Simple Tip for Easy Weight Loss: Cut the Sauces

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klugity
klugity Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
For myself along with many other people we tend to look at supplemental food items such as dips, sauces, drinks, etc, as "no calories." It is easy to do and I still find myself telling myself, "well it's only ketchup - there's hardly any calories in ketchup." Now multiple times during the day I will use dips and sauces and not consider the calories adding up.

Let's look at this scenario even deeper to really be able to see how a few quick changes can go far.

If I eat lets say 6 meals a day- 3 small meals and 3 medium meals and during those 3 medium size meals I eat 6oz of chicken breast with 4 tablespoons of ketchup each meal. 4 Tbsp of ketchup = 76 calories.

76 calories (from ketchup alone) x 3 meals a day = 228 calories per day from ketchup alone!

Lets look even further in advanced...

228 calories per day (ketchup) x 7 days a week = 1596 calories per week!

As you can see, using high calorie sauces can add up really quick and this was only one scenario for one type of food throughout the day! There are plenty of alternative sauces out there for people who just need to spice up their food.

Some of my favorite alternative sauces to consider that have 0 or low calories include:

Yellow mustard
Dijon mustard
Steak Sauce (A-1)
Siracha
Frank's hot sauce
Walden Farm's salad dressing

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Replies

  • ErinK09
    ErinK09 Posts: 687 Member
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    I do use a lot of ranch....thanks!
  • klugity
    klugity Posts: 14 Member
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    But ranch is sooo good... Walden Farm's has a ranch that is pretty good and has a few other ranch flavors like chipotle ranch and some others I forget. Might want to give them a try!
  • acheben
    acheben Posts: 476 Member
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    Just log the condiments like you log everything else and the problem is solved.
  • klugity
    klugity Posts: 14 Member
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    Technically yes, this is true however we want our calories to come from healthier sources. Most sauces are sugar based which will supply us only a short term energy boost.

    I appreciate the response!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    edited January 2015
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    zachjdeering wrote: »
    Walden Farm's salad dressing

    I was with you up to here.

    then I had to jump ship. Because. no.
    Technically yes, this is true however we want our calories to come from healthier sources.

    and also lol WUT??

    healthier sources?

    nothing wrong with sugar based products- and typically most products that wind up being low fat- have a higher sugar content to make them taste better- because low fat tastes like a%%.

  • Th3Ph03n1x
    Th3Ph03n1x Posts: 275 Member
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    Frank's = yum.

    I just don't bathe my food in sauce and log it when I use it. Problem solved.
  • acheben
    acheben Posts: 476 Member
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    klugity wrote: »
    Technically yes, this is true however we want our calories to come from healthier sources. Most sauces are sugar based which will supply us only a short term energy boost.
    You might want that, but that doesn't mean that I care about it at all. I'm trying to make this a long term solution for me, so cutting out all ketchup, BBQ sauce, or other high calorie sugar-based sauces would not work for me.
  • llUndecidedll
    llUndecidedll Posts: 724 Member
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    Yes. I've been doing this to cut calories. In place of ketchup and things, I've been using seasoning salts, mustards [usually yellow], and Louisiana hot sauces. I've tried using Mrs. Dash seasonings, but... they just taste like nothing to me.
  • klugity
    klugity Posts: 14 Member
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    Agreed! I still use bbq sauce once in a while and ketchup but in moderation!
  • klugity
    klugity Posts: 14 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    zachjdeering wrote: »
    Walden Farm's salad dressing

    I was with you up to here.

    then I had to jump ship. Because. no.
    Technically yes, this is true however we want our calories to come from healthier sources.

    and also lol WUT??

    healthier sources?

    nothing wrong with sugar based products- and typically most products that wind up being low fat- have a higher sugar content to make them taste better- because low fat tastes like a%%.

    You are correct most low fat are high in sugar and vice versa. Generally speaking though sugar based products are not "good" but can we still get away with eating them in moderation - absolutely!
  • klugity
    klugity Posts: 14 Member
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    llUndecidedll wrote: »
    Yes. I've been doing this to cut calories. In place of ketchup and things, I've been using seasoning salts, mustards [usually yellow], and Louisiana hot sauces. I've tried using Mrs. Dash seasonings, but... they just taste like nothing to me.

    That's great! I do the same thing. I have found it enjoyable to grab a random hot sauce off the shelf just to try something different. The Louisiana hot sauces are great!

    Frank's ketchup style hot sauce is fantastic too.
  • ErinK09
    ErinK09 Posts: 687 Member
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    klugity wrote: »
    But ranch is sooo good... Walden Farm's has a ranch that is pretty good and has a few other ranch flavors like chipotle ranch and some others I forget. Might want to give them a try!

    Will do, thanks. :)
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
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    I just made a salad with a dressing of sriacha and vegan mayo. 95 calories of yum. I logged it, it helps me get my fat intake where it should be. I'm not ever going to give up my vegenaise. So......No.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Is this another thread that sauce is the devil?...get kind of tired of them. No wonder there is so many people with eating disorders, the boogey man going to get them if they eat certain foods and drinks. *rollingeyes*

    OP: I eat what I want and weigh it and log it. Thank you.
  • jmc0806
    jmc0806 Posts: 1,444 Member
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    hot sauce on everything
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    I haven't cut the sauces - I just log them.
  • krmsotherhalf68
    krmsotherhalf68 Posts: 122 Member
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    As my Dad always said, "Everything in moderation". I've now made this my mantra. Nothing is "taboo" in my healthier choices. I just log everything I eat, and don't deprive myself of a little ketchup or whatever here and there. As long as I stay within my calories for the day, it's all good.
  • klugity
    klugity Posts: 14 Member
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    Serah87 wrote: »
    Is this another thread that sauce is the devil?...get kind of tired of them. No wonder there is so many people with eating disorders, the boogey man going to get them if they eat certain foods and drinks. *rollingeyes*

    OP: I eat what I want and weigh it and log it. Thank you.

    What people eat and people don't eat are their own choices. I am simply provided an example for people to understand how easy it is to "forget" about simple calories we use so often. I do this myself on a regular basis.

    Hence simple "tip" - sauces are not a major contributor (generally speaking) to peoples weight gain / loss but it is such a simple fix that can help people tremendously in the long run.
  • kaseyr1505
    kaseyr1505 Posts: 624 Member
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    This reminds me of spam ads. "One easy trick for losing weight: Doctors hate it!"

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