Food Matters in April: Food Labels

This month’s focus at Mobile Markets is Food Labels! The nutrition team is providing the tips and tools needed to successfully navigate a nutrition facts label, as well as decode a product’s ingredient list.

As our activity this month we compared three different Ranch Dressing ingredient lists and found that each one contained over 20 ingredients, many of which are unhealthy additives. One such ingredient is Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), which has been linked to detrimental health effects in consumers, such as headaches and upset stomachs. To provide an alternative to this seemingly inescapable trap of unknown ingredients, we prepared and served samples of our own homemade, healthy version of Ranch Dressing paired with sliced veggies. The majority of participants loved it, so much so that we even ran out of samples.

The recipe is super easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. We have provided it below so that you can enjoy it as well!

Healthy Ranch Dressing

Serving Size: 2 tbsp Servings per Recipe: 4

  • 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp parsley, dried
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions: Measure and combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Add extra liquid (water or lemon juice) to thin out dressing to desired texture. Let sit for a couple of hours before serving to give the herbs enough time to develop their flavor within the dressing.

Enjoy!

healthy ranch  dressing sample 2