oz ranged from $0.1 to $0.2. The popular brands are Hellmann’s, Duke’s, Kewpie, and Trader Joe’s. Mayo is the most consumed condiment in the US, with total sales of $164 million in 2021.
Substitute Differences
It was a bit challenging to think of replacing ranch, but some of these dressings are worth a try:
- Yogurt-based dressing: Mix cottage cheese, lemon, dill, and ranch powder into low-fat or greek yogurt. Cottage cheese gives it a soft taste, dill and lemon substitutes for herbs, and yogurt has fewer calories than mayo. If you don’t like cottage cheese, just mix ranch powder with some yogurt.
- Avocado ranch dressing: Mash avocado, garlic, cumin, and fresh herbs together. If the dressing is too thick, throw it into a blender and add some milk. The watery dressing is easier to sprinkle onto your salad.
- Caesar dressing: Olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan, and garlic. It has a sharper flavor than ranch.
- Hummus: In a food processor, mix chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and tahini. The hummus has a soft consistency and a light taste. To make it richer, add red bell peppers and coriander leaves.
- Tzatziki: A classic dressing from Greek. This sauce is made from a mixture of stained yogurt, cucumber slices, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salts, and herbs. It gives a soft yet sharp and fresh flavor. The consistency is usually thicker than ranch, but you can add some water or milk.
- Vinaigrette: Some people swear by this dressing! Vinaigrette is a mix of olive oil, vinegar, and herbs that gives it an aromatic flavor.
Some dressings or sauces to substitute mayo:
- Tahini: A mix of sesame seeds, lemon juice, water, and herbs. Try it with pasta salad, sandwiches, and dips.
- Sour cream: It has a similar taste and texture to mayo, although not as light. Good for potato salad, chicken salad, and tuna salad.
- Greek yogurt: Its creamy texture is akin to mayonnaise but with more protein. It works for almost all foods you usually eat with mayo.
- Avocado: Creamy and thick texture, suitable for sandwich spread, salad dressing, and dips.
- Hummus: Its texture is soft and creamy, and it has a sour taste. It is suitable for spreads, dips, and salads.
- Mustard: Has a sharper flavor than mayonnaise, so you need to combine it with other ingredients.
- Cream cheese: Add some milk to thin it, as the texture is quite thick. Then, use it for sandwich spreads, tuna salad, and chicken salad.
- Pesto: Offers a nuttier taste with healthier nutritional values than mayo. Suitable for dips, sandwiches, or wrap spreads.
- Olive oil: Well, it’s different than mayo and simply a healthier option. Great for pasta salads, dips, salad dressing, and condiments.
Nutritional Differences Comparison
The data presented here are the non-brand dressings from the USDA database.3 4 The values might vary when compared to other sources.
When you buy a dressing from stores, check its nutrition tables. Each brand’s nutritional content will differ.
Here’s the summary of which dressing has more nutrients:
| RANCH DRESSING (Regular) | MAYONNAISE (Regular) |
|---|---|
935.09% more carbohydrates | 58.14% more calories |
37.50% more protein | 68.09% more fats |
722.81% more sugar | 61.54% more cholesterol |
6.15% more Vitamin A | 25% more Vitamin B9 / folic acid |
50% more Vitamin B1 | 47.75% more Vitamin E |
357.89% more Vitamin B2 | Similar amount of copper with ranch |
Contains Vitamin B3; mayo doesn’t | |
132.08% more Vitamin B6 | |
275% more Vitamin B6 | |
41.67% more Vitamin B12 | |
400% more magnesium | |
785.71% more phosphate | |
220% more potassium | |
42.86% more iron | |
Similar amount of copper with mayo | |
250% more calcium | |
13.33% more zinc | |
41.89% more sodium |
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173592/nutrients
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171009/nutrients
So, Which One to Choose?
At a glance, ranch seems like a healthier choice.
But, “having more” of something isn’t always healthy on the bigger picture. Both dressings actually suffer from the same problem of being “fattening” and “high in calories.”
Just take 6 tablespoons (100 grams) of mayonnaise, and you’re beyond your recommended daily intake of fats.
It gets worse if you consider their saturated fat content (the bad kind of fat). Hint: fats higher than 5 grams are categorized as “High”; and both dressings aren’t lacking in saturated fats.
Is it that bad?
Okay, both ranch and mayo have their own shortcoming. But, truthfully eating them won’t give you problems.
The catch is you you have to follow these suggestions:
- Don’t eat them in excessive portions,
- Don’t eat them multiple times a day,
- Don’t eat them regularly for an extended period.
The bottom line is if you eat the dressings excessively, even a salad won’t be healthy anymore.
If you want to add more protein…
Consider using greek yogurt as your base.
If you want to limit the saturated fats…
Use avocado, olive oil, or nuts for the base ingredients with healthy fats.
FAQ
Okay, now it’s time for some lightning-round questions:
I promise to eat only one serving size of ranch / mayo!
Good, but how frequently will you eat it in a day?
You eat only 1 serving of ranch/mayo per meal, but having 3 meals a day of it still quickly adds up to your daily calories.
Can a vegan eat ranch dressing and mayonnaise?
A vegan can consume ranch and mayonnaise if they’re made from vegan ingredients. A lot of vegan ranch or vegan mayo are available in the stores. Just make sure the label says whether it’s vegan or vegetarian.
Willing to go the extra mile to ensure it’s all vegan and healthy? Making your own dressing at home with dairy-free yogurt or milk is a good start!
Can I use ranch dressing and mayonnaise on a weight-loss diet?
Consider making it at home, so you’d have complete control of the ingredients.
Use greek or low-fat yogurt as the base. Otherwise, the best option to control your intake is a mix of olive oil and vinegar/lemon juice.
Any health conditions that should avoid ranch dressing and mayonnaise as much as possible?
The calories and fats in ranch and mayo contribute to weight gain, even obesity, in some cases. Eating those dressings when you’re on a weight-loss diet is inadvisable.
Saturated fats and cholesterol in both dressings increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The natrium also affects your blood pressure. So, ranch dressing and mayonnaise are no-nos for people with heart conditions and hypertension.
I don’t mean to put ranch/mayo in bad light or scare you away from them, but that’s how it is. Always consider your own well-being. There are other healthier alternatives to maintain your health and body.
Are ranch dressing and mayonnaise interchangeable?
You can use either ranch dressing or mayonnaise, but strictly speaking they are not interchangeable. They will give your foods different textures and flavors.
When in doubt, it’s better to taste test to see if they match your meal or not. Who knows, you might discover some unique combinations for your palate.
Why is it called ranch dressing?
In 1954, Steve Henson and his wife, Gayle, purchased a ranch and named it Hidden Valley Ranch. They introduced salad dressing to the meal, and their guests loved it. The steakhouse they opened there was so popular because of its salad dressing.
Hence, people called it “ranch” dressing to refer to Henson’s dressing they served at his ranch.
References
- Ranch Nation. New York Times. (2018). https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/18/dining/ranch-dressing-history.html (Accessed September 4, 2023).
- How long is opened salad dressing good for? Ask The United States Department of Agriculture. (2023). [Online] https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/How-long-is-opened-salad-dressing-good-for (Accessed September 4, 2023).
- Salad dressing, ranch dressing, regular. FoodData Central. (2019). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/173592/nutrients (Accessed September 4, 2023).
- Salad dressing, mayonnaise, regular. FoodData Central. (2019). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171009/nutrients (Accessed September 4, 2023).
