clean condiments by brand name help please
cosmonew
Posts: 513 Member
Hi am new to clean eating... like 4 days new. I am trying to purchase clean foods and make yummy stuff with my veggies and meats from the perimeter, but I don't know which condiments are "clean" I looked at a ton of labels and everything had stuff I didn't recognize..i.e. xanthum gum in my french's worcestershire sauce... another i.e. is absorbic acid in say applesauce or how about cane sugar in almond butter..
seriously I need some guidance... point me to some websites, some blogs, or some former post links or just provide me with your sound advice... Thanks.
I did manage to find one clean canned product so far...
Smuckers natural peanut butter chunky
seriously I need some guidance... point me to some websites, some blogs, or some former post links or just provide me with your sound advice... Thanks.
I did manage to find one clean canned product so far...
Smuckers natural peanut butter chunky
0
Replies
-
What is it that you are looking for condiment wise?
Salt, pepper, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, all herbs, vinegar, honey, molasses, etc etc. If you really want to avoid even minute amounts of chemical additives you can make your own flavourings from what's above.
Ascorbic acid is basically Vitamin C, I wouldn't worry too much about that one. Cane sugar is natural, how 'clean' are you going? Unless you are trying to completely eliminate sugars then I wouldn't worry about that one either (unless the calorie count is enough to put you over your daily need in a way that you can't compensate)
Essentially, at the end of the day, anything in a tin is going to have some kind of element of chemicals in it, they have to to prevent spoilage.
'Clean' means different things to all of us, so we need to know what you are aiming for to give a clearer idea.0 -
I like homemade salsa, fresh herbs and salt and pepper. My personal clean eating plan rules out anything in a bottle0
-
Considering the small amounts of condiments we use, I wouldn't be concerned with them being clean-clean-clean. I mean, how much Worcestershire sauce can someone consume?
I stood in the peanut butter section of the grocery store the other day, reading labels. There were top shelf brand name peanut butters, like Smuckers, in regular and natural formulations. There were store brands and common brands like Skippy and Jif -- in regular and natural formulations. There were lowfat peanut butters.
There were no more than 20 calories separating any of them -- even the lowfat peanut butter! The sugar numbers were all the same. Some of the "natural" ones had added sugar. I concluded that they were all the same and bought the one for $1.59 rather than the $3.59 jar. I probably eat a total of 4 Tbls a month of peanut butter. The rest goes into my baked dog treats.
And I am certainly not going to start making my own peanut butter. That's one food-processor cleaning I don't want to deal with.0 -
I agree, having a list of condiments would be good as I don't want to home make everything. For fish sauce I use red boat as they only have two ingredients, anchovies and salt. No sugar! http://redboatfishsauce.com/0
-
thank you for the clarification on the cane sugar and absorbic acid.... Its not that I want to eat ultra clean... I just am in learning mode and don't want to buy something I think is good for me but isn't... especially when spending extra money on a product that isn't clean. I guess I am thinking too hard.
I will definately have to get some fresh ginger, and I have mollasses... that would be good in my steel cut oats.0 -
tina... its not about the calories for me, I have been there and done the calorie counting... that is why I am trying clean eating... trying something new... away with the low cal, chemical laden food and in with fresh, whole goodness.... Not saying its gonna work...but I am to the point where my old way (counting calories) always ending in failure and rebounding to my original weight... I need a more substainable plan.0
-
I will try the redboat... I had some fish tacos once and they were delicous... I hope I can find some whole wheat tortillas.
0 -
I personally stay away from the brand name peanut butters because even the natural has additives i look for peanut butters that have one to two ingredients (peanuts less then oil.) My favorite is adams. The kids love it, but they also have never eaten anything else. The other thing you can do is get the kind you grind yourself. Its usually located in the bulk foods at a winco or other large store. I try to stay with organic sauces or no perservative because they tend to stay away from to much processed stuff. My number one when looking for sauces though is no high fructose corn syrup. It is difficult to find at first but when you do find the ones you like it gets easier. Good luck!
I also dont worry so much about counting calories but i will suggest that you try it while learning how to clean eat. I think that you will find that it will be easier to do now that you are eating clean. Also it will help to steer you in the right direction on choices for everyday eating because there are so many options out there now for people eating clean. I hope that you stick with it, soon you will feel ten times healthier.0 -
I will try the redboat... I had some fish tacos once and they were delicous... I hope I can find some whole wheat tortillas.
Greetings from Mexico and, please , please no fish sauce in Fish Tacos, unless you want them to taste of Thai or Vietnamese food....lol.
Also, fish tacos are traditionally made with corn tortillas ( less calories and more nutritious ) and only in tourist areas are made with flour tortillas, because the tourists are used to them.
