Spaghetti Sauce Sugar

Options
pie_eyes
pie_eyes Posts: 12,965 Member
So I've always been told by every health food documentary that Spaghetti sauces from a jar has an over abundance of sugar

And my husband showed me at the store that making it from scratch is just as much if not a little more sugar content as the big food brands

So?

Replies

  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Options
    So.
    Your husband showed you how making it at home from scratch can have more sugar?

  • pie_eyes
    pie_eyes Posts: 12,965 Member
    Options
    I make it from scratch to avoid the added sugar from the jars.
  • stephanieluvspb
    stephanieluvspb Posts: 997 Member
    Options
    Is this a sugar is evil thread?
  • pie_eyes
    pie_eyes Posts: 12,965 Member
    Options
    Well I'm trying to avoid diabetes so take for what you will
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    Options
    Is this a sugar is evil thread?

    Sounds like it.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    Options
    pie_eyes wrote: »
    Well I'm trying to avoid diabetes so take for what you will

    Sugar intake does not cause diabetes. Obesity and genetics do.

    That said, probably most of the sugar content from your homemade sauce would be from the tomatoes, I'm guessing.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    Options
    pie_eyes wrote: »
    Well I'm trying to avoid diabetes so take for what you will

    Sugar doesn't cause diabetes.
  • pie_eyes
    pie_eyes Posts: 12,965 Member
    Options
    Serah87 wrote: »
    pie_eyes wrote: »
    Well I'm trying to avoid diabetes so take for what you will

    Sugar doesn't cause diabetes.

    It doesn't help it ... ?
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Options
    pie_eyes wrote: »
    Serah87 wrote: »
    pie_eyes wrote: »
    Well I'm trying to avoid diabetes so take for what you will

    Sugar doesn't cause diabetes.

    It doesn't help it ... ?

    It doesn't do anything one way or the other, unless you've actually already developed diabetes.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
    edited June 2016
    Options
    Making the sauce at home is so much better than any store bought sauces. I have several ways to do it and they all taste so much better. Most take me only 15-25 minutes and only a few ingredients. Sometimes I make the sauce in a slow cooker. I almost always add some good Italian wine. Once you try it you will never buy the jarred junk again.

    As for sugar, no idea. I don't really track it. But keep in mind you are putting it on pasta which is all carbs anyway.

    BTW - I also started making my own pasta. My son and I make home made sauce and pasta at least twice a month (usually more). You just can't beat the flavor. :D
  • pie_eyes
    pie_eyes Posts: 12,965 Member
    Options
    dewd2 wrote: »
    Making the sauce at home is so much better than any store bought sauces. I have several ways to do it and they all taste so much better. Most take me only 15-25 minutes and only a few ingredients. Sometimes I make the sauce in a slow cooker. I almost always add some good Italian wine. Once you try it you will never buy the jarred junk again.

    As for sugar, no idea. I don't really track it. But keep in mind you are putting it on pasta which is all carbs anyway.

    BTW - I also started making my own pasta. My son and I make home made sauce and pasta at least twice a month (usually more). You just can't beat the flavor. :D

    Okay .. I make a really good sauce too
  • JaneSnowe
    JaneSnowe Posts: 1,283 Member
    Options
    pie_eyes wrote: »
    So I've always been told by every health food documentary that Spaghetti sauces from a jar has an over abundance of sugar

    And my husband showed me at the store that making it from scratch is just as much if not a little more sugar content as the big food brands

    So?

    Hello pie_eyes!

    I just looked up the sugar content in one pound of fresh tomatoes. Turns out there's about 12 grams, and that would be more concentrated in tomato sauce since some of the water would be cooked out. I wouldn't worry much about sugar in a jar of sauce, unless it's high up in the list of ingredients.

    That said, homemade tomato sauce can be heavenly!

    About diabetes, it's actually obesity that contributes to the risk. No one here is going to tell you that means you can eat unlimited sugar, but I will say you probably don't need to worry about sugar in tomato sauce. Just be sure to read the ingredients.

    https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Enjoy-food/Eating-with-diabetes/Diabetes-food-myths/Myth-sugar-causes-diabetes/

    If you live in the U.S. you'll probably be happy with the new food label that's supposed to be rolled out. It'll list grams of added sugar.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    Options
    I just read the labels and buy one that doesn't have any added sugar, only naturally occurring. But I don't really care that much and even if I made it at home it would still have sugar in it from the ingredients.
  • ziggy2006
    ziggy2006 Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    I don't recommend their products because I don't understand how you take an ingredient like tomatoes which naturally have both calories and sugar and create a sauce with zero calories and zero sugar, but Walden Farms does make a marinara sauce with 0 grams of sugar.

    Personally, I would make the homemade when you have the time and look for a jarred sauce with little to no added sugar when you need something quick and convenient. Eating sugar will not cause diabetes. You shouldn't blindly trust the claims made in health food documentaries.
  • Catfishbabs
    Catfishbabs Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    All tomato sauce will have sugar just from the sugar that is in tomatoes. What you want to look for is if the sauce has no added sugar. Adding sugar may make the sauce taste better but does not add any nutritional benefit and only adds calories. Sugar may not be evil but my belief is that it is not healthy.
  • pie_eyes
    pie_eyes Posts: 12,965 Member
    Options
    JaneSnowe wrote: »
    pie_eyes wrote: »
    So I've always been told by every health food documentary that Spaghetti sauces from a jar has an over abundance of sugar

    And my husband showed me at the store that making it from scratch is just as much if not a little more sugar content as the big food brands

    So?

    Hello pie_eyes!

    I just looked up the sugar content in one pound of fresh tomatoes. Turns out there's about 12 grams, and that would be more concentrated in tomato sauce since some of the water would be cooked out. I wouldn't worry much about sugar in a jar of sauce, unless it's high up in the list of ingredients.

    That said, homemade tomato sauce can be heavenly!

    About diabetes, it's actually obesity that contributes to the risk. No one here is going to tell you that means you can eat unlimited sugar, but I will say you probably don't need to worry about sugar in tomato sauce. Just be sure to read the ingredients.

    https://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Enjoy-food/Eating-with-diabetes/Diabetes-food-myths/Myth-sugar-causes-diabetes/

    If you live in the U.S. you'll probably be happy with the new food label that's supposed to be rolled out. It'll list grams of added sugar.

    Thanks
  • AigreDoux
    AigreDoux Posts: 594 Member
    Options
    I buy this brand (from Costco) that has no sugar added. Not because I care overly about the sugar, but I don't like sauce that is too sweet. I sometimes make my own, but some nights need something quick or something my husband can prepare.

    http://victoriafinefoods.com/
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited June 2016
    Options
    I make it from scratch because I'm a sauce snob, and I looked at the sugar in my version (which usually includes a bunch of vegetables, including a start of some high sugar ones like onions, carrots, and peppers), and it had close to as many sugar grams as many jarred sauces. Tomatoes also have plenty of sugar, of course. (I don't add any sugar, although it's not that uncommon to add a bit -- recommended in my Marcella Hazen book for some sauces.)

    Since I usually add meat too, and eat the pasta with a balanced meal including protein, fat, and carbs, I am not concerned about how many calories come from the vegetables in my sauce (or fruit and veg in general). I'd feel the same way about a jarred sauce (I just don't like jarred sauces and homemade is so easy).

    Some sauces do have more added sugar than I'd like (I also don't like sweet sauce), but most of those documentaries are quite misleading on the topic (intentionally so, I have to conclude). People aren't overweight/getting T2D because of some added sugar in pasta sauce.