Some of you may wonder if the condiments on your burger or with your chicken strips or on your sandwiches are healthy or not.. I mean it's just a small amount, right?! I feel ya and I was also in the same position.. like how can just a few tbsp of ketchup with my meal be THAT bad for me?
So trust me, I know that it's so hard to give up your Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce and your Heinz ketchup, but let's talk about those for a minute.
This may be a shock to you, but condiments (mainly ketchup and bbq) are known to be one of the most disguised sugar-filled foods out there. How crazy is that?! Here are some nutrition labels from our common condiments:
This is Heinz Ketchup. It may not seem like a lot.. but 4g of sugar per tbsp adds up QUICK. (especially when you don't even realize you're consuming any sugar with your meal).
I always say that the ingredients list is more important the the calories and macros, so let's discuss that.
Ingredients list are listed in the order from most to least in the product. So when sugar is higher in the list, that means there is quite a bit in there. This ketchup contains high fructose corn syrup AND corn syrup.. which is not good for our bodies at all. HFCS is worse than sugar, and we are all consuming way too much of it without even realizing.
This also has "natural flavoring" listed and that's always a tricky ingredient. Natural flavoring CAN be natural! But it can also be artificial/chemicals. (I know that's so confusing, but it's true! If you want me to dive deep into that let me know!)
This is Sweet Baby Ray's Bbq sauce. Which is indeed very sweet and full of sugar.
As you can see, HFCS is the very first ingredient... that means that this bbq is mainly made from corn syrup. Isn't that crazy?! It also has more corn syrup, sugar, natural flavors, molasses, and caramel color. Nothing on this list is the least bit healthy for us.
(Please don't hate me for crushing your bbq dreams! Just want to educate you guys!)
The first ingredient in Hidden Valley Original Ranch is vegetable oil, which is a combo of soybean and/or canola oil. These are definitely the worst oils you can have, but they are the cheapest, so that's why it's so common. These processed oils can damage your gut and link to diseases/cancers. This also has sugar, artificial flavors, lots of preservatives, and monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is one of the worst food additives to consume.
The last one I'm going to talk about for now is good ole mayo. Mayo also contains processed oils, HFCS, natural and artificial flavors, and lots of preservatives and ingredients you can't even pronounce. Who would have thought corn syrup would be in mayo?!
OK now that I probably grossed you out and crushed your dreams... let me share with you HEALTHY CONDIMENTS you can easily get!
The brand Primal Kitchen makes healthy versions of all the condiments, sauces, dressings, oils, etc that you can think of! They also have protein powders, collagen powders, and protein bars. You can purchase them through their website, Thrive Market, Amazon, and even at some local Walmart's, Whole Foods, and health food stores.
They honestly taste so good and so similar to the brands we are used to. Some products can be a bit pricey but it's so worth it if you want to really cut down on the sugar and harmful ingredients you're consuming!
NOTE: I am not receiving anything from promoting this brand. I just love and trust them and want to share this info with you.
Here are Amazon links to some of my favorite products from Primal Kitchen! Click the picture to shop:
You can also make your own condiments and sauces at home! I personally haven't tried it yet, but I would consider looking into it if that interests you! Homemade is best because you can know and control everything you put into it. I would google/pinterest "healthy homemade condiments" recipes. Let me know if you try it out or Primal Kitchen!
Hope this was helpful for you! :) Remember to always read your ingredients!