0 -
I swear by this--Try pinterest it has helped me so much and finding clean, healthy foods to eat.0
-
devoslosingit wrote: »I personally stay away from the brand name peanut butters because even the natural has additives i look for peanut butters that have one to two ingredients (peanuts less then oil.) My favorite is adams. The kids love it, but they also have never eaten anything else. The other thing you can do is get the kind you grind yourself. Its usually located in the bulk foods at a winco or other large store. I try to stay with organic sauces or no perservative because they tend to stay away from to much processed stuff. My number one when looking for sauces though is no high fructose corn syrup. It is difficult to find at first but when you do find the ones you like it gets easier. Good luck!
I also dont worry so much about counting calories but i will suggest that you try it while learning how to clean eat. I think that you will find that it will be easier to do now that you are eating clean. Also it will help to steer you in the right direction on choices for everyday eating because there are so many options out there now for people eating clean. I hope that you stick with it, soon you will feel ten times healthier.
nice words and advice. thank you0 -
healthyfitme12 wrote: »I swear by this--Try pinterest it has helped me so much and finding clean, healthy foods to eat.
I have checked pinterest... i guess I need to be more diligent.. I see lots of good recipes...but don't know what ingredients they are using... I am totally new to words such as gluten free, and don't want to spend money on everything organic.. just the things that will really matter.. I have heard apples, spinach, lettuce are major pesticide carriers
0 -
I will try the redboat... I had some fish tacos once and they were delicous... I hope I can find some whole wheat tortillas.
Greetings from Mexico and, please , please no fish sauce in Fish Tacos, unless you want them to taste of Thai or Vietnamese food....lol.
Also, fish tacos are traditionally made with corn tortillas ( less calories and more nutritious ) and only in tourist areas are made with flour tortillas, because the tourists are used to them.
haha... I am a total fish taco tourist. I will have to see if I can get some authentic ones.0 -
I agree with buying the individual spices and then make your own blends. You can store them in those tiny Pyrex containers. Or buy empty spice bottles from places like Bed Bath and Beyond.
You can Google things like "DIY Seasoned Salt", "DIY Taco Seasoning" and you will get a lot of recipes that avoid things like MSG, anti-caking agents and preservatives.
I was recently reading about a very popular emulsifier (I can remember its name) that has been linked to digestive ailments like Celiac. It seems like this product is added to breads (to make them "fluffier"), and to creamy sauces like mayonnaise and salad dressings to emulsify them. This chemical causes havoc on those people that have a genetic predisposition to gastrointestinal issues.
Thankfully, I don't like mayonnaise much, but I've been using Greek Yogurt instead. I bought a bread maker (If you must have gluten free, please note that not all bread makers can make gluten-free bread) and I started making my own vinaigrette with fresh lemon. seasoned rice vinegar and spices.0 -
Environmental Working Group
http:/ewg.org/foodscores/products/722648715640-SuperiorPittedDates.
Search frozen and many processed food for nutritional value. Homepage has downloadable list of produce ... Best 15 & dirty dozen. For those unable to read labels you'll find ingredient list, too.0 -
Not a fan of Environmental Working group at allL. I think it's a real fearmongering site (with a legit sounding name) that promotes a lot of misinformation. There are thousands of such sites on the internet. Take all that with a huge grain of salt.0
-
Forgot this link:
Why You Shouldn't Buy Organic Based on "The Dirty Dozen"
vitals.lifehacker.com/why-you-shouldnt-buy-organic-based-on-the-dirty-dozen-1689190822http://
Very flawed studies. Bad science.0 -
I just found a fantastic Pinterest board that has a ton of pins of spice blends and sauces made from scratch!
https://www.pinterest.com/gygysboards/-spices-sauces-dips-fermented_ect/0 -
Peanut butter -- Laura Scudder is the brand I eat. Nothing in it except peanuts and salt. You do have to stir it up, because the oil separates out since there's no "emulsifier." I keep mine in the fridge after the initial stir, which keeps it from separating, and then I make my sandwiches with toast, so the PB can get warmed back up a bit before I eat it.
I made my own salad dressing the other day, from a recipe in "The Food Matters Cookbook," by Mark Bittman. Page 153, "Easiest Bean or Grain Salad on the Planet." Combine juice of 1 lemon, or to taste (I used 1.5, because the original dressing was a bit too oily for my taste -- maybe my lemons were extra small!), 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot, and a bit of salt & pepper. Very easy, and from this base you can add things like herbs, or change the lemon juice to a vinegar or other "acid" ingredient, for different flavors. Use on beans, grains, greens, veggies, as a marinade, etc. I'm glad to get away from the bottled dressings, which are made with soybean oil (Omega 6's) and sugar. (I keep the dressing in an old Laura Scudder jar, which is glass, since the acid in the lemon juice made me think a plastic container might leach into the dressing.)
Good luck with your clean eating plan! I'm only about 2.5 months into mine, and my blood pressure has come down several points already.0 -
thanks again for the contributions. I am taking all the advice and sites in. I do appreciate it.
I think I am definitely into the make my own version of things and will definately have to delve back into pinterest.0 -
healthyfitme12 wrote: »I swear by this--Try pinterest it has helped me so much and finding clean, healthy foods to eat.
