This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.
Summer picnics, Canada Day, backyard barbecues, beachside parties — it's the perfect time of year to haul out all of the mouthwatering condiments you've been wanting to spread on top of your food. These dips and spreads might be tasty, but if you're concerned about healthy eating, you might want to avoid some of the more high-fat and sugar-filled options.
Still, not all condiments are created equal. Some might be full of preservatives and unhealthy fats, while others might trick you into thinking they're low-calorie but they're realistically full of salt and other bad ingredients. On the other hand, there are a variety of other condiments that are quite healthy for you, benefitting your gut health or helping you get natural antioxidants.
Whether you're peeking inside your fridge for the best bottle to drizzle over your hotdog or shopping for a new topping to add to your latest burger creation, here's what to know about some of the unhealthiest condiments out there.
1. Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise can add a touch of tasty tang when spread into a sandwich or used in a salad dressing. Unfortunately, even just a spoonful of this condiment often carries a bunch of calories and fat. In one tablespoon of mayonnaise, there's around 90 calories, 10 grams of fat and 95 milligrams of sodium.
Most of the fat in mayonnaise is unsaturated, meaning it's the healthy kind of fat you actually want to consume. These healthy fats typically come from vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish, and they remain liquid — and don't become solid — at room temperature.
Still, it's easy to go overboard with this rich condiment, making it easy to pile up on unintentional calories. Luckily, there are low-fat options if you're a mayonnaise fan — just remember to look at the ingredient list to ensure it's actually a healthier version.
2. Ketchup
Ketchup might be made from tomatoes, but this condiment doesn't come close to having the same nutritional value of the red, juicy fruits. While you might be drizzling this topping all over french fries, burgers and hotdogs, you want to be mindful of the salt, sugar and possible preservatives added to ketchup.
One tablespoon of ketchup typically has around 20 calories, 140 milligrams of sodium and four grams of sugar. That might be just the tasty add-on you're looking for, but that's nearly a full teaspoon of sugar per serving you're adding to your meals.
If you're all about ketchup, it might be a good idea to look for healthier options of the condiment, such as organic, low sodium or no sugar added versions.
3. Honey mustard
Mustard might be considered a healthy condiment for some, but its honey version is actually the opposite of that. In some bottles, a single serving of this sauce has around 50 calories, four grams of fat, four grams of sugar and 125 milligrams of sodium.
While you might find healthier alternatives while you're out shopping, it's also possible to make your own honey mustard at home.
4. BBQ sauce
It's a staple of summer cookouts, but barbecue sauce could be another source of unexpected salt, sugar and calories. In fact, BBQ sauce contains even more sugar than ketchup: One tablespoon has around eight grams of sugar. It also typically comes with around 45 calories and 380 milligrams of sodium per tablespoon.
To get the sweet and savoury flavour without the added sugar, look for an organic, low-sugar option at the grocery store. You can also consider making your own BBQ sauce, where you can adjust the ingredients to your liking.
5. Ranch dressing
This creamy dressing is a popular topping for salads and a favourite dip for pizza. It might be delicious, but this condiment also contains fat and calories. One tablespoon of ranch dressing serves about eight grams of total fat.
It's OK to eat these salad dressings in moderation, but the high calorie and fat count makes it easy to go over your daily recommended intake. Instead of dousing your salad in ranch, try adding flavour with vinegar or lemon juice.
If you're looking for a light or low-fat version of ranch dressing, be warned. Sometimes the label "fat-free" can disguise the addition of other ingredients, like sugar, sodium and various additives.
6. Soy sauce
It's hard to imagine dishes like sushi and stir-fry without the addition of rich, salty soy sauce. While this condiment is low in sugar and calories, it's loaded with something you should typically avoid — sodium. While your body needs some amount of sodium to stay healthy, too much of it can increase your risk for serious conditions like stroke and heart disease.
One tablespoon of soy sauce contains around 879 milligrams of sodium. That's more than half of the sodium you need for the entire day, which is around 1,500 milligrams. A report from the World Health Organization last year indicated Canadians are, on average, consuming nearly twice the recommended amount of sodium per day.
7. Sour cream
A single dollop of sour cream on your mashed potatoes or nachos could add way more calories and fat than you bargained for: One tablespoon of sour cream has about 23 calories and two grams of fat, about half of which is saturated. Too much saturated fat in your diet can lead to health problems like heart disease and high cholesterol.
Like some of the other condiment options, you may be able to find reduced-fat sour cream. Another option you can try is mixing it with Greek yogurt to get the same flavour but less saturated fat, plus extra benefits like protein and calcium.
8. Fat-free salad dressing
You've seen bottles of Italian, caesar and French salad dressing line grocery store aisles, and you might even want to reach for their fat-free counterparts in hopes of eating healthier. However, you want to remember that you should be consuming the healthy fats that are called unsaturated. Dietitian Lily Nichols shared on her blog that you need these healthy fats to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K.
Moreover, many of these fat-free or low-calorie versions of salad dressings might be truthful in that sense. However, they could be full of added ingredients like corn syrup, xanthan gum, guar gum and other additives you've never heard of. Always read the ingredient list and nutrition label of the products you're buying, or even consider making your own salad dressing at home.
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