WANTED: Healthy Spaghetti Sauce
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So, I bought some low sodium tomato sauce (20mg/can) and fresh tomatoes, added in some fresh herbs, boiled mushrooms, garlic, onions, pepper...
.... and it tastes like tomato paste.
I added this to whole wheat rotini, broccoli and chicken, so it's almost enough to cover the taste of the sauce, but this was a disappointment. I have looked at various jarred sauces at the store and can never find any that don't have massive amounts of sodium - one I remember offhand was 500mg per serving and there were 8 servings in 1 jar!
Please help!
.... and it tastes like tomato paste.
I added this to whole wheat rotini, broccoli and chicken, so it's almost enough to cover the taste of the sauce, but this was a disappointment. I have looked at various jarred sauces at the store and can never find any that don't have massive amounts of sodium - one I remember offhand was 500mg per serving and there were 8 servings in 1 jar!
Please help!
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Replies
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If there is a Trader Joe's near you, they have a No Salt Added Organic Marinara Sauce that has 35mg per 1/2 cup.0
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Homemade pesto.0
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Miur Glenn no salt added tomato sauce natural good flavor not pasty. Widely available. I believe around 10-15 mg X 2 servings per can.0
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boiled mushrooms, garlic, onions, pepper...
Did you really boil the veg? Sautee the garlic and onions in a little olive oil first, add your mushrooms and brown, then toss in your peppers. Dump in some no-salt-added diced and crushed tomatoes. Toss in some hot pepper flakes, some browned extra lean ground beef, more herbs... yum. Let it all simmer for ages ...better yet eat it the next day...0 -
boiled mushrooms, garlic, onions, pepper...
Did you really boil the veg? Sautee the garlic and onions in a little olive oil first, add your mushrooms and brown, then toss in your peppers. Dump in some no-salt-added diced and crushed tomatoes. Toss in some hot pepper flakes, some browned extra lean ground beef, more herbs... yum. Let it all simmer for ages ...better yet eat it the next day...
^^^^This but instead of using canned tomates I use real tomatoes that I put in the blender and blend. As far as herbs I try to use fresh herbs but if I don't have them I use this mix called Italian herbs. That's the only way I do spaguetti sauce and don't but it unless it's marinara for pizza. Also instead of using ground beef I use chicken sausage that they make fresh at my local farmers market or just buy ground up chicken.0 -
boiled mushrooms, garlic, onions, pepper...
Did you really boil the veg? Sautee the garlic and onions in a little olive oil first, add your mushrooms and brown, then toss in your peppers. Dump in some no-salt-added diced and crushed tomatoes. Toss in some hot pepper flakes, some browned extra lean ground beef, more herbs... yum. Let it all simmer for ages ...better yet eat it the next day...
No, the mushrooms had been boiled previously - I chopped a bunch, boiled and froze for later. The garlic and onions were sauteed in evoo before I added the chicken. I can't eat ground beef, but I'll take your advice on the hot pepper flakes and letting it simmer longer - thanks!
Also thanks to all the other suggestions, I totally forgot that there is a Trader Joe's near me, guess I should check it out now that I'm eating healthier!0 -
I start with a tablespoon or less of olive oil. I get that up to a nice temp, and I add some garlic (however much you want). I cook the garlic in the oil until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. I then add trader joe's no salt added canned diced tomatoes, between 2-4 cans depending on how much sauce I need. Bring this to a slow boil, and add basil (dried or fresh), and ground oregano (a ton of flavor gets packed into this product). If you want you can now add wine or some vodka, but you don't need to (I use about a 1/4 of a cup). I allow this to slowly simmer for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. I take it off the stove and blend it with a stick blender or I put it in a blender (be careful with the hot liquid). Once it's blended I check to see if it's as thick as I want it. If I feel it needs to be a bit thicker I will put it back on the stove and add 1 tablespoon of low sodium tomato paste ( i buy this at Whole Foods, and I freeze the rest of the can in 1 tablespoon sized servings). Mix the tomato paste in until it's completely incorporated.
You will have virtually sodium free sauce. Over time you get used to the lower sodium amounts and then you the problem that things start to taste horribly salty. I can't eat pretzels anymore. Too salty0 -
BREAKOUT THE BLENDER and Experiment!
3/4 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes, canned or fresh
3 tbsps olive oil
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Add in veggies...and I prefer Fresh tomatoes0 -
boiled mushrooms, garlic, onions, pepper...
