Burger King Offering Free 8oz Ranch ‘Big Dip’ Cup with Sandwiches: What Nutritionists Think

• For a limited time, Burger King is offering a free Big Dip with its sandwiches.
• The Big Dip is an 8oz tub of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing for dipping.
• Nutritionists say the Big Dip adds excess calories, fat, and sodium to your meal.
• Eating like this regularly can increase your risk of obesity and heart disease.
• Better choices include healthier dressings, portion control, and not eating dip at all.

Burger King has announced that on October 16, 2024, it will collaborate with Hidden Valley Ranch to offer a limited-time offering of what it calls the “Big Dip,” an 8-ounce tub of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing.

To put the size of the Big Dip into perspective, a regular dip cup is only 1 ounce.

However, it won’t be available everywhere. Only BK customers from New York, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco will be able to request a Big Dip.

For those who can get it, however, it will be free with the purchase of any sandwich from Burger King’s lineup, including its signature Whopper.

While ranch dressing is delicious — and who doesn’t enjoy a freebie? — we asked our nutritionists to share whether this is actually a good deal when you consider the potential effects on your health.

Whopper vs the Whopper with the Big Dip: A nutritional comparison

First, let’s take a look at how a Whopper with and without an added Big Dip changes the nutritional value of the sandwich. Assuming that a full 8-ounce tub is eaten, this is what you’d be getting:

How adding a Big Dip to your Whopper might impact your health

Dr. Krutika Nanavati, who is a Registered Nutritionist and Dietician with Nutrition Society New Zealand as well as a Consultant at ClinicSpots, said that a Whopper is “already a fairly heavy meal, but adding the full 8-ounce cup of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing changes things drastically.”

Your calorie intake would be nearly what a person should eat in an entire day, she said.

Additionally, you would be taking in a large portion of the maximum daily 2,300 mg of sodium advised by the American Heart Association.

You would also exceed the 44 to 78 grams of fat and 22 grams of saturated fat that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest as an appropriate upper intake for a person eating 2,000 calories per day.

According to Nanavati, this can have “real consequences” for your health.

“Eating meals like this regularly can contribute to weight gain because those extra calories add up quickly,” she said.

Also, eating this much fat, especially saturated fats, can raise your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease, according to Nanavati.

“And don’t forget about the sodium,” she added. “[T]oo much can lead to high blood pressure, which puts extra stress on your heart and kidneys.”

Why adding dressing can make even healthy food unhealthy

Nanavati said that even if you are making healthier choices — like a salad or a grilled chicken sandwich — if you’re pouring on copious amounts of dressing, it can cancel out the health benefits.

“Dressings, especially creamy ones like ranch, are packed with calories, unhealthy fats, and often hidden sugars,” she said. “Adding too much means you’re turning a healthy meal into something more calorie-heavy than you might realize.”

Catherine Gervacio, a Registered Nutritionist-Dietitian and a certified exercise nutrition coach with WOWMD, agreed with Nanavati, emphasizing the need to be aware of the nutritional content of what you are adding to your healthier choices.

“It’s easy to forget that sauces and dressings also have calories and fats,” she noted. “They come as hidden fats and sugars which can lead to overeating without realizing it.”

What you can eat that is healthier

Gervacio said there are many brands of dressing that offer low fat or low calorie versions of ranch and other dressings.

“These can cut down on fat and calories without sacrificing taste,” she said.

However, if you really want to have regular ranch dressing, another option is portion control. So, for example, rather than eating the entire 8-ounce Big Dip, follow Gervacio’s advice and opt for a much smaller amount.

“This gives you the flavor without all the extra calories,” she said.

Or, better yet, pass on the Big Dip altogether since you’re only adding unwanted calories, fat, and sodium.

As Nanavati pointed out, “[I]t’s not just a matter of enjoying a tasty treat; it’s also about the long-term impact on your health.”

Takeaway

For a limited time, Burger King will offer a free Big Dip with any of its sandwiches upon request.

The offer, which is only available in a limited number of cities, provides customers with an 8-ounce tub of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing for dipping.

However, nutrition experts say eating the entire tub of dressing with your sandwich will add large amounts of calories, fat, and sodium to your meal.

Eating like this regularly can contribute to weight gain and heart disease.

They advise substituting healthier versions of your favorite dressings or exercising portion control if you do eat regular ranch dressing.

Better still, prioritize your health and forego asking for the Big Dip.