Condiments?!

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Desi_ftw
Desi_ftw Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to avoid most condiments and salad dressing, I'm seeing that they are filled with crap and a lot of sugar....
Does anyone have suggestions for alternatives. I miss ketchup :(

Replies

  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    For salad dressing, a little bit of olive oil and sherry or balsamic vinegar is pretty much all I find I ever need.

    What do you usually put ketchup on? It really depends. You can dip french fries in vinegar or lowfat mayo, you can put some salsa or pico de gallo or chopped up fresh tomatoes on a burger, you can skip the ketchup altogether in some instances.
  • krysmuree
    krysmuree Posts: 326 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I still enjoy my condiments fully, as long as it fits in with my calorie counts and other statistics (I try to avoid going over my fats and such, but alas ..). Try going for more natural dressings if you're uncomfortable with what's in them, or make them yourself. :) There are tons of amazing recipes on Google; I'm just too lazy to do it myself honestly.

    Rather than consuming ketchup a lot (though I still always do when I splurge on french fries or make them homemade), I do use salsa with veggies, and hummus is amazing with pretty much anything.

    I weigh/measure out my condiments and enjoy them thoroughly.
  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
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    Making some condiments at home can ensure that you have control over the ingredients. Simple salad dressings can be made with oil, vinegar, and spices. You can also look up mayo recipes, and might be able to find ketchup recipes too. The main issue with those are the volume the recipes tend to yield and how long they will keep.

    I mean, sugar is a normal part of the diet, as is sodium and fat. While I'm not super partial to lots of condiments in the first place, I've been successful continuing to use them and know many others who have too. Getting creative with what you'll use as a condiment is a great suggestion. Being careful about measurements and ensuring you track anything you do eat is the most important part - it's up to you which ingredients/macros are acceptable.
  • healthyinpink
    healthyinpink Posts: 87 Member
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    I used to put ketchup on everything! I've just realized that there's no going around it and have been using hot sauce instead (I'm also using a lot less compared to how much ketchup I would pile on). I know there's "sugar free" ketchup out there, I haven't tried it or read the nutritional label yet. But as others have mentioned, it's okay to use it! If there's one food that you need to eat with ketchup, make sure you plan for it and measure it out.
  • RockstarWilson
    RockstarWilson Posts: 836 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Olive oil mayo, no hfcs ketchup, and kens steakhouse buttermilk ranch. The ranch is not made from vegetable oil or hfcs, so it is real buttermilk. It is 95% fat, which is ideal for my diet.

  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    How much ketchup are we talking about? 2 Tbsp is like 30 calories, totally worth it and falls under *my* idea of "low calorie" sauce. If you like, make it fit your day. I mean, maybe not by the cup-full--that's a lot of ketchup, lol. But a couple servings should fit in your day.

    Salad dressing--I eat the real deal (no low fat stuff, tastes terrible to me), I'm just careful to measure out an actual serving (usually 1-2Tbsp or 15-30 grams by weight) and log it. For maximizing the flavor, I'll mix 1Tbsp of ranch dressing with 1 Tbsp of salsa (usually 10-20 calories per Tbsp salsa)--YUMMY and worth it!
  • krysmuree
    krysmuree Posts: 326 Member
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    williams969 wrote: »
    How much ketchup are we talking about? 2 Tbsp is like 30 calories, totally worth it and falls under *my* idea of "low calorie" sauce. If you like, make it fit your day. I mean, maybe not by the cup-full--that's a lot of ketchup, lol. But a couple servings should fit in your day.

    Salad dressing--I eat the real deal (no low fat stuff, tastes terrible to me), I'm just careful to measure out an actual serving (usually 1-2Tbsp or 15-30 grams by weight) and log it. For maximizing the flavor, I'll mix 1Tbsp of ranch dressing with 1 Tbsp of salsa (usually 10-20 calories per Tbsp salsa)--YUMMY and worth it!

    I'm so trying salsa with ranch next time.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    KrissyMuree wrote: »
    williams969 wrote: »
    How much ketchup are we talking about? 2 Tbsp is like 30 calories, totally worth it and falls under *my* idea of "low calorie" sauce. If you like, make it fit your day. I mean, maybe not by the cup-full--that's a lot of ketchup, lol. But a couple servings should fit in your day.

    Salad dressing--I eat the real deal (no low fat stuff, tastes terrible to me), I'm just careful to measure out an actual serving (usually 1-2Tbsp or 15-30 grams by weight) and log it. For maximizing the flavor, I'll mix 1Tbsp of ranch dressing with 1 Tbsp of salsa (usually 10-20 calories per Tbsp salsa)--YUMMY and worth it!

    I'm so trying salsa with ranch next time.

    You're welcome (in advance) ;) It's delicious!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Find better salad dressings.

    In RE to the ketchup, how much are you having that this would be an issue? I eat ketchup all the time, not a big deal. Despite popular belief, sugar in and of itself isn't the devil...it's been around a long frackin' time.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    healthyinpink wrote: »
    I used to put ketchup on everything! I've just realized that there's no going around it and have been using hot sauce instead (I'm also using a lot less compared to how much ketchup I would pile on). I know there's "sugar free" ketchup out there, I haven't tried it or read the nutritional label yet. But as others have mentioned, it's okay to use it! If there's one food that you need to eat with ketchup, make sure you plan for it and measure it out.

    I saw yesterday that there already is or soon will be sriracha ketchup.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    sofaking6 wrote: »
    healthyinpink wrote: »
    I used to put ketchup on everything! I've just realized that there's no going around it and have been using hot sauce instead (I'm also using a lot less compared to how much ketchup I would pile on). I know there's "sugar free" ketchup out there, I haven't tried it or read the nutritional label yet. But as others have mentioned, it's okay to use it! If there's one food that you need to eat with ketchup, make sure you plan for it and measure it out.

    I saw yesterday that there already is or soon will be sriracha ketchup.

    Hearing that news story excited me far more than it should have.

    To the OP: I eat ketchup all the time. 20 calories per tablespoon for lots of flavor. A caloric bargain, in my books. Feel free to check out my diary.

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