Healthy and Unhealthy Condiments

Both the ‘healthiness’ and the calorie value of a meal or snack can be drastically altered by adding a particular condiment. So I am going to clear up the healthy and unhealthy condiments.

Unhealthy Condiments

1/ Mayonnaise – this shouldn’t come as a major shock to you. Usually made with refined oils such as soya bean which are extremely unhealthy for your body. Even you go for the low calorie version, it’s still junk. If you make it yourself with olive oil (or look in a health shop you may find it), then it would be much healthier.

2/ Salad Dressing – Most people go with a fat free version to keep the calories down. The problem is they are loaded with processed sugar to make them taste nice. Stay away from them. Choose balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil instead.

3/ Tomato Ketchup – Yes ketchup is made with tomatoes so brings some health benefits, e.g. lycopene. But this is by far outweighed by the quantity or sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup it contains.

4/ Barbecue Sauce – Normally even more sugar than tomato ketchup!

Don’t think you can never have any of these just make sure you buy the heathiest version you can and keep the quantity and regularity of when you eat them down as much as you can.

Healthy Condiments

1/ Hummus – Made the right way hummus is really healthy. However it really depends on the oil it is made with. Made with olive oil, nice and healthy. Some cheaper brands will use a refined oil such as vegetable oil which makes it far less healthy, so check the label. To make hummus super low calorie, replace the oil with low fat natural yogurt for a great snack.

2/ Mustard – Mustard is basically a combