Best & Worst Condiments in Your Kitchen
A kitchen clean out is always necessary at least a few times in a year and it always starts with throwing out sauces and condiments that you will never use. While it can be easy to stock up on condiments over a few months, it’s important to know which ones are worth keeping around based on their nutritional benefits, and which ones to pitch because they do more harm than good. By doing this, you are able to figure out how to use more of the nutrient-rich condiments more often in your cooking and how to slowly faze out the not so great sauces you once loved.
BEST: Salsa
Salsa is a fantastic condiment to use on everything from chips to sandwiches! It’s made up of mainly all natural ingredients which makes it health-friendly.
In two tablespoons of salsa, you can find only 11 calories and 0.4 grams of sugar! With this being the type of condiment served at a bar or restaurant, those nutrition facts are pretty sweet!
2. WORST: Ketchup
Some of us simply cannot live without ketchup. It’s not bad to have a little bit of Ketchup with your meal, but it’s important to know what exactly you’re eating.
Ketchup has about 20 calories per tablespoon which is significantly higher than the healthier condiments on our list. The kicker is that it is also packed with sugar! Coming in at 3.7 grams of sugar per tablespoon, you may want to skip dessert.
3. BEST: Mustard
Mustard is simply amazing because of its strong taste and healthy nutrition facts. When all else fails and you don’t know what to top your healthy meal with, pick mustard!
With mustard, calculating calories is pretty much the easiest thing because there aren’t any! With zero calories and 0.9 grams of sugar per tablespoon, mustard is a wonderful condiment to have on hand.
4. WORST: Soy Sauce
Soy sauce may have the consistency of water, but that doesn’t mean it’s nutrition facts are the same as water too.
While you may enjoy topping your Asian dishes with this salty condiment, it may not be worth it once you find out what’s in it. Or at least, go easy on it.
5. BEST: Sriracha
Needing to add some flavor to your meal? Sriracha is a crowd favorite because it isn’t an overpowering spice, rather, it has some flavor as well!
The best thing about it is that it only has 5 calories per teaspoon and 1 gram of sugar. While the sugar content is a little higher, the lack of calories is a huge bonus.
6. WORST: Teriyaki Sauce
Oh dear. We are sorry to say that Teriyaki sauce has made the worst list and for good reason. While you may love to add it to your stir-fries, it may not be worth it to you anymore!
The main issue with Teriyaki sauce is its high sodium content. One tablespoon of teriyaki sauce has approximately 879 milligrams of sodium, so, while it may only have 15 calories per tablespoon, the sodium makes it an unhealthy choice.
7. BEST: Tabasco Original Red Sauce
There’s nothing quite like some heat to make your diet a little spicier! Tabasco sauce is fantastic for heating up a meal with only a drop or two from this small bottle of goodness.
Tabasco sauce has absolutely no calories and no sugar either, making it a great choice for adding flavor to your meal without regrets!
8. WORST: Mayonnaise
This one is a no-brainer but it’s just that it is so delicious! It can be hard to give up a creamy, flavor-packed sauce but don’t worry, it’s for the better!
With only 0.1 grams of sugar per tablespoon, things start off looking okay. When you add on that there are 94 calories per tablespoon though, things get depressing. And don’t get started on the fat – 10 grams per tablespoon. Terrifying.
9. BEST: Hummus
As one of the favorite health foods of the moment, hummus is already winning in many of our kitchens. What makes it first place in our recipe books is its dynamic flavor that is added to any meal paired with it.
When you make hummus at home (it’s so easy), there is 0 grams of sugar and 27 calories per tablespoon. It is one delicious condiment that definitely tastes better when it’s made at home.
10. WORST: Barbeque Sauce
Barbecue sauce tastes best when it is smothering your favorite rack of ribs, right? Well, all that smothering may actually smother your efforts to get healthy and fit!
The average barbecue sauce has approximately 30 calories per tablespoon and 6 grams of sugar. This isn’t a great nutrition fact to be aware of, but it may encourage you to brush that sauce on a little more lightly next time you cook!
11. BEST: Guacamole
Guacamole is absolutely delicious with just about every from chips to chili, but what makes it absolutely magical is the avocado! Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, avocado is absolutely amazing for your body. While it is high in fat, it’s all that good fat that your body actually needs!
For two tablespoons, there are 60 calories with 0 grams of sugar. It will fill your body with energy and healthy fats for your body to burn when you’re working out!
12. WORST: Ranch Dip
This creamy, savory dip is perfect for a snack any day of the week because who doesn’t want some veggies and dip? The problem is that it’s a super creamy dip option that you want to swap out for hummus.
Ranch dip has approximately 73 calories in every tablespoon with 8 grams of that not-so-healthy fat! Pairing all the nutrients from your veggies with an unhealthy dip is simply not the way to health!
13. BEST: Saurkraut
Saurkraut is a fantastic topping for a healthy meal such as turkey sausages and it’s actually good for you too! It’s always a bonus when you can enjoy something without regretting it later.
Sauerkraut contains 1.8 grams of sugar and only 19 calories per 100 grams. That is seriously impressive for such a strong tasting condiment!
14. WORST: Pancake Syrup
We aren’t talking about maple syrup. We are talking about that gross corn syrup replacement that has existed in all of our kitchens at least once. Our kids smother their pancakes and waffles with it and it can also be used in baking.
In just one tablespoon of this artificial sweetener, there are 59 calories and approximately 8 grams of sugar, and we all know that we all use more than one tablespoon! Instead, opt for 100% natural maple syrup. It may cost more but it tastes better and is better for you!
15. BEST: Pesto
Pesto is packed with flavor and can be added to a sandwich as a topping, or to pasta as a sauce. With the sprinkle of a little feta cheese, your family will love their simple yet flavorful pasta dish.
Pesto is higher in calories, but when it’s made with extra virgin olive oil and tree nuts, the calories are worth it. Pesto has 80 calories per tablespoon and less than a gram of sugar per tablespoon.
