Ranch Dressing Mix Nutrition

Ranch dressing mix is a powdered blend of spices that can be used to prepare salad dressing or dip. Although the ranch dressing mix itself contains very few calories, the finished product is rich in calories and fat, as the directions call for preparation with one cup of whole milk and one cup of mayonnaise. If you are dieting, you may wish to use reduced-fat milk and low-calorie mayonnaise with the ranch dressing mix to reduce the calorie content.

Calorie Content

A 2 tbsp. serving of ranch dressing mix contains 50 calories. This amount is less than 3 percent of the daily recommended intake of 2,000 calories. Although this is a small amount of calories, a 2 tbsp. serving of the ranch dressing mix combined with whole milk and regular mayonnaise provides 120 calories.

Fat Content

As with most regular salad dressings, prepared ranch dressing is high in fat. However, each 2 tbsp. of ranch dressing mix only is relatively low in fat, with 4.5 g of fat. Of this fat, .5 g come from saturated fat. The American Heart Association suggests that limiting saturated fat to 7 percent of your total calories and maintaining overall fat intake at between 25 and 35 percent of your diet can help reduce your risk of heart disease.

Carbohydrate Content

Ranch dressing mix is low in carbohydrates. A 2 tbsp. serving of ranch dressing mix provides 2 g of carbohydrates. Of these carbohydrates, 1 g comes from sugar, and none comes from fiber. The low carbohydrate content may make ranch dressing mix an appropriate food for a restricted carbohydrate diet. While such diets may help you lose weight, research from the May 2011 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" suggests that low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets may negatively impact your colon. If this is a concern for you, you can use ranch dressing mix as a dip for carbohydrate-rich foods such as chips, pretzels and other snack foods.

Protein Content

Ranch dressing mix is low in protein. Each 2 tbsp. serving of ranch dressing mix contains just .5 g of protein. Protein is an essential nutrient your body uses for building cells and tissues, and MedlinePlus suggests consuming 50 to 65 g of protein daily. If you wish to add more protein to your diet, you cn consume ranch dressing mix with a salad topped with lean meats such as chicken and turkey, or seafood such as scallops and shrimp.

Sodium Content

Ranch dressing mix is not high in sodium, but if you use more than the suggested serving size, it may become a concern. Each 2 tbsp. serving of ranch dressing mix provides 125 mg, which is about 5 percent of the daily suggested sodium intake, 2,300 mg. If you are 51 or older, this amount of sodium provides 8 percent of the daily suggested intake of 1,500 mg. MayoClinic.com notes that milk, shellfish, bacon and processed foods tend to be rich in sodium, so eating these foods with ranch dressing mix may not be healthy if you are watching your sodium intake.