Did you really boil the veg? Sautee the garlic and onions in a little olive oil first, add your mushrooms and brown, then toss in your peppers. Dump in some no-salt-added diced and crushed tomatoes. Toss in some hot pepper flakes, some browned extra lean ground beef, more herbs... yum. Let it all simmer for ages ...better yet eat it the next day...
^^^^This but instead of using canned tomates I use real tomatoes that I put in the blender and blend.
Fresh is definitely better when they're in season...but if you're on a budget canned works pretty well
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not sure how much time you have to cook, but if you have a day you are off you can try to make a sauce.
i don't do tomatos often because they are on my foods that do not react well with me list.
i make a spaghetti sauce out of red/yellow peppers instead, and it is quite tasty.
you can roast the red and yellow peppers, once those are done puree them.
then in a saucepan add some vegetable broth (healthier you can make your own veg stock in a slow cooker if u have the time, if not just use the boxed kind).
add in some spices and bring to a boil.
so delicious!!
you can also make your own tomato sauce too if you dice your own tomatos or get canned diced tomatos, add some tomato paste and spices and simmer or make a large batch in a slow cooker.0 -
Does anyone have some good suggestions for bottled spaghetti sauce that tastes good but doesn't have much sugar?0
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1 large can crushed tomatoes
93/7 lean ground beef
1 cup red wine
4 cloves garlic
1 tbs olive oil
lot of dried italian seasoning
heat oil in a large pot, brown garlic and ground beef, add can of crushed tomatoes, fill can with water and add to pot, add wine and seasonings. I also add a tablespoon of sugar. I used to use 80/20 meat but had to let it go because it was just too fattening. You can also use low sodium crushed tomatoes.0 -
Costco - White Linen Victoria All Natural Marinara Sauce. ALL TIME FAVORITE!! We are eating it tonight. LOVE IT!
INGREDIENTS: IMPORTED ITALIAN TOMATOES, PURE ITALIAN OLIVE OIL, FRESH WHITE ONIONS, FRESH CHOPPED BASIL, FRESH GARLIC, SEA SALT AND SPICES.0 -
I make my own . . . super easy too.
1 large can of unsalted tomatoes (diced, whole, whatever you can find)
3 cloves of garlic
1 onion diced
shake of basil
I simmer this on the stovetop for 30 minutes. Let it cool and throw it in my blender. Add a bit of fresh basil and some salt and pepper to taste prior to blending and it will be the freshest and tastiest sauce you have ever had.
I often make a double recipe and freeze small containers so I can use a bit for future meals, throwing some on chicken breasts, or using with a bit of brown rice, etc, for a bit of saucy flavor.0 -
Thanks for all the advice everyone!
Next time I make sauce from scratch I'll make sure I do it in advance - probably a big part of why it didn't taste good tonight was because I barely simmered it at all (d'oh!).
I'm also going to check out both Costco and Trader Joe's since it sounds like they both have some affordable healthy foods to offer!0 -
make it from scratch. there are instructional videos on youtube on how to boil the tomatoes and then then fry them to make the sauce. never done it though.0
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Bump.0
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tomato sauce for swap canned tomatoes and it'll actually be quite nice.So, I bought some low sodium tomato sauce (20mg/can) and fresh tomatoes, added in some fresh herbs, boiled mushrooms, garlic, onions, pepper...
cook the veg in the sauce, or fry them in a little olive oil, rather than boiling them first or you lose all the flavour.0 -
bump0
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This is my zucchini casserole lightened. I made it yesterday and my husband said it'd be excellent on pasta.
3 small zucchini sliced
1cup of diced mushrooms
1 diced red bell pepper
1onion diced
2 cloves of garlic
I put all veggies in a large skillet, added a small amount of water salt pepper, covered and steamed until veggies were tender.
I drained, added two cans of low sodium 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce, about a T of sugar (cuts acidity) and a half cup of parmesan cheese. Then into a casserole dish and cooked at 350ºf oven for about 45 minutes.
You could add herbs if desired.
Original recipe calls for cooked chopped bacon, 1/2 #, and a pound of cut up swiss cheese stirred in before cooking. Also called for sauteeing veggies rather than steaming. By omitting bacon, swiss cheese and cutting down on parmesan (I used to add a cup) I've lightened this quite a bit without losing flavor.0
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