Ranch dressing is an American salad dressing usually made from buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, mustard, herbs (commonly chives, parsley and dill), and spices (commonly pepper, paprika and ground mustard seed) mixed into a sauce based on mayonnaise or another oil emulsion.

Is ranch really bad for you?

After all, a tablespoon of Hidden Valley Ranch (the best ranch of all) does come with 140 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 240 milligrams of sodium. But, according to one nutritionist a little dip here and a little dollop of ranch there may not be so bad for you after all.

Why is it called ranch?

The dressing Henson had developed in Alaska became the house specialty. When guests would come to the ranch, they were served the ranch dressing, and it became so popular that the Hensons began selling it for guests to take home.