Recommendations for jar spaghetti sauce

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kennygang
kennygang Posts: 93 Member
My family loves meatballs and spaghetti and I wanted to have just the meatballs with sauce but was not sure if anyone had any suggestions for best sauce that is low carb and low sugar and taste good. We usually use Prego but not sure of the ingredients. Thanks so much
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Replies

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I usually just get a big can of crushed tomatoes and then add my own salt, pepper, garlic, basil (lots of basil), and italian seasoning to make it spaghetti sauce - it's very difficult to find a sauce without a bunch of sugar added.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    Rao's tomato basil is legit, but it's more a marinara sauce.
  • cstehansen
    cstehansen Posts: 1,984 Member
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    I would be interested in this also. Even the jarred alfredo sauces out there have more carbs than I would like. I have started making my own alfredo sauce, which is much easier than I thought it would be. However, if there is a good jarred option out there, it sure would come in handy. Prego was our brand of choice, but it does not fit my macros. Their traditional has 13g carbs with 10 of those being sugar. And what they call one serving is not very much. Some of their other varieties have even more sugar.
  • Rainqueen77
    Rainqueen77 Posts: 116 Member
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    Frank's all natural is the lowest carb jar sauce I've found. My daughter doesn't like it though. Too chunky for her. Fixed that up quick with my stick blender though.
  • BT_rescuemom
    BT_rescuemom Posts: 284 Member
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    I used Rao's "sensitive" marinara for a low carb lasagna last week. It doesn't have onions or garlic. I thought it was decent, and I think 4 carbs per 1/2 cup.
  • redimock
    redimock Posts: 258 Member
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    We also use Rao's. There's no added sugar, and I really like the taste better than other brands (now anyway :smiley: ). It can be pricey though - $9 for a jar at my grocery store. I snap it up when it's on sale.
  • missippibelle
    missippibelle Posts: 153 Member
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    I use crushed tomatoes and spice mine up myself too.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    edited November 2016
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    I found this brand last week and made meatballs with porkrind crumbs, eggs, mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage and ground beef. My family loved it on their zucchini noodles.
    I got to have a decent amount of sauce too since it was so low carb.
    njxd0cqmeoxq.png

    It's in my diary for Thursday Nov 3 if you want to check it out further.
  • kiwiapplepear
    kiwiapplepear Posts: 65 Member
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    I third the opening a can of tomatoes and adding your own spices/herbs... Its really easy and super cheap...
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
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  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
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    I like the Classico sauces when I'm feeling lazy. There's a few with only 5 or 6 carbs in 1/2 cup. Spicy Red Pepper, Florentine Spinach & Cheese, and some other good ones.
    https://caloriecount.com/classico-nutrition-m1178
  • mbonacci12
    mbonacci12 Posts: 72 Member
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    I use Sclafani marinara, 4 carbs 1/2 cup. Very good.
  • mandycat223
    mandycat223 Posts: 502 Member
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    Even before my LC days, I avoided commercial pasta sauces. The alfredo sauces were disgusting and the marinara sauces are so sugar-laden they're halfway to ice cream toppings. Even if you're an unenthusiastic cook, making a big batch of tomato sauce and freezing it in individual serving sizes isn't a huge chore.
  • kennygang
    kennygang Posts: 93 Member
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    Thank you all for all your wonderful suggestion, I will try some of them. Rao was very expensive at $7 a jar so that was out of price range. I may even try can of crushed tomato and add my own spices...
  • RowdysLady
    RowdysLady Posts: 1,370 Member
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    I make my own marinara and Alfredo sauces. Both are easy but take time and patience. When I'm back at my pc versus the phone I'll add my recipes
  • anglyn1
    anglyn1 Posts: 1,802 Member
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    Rao and Mezzetta are the brands of marinara I buy. Neither has added sugar. They are around 4-5 carbs a serving.
  • RowdysLady
    RowdysLady Posts: 1,370 Member
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    Everything I do I do to taste so ingredients tend to vary:

    Marinara sauce
    • Can of crushed tomatoes
    • Can of tomato paste (the small one)
    • Couple of fresh tomatoes peeled and seeded (peeling tomatoes is easy - boil water, drop in the 'mater, wait til the skin breaks, pull out, cool in water, slip out of it's skin.)


    Put all that in a pot. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook on low while you:
    • 1 Onion, diced
    • Fresh Basil leaves chiffonade. I like lots myself.
    • Dried oregano to taste
    • Lots of garlic cloves, crushed
    • Half bell pepper, diced
    • Celery stalk diced small
    • Shrooms diced small (usually two whole if they are small)
    • and sometimes I add other veggies diced really small - broccoli, cauli, etc.

    Saute above in butter with salt and pepper to taste. Add to tomatoes and cook on low as long as you like but at least an hour (this is the patience part) - you can do this in a crock pot if you like.

    As it cooks I taste and add something to cut the acidic taste of the 'maters. Used to be sugar, but now it's a sweetener or sometimes a splash of cooking wine. Add water or broth as needed if it's too thick. Add more paste if too thin.

    Alfredo Sauce
    • 1 Onion diced
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Lemon Juice
    • Nutmeg to taste
    • Butter
    • Fresh shredded Parm or other cheese that melts nicely

    Saute in LOTS of butter like a stick of it - you want to build a roux from this. So once the onion is sauteed, remove from pan, put pan on low and add more butter. For every tablespoon of butter you have (or think you have) add a thickener such a coconut flour or carbquik. Whisk like crazy until thick and no lumps. Slowly add a liquid - usually milk but I've started using coconut milk and chicken broth. Whisk like crazy. Add cheese you like and put onion back in. O Once melted add more of the ingredients to taste until you are happy. (personally I don't use nutmeg in mine)

    You will have to measure to determine cals/carbs/etc based on what you actually use. I never make mine exactly the same, ever. I just find the very best options carb wise for tomatoes in a can.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    @RowdysLady - did you know that baking soda is commonly used to cut the acidic taste of tomatoes? And once it neutralizes the acid, it doesn't taste salty. Worth a try.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    eatfatlosefatblog.com/keto-low-carb-alfredo-sauce-recipe/

    This is one of the "base" recipes I use to make alfredo. Cream will thicken on it's own as it simmers, no need for a flour, roux, or thickener.

    Also, I really dislike the taste of nutmeg, passionately, but in this recipe, it elevates the umami or savory perfection side of a real alfredo sauce... Definitely worth trying if you haven...