I have checked pinterest... i guess I need to be more diligent.. I see lots of good recipes...but don't know what ingredients they are using... I am totally new to words such as gluten free, and don't want to spend money on everything organic.. just the things that will really matter.. I have heard apples, spinach, lettuce are major pesticide carriers
As far as gluten goes, if you're sensitive to it you should certainly avoid it. Otherwise, limit it but don't cut it completely out. The average diet has become far too heavy on wheat products, and gluten is somewhat difficult to digest. However, it isn't the evil ingredient causing all the world's problems that some people make it out to be.
On organic, remember that even organic produce has pesticides. They just use "natural" pesticides. I do prefer non-GMO (I would like to be able to wash the pesticides off my food and not have them originating from inside it), and for that reason I would rather go with organic on certain foods. Mostly, wash your produce well no matter what type it is.
I can't afford to spend too much either, so I always look for good deals on healthy items that can be frozen or easily stored and stock up.
Good luck! And feel free to add me if you like.0 -
cosmonew, I don't know whether you're still following this thread or not, but just wanted to put a couple more brand names out for you to consider. I found a ketchup with zero added sugar at Sprout's Farmers Market -- brand name Westbrae. See www.westbrae.com
Also a pasta sauce brand that I can get at any supermarket is Classico.
So even though I'm making my own salad dressings now, I do take advantage of some convenience products, when I can find relatively "clean" ones. Enjoy!0 -
cosmonew, I don't know whether you're still following this thread or not, but just wanted to put a couple more brand names out for you to consider. I found a ketchup with zero added sugar at Sprout's Farmers Market -- brand name Westbrae. See www.westbrae.com
Also a pasta sauce brand that I can get at any supermarket is Classico.
So even though I'm making my own salad dressings now, I do take advantage of some convenience products, when I can find relatively "clean" ones. Enjoy!0 -
If you are looking for sugar free condiments...Try Walden's Farm. They have BBQ sauce, ketchup, and dressings. If your grocery store has a pharmacy section, they should have a diabetic section which has sugar free food items. Hope this helps!0
-
aquariusjane wrote: »If you are looking for sugar free condiments...Try Walden's Farm. They have BBQ sauce, ketchup, and dressings. If your grocery store has a pharmacy section, they should have a diabetic section which has sugar free food items. Hope this helps!
Walden Farms uses Splenda. I don't have enough information on Splenda to say it's horrible and should be avoided, but it is a chemical product that I, and I believe most clean eaters, prefer to avoid. I just thought I should mention that.0 -
Splenda is processed from real sugar, and technically, all things are chemical, and chemicals are not evil. I absolutely do not avoid Splenda. I like sweets, and when I want things sweeter, I add it and never feel guilty about it. I don't get an aftertaste from Splenda, but I do from Equal. I could use real sugar or agave nectar, but I'd rather my calories come from things that are more filling.0
-
I'm a "make it myself" kinda of gal. Although, spices I do buy from the store.0
-
tinascar2015 wrote: »Splenda is processed from real sugar, and technically, all things are chemical, and chemicals are not evil. I absolutely do not avoid Splenda. I like sweets, and when I want things sweeter, I add it and never feel guilty about it. I don't get an aftertaste from Splenda, but I do from Equal. I could use real sugar or agave nectar, but I'd rather my calories come from things that are more filling.
The sugar industry actually disagrees with that claim. "Made from sugar" means they started with sucrose, took out some hydroxyl, and replaced it with chlorine.
Also, a diabetes journal did a study showing how it affects insulin and blood sugar levels. http://m.care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2013/04/30/dc12-2221
Again, I'm not saying it's horrible and everyone should avoid it, but I think people should be aware and know what they are putting in their bodies. Choose for yourself whether you want to eat it.0 -
My doctor disagrees with your linked article, which I read awhile back and asked her about last week. Also, I'll take some cues from the Diabetes Association, which doesn't diss them and in fact, describes most artificial sweeteners as not being broken down by the body. They just pass on through. I don't see how something that isn't metabolized can affect blood sugar. And since the study you cite is two years old, I would think the Diabetes Association would have updated their information by now.
diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/understanding-carbohydrates/artificial-sweeteners/0 -
I have horrible food allergies and chemical allergies (probably because I worked in chemical labs for 15 years), so that's why I eat clean. Things like a tiny bit of dextrose will give me hives.
Xanthan gum is a rather heavily refined thickener (meaning it takes many chemical processing steps to create xanthan gum). IMO guar gum is its cleaner equivalent, as it's basically some ground up guar bean endosperms. As of this writing, I think the wikipedia entries on both of these is accurate.
I do most of my shopping at a local grocery store (PCC) that focuses on healthy, organic, local goods, so their condiments tend to be cleaner than those of a national chain store. There are no Kraft or Heinz products in this store. Have you considered looking for a local version of a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's in your area?0
This discussion has been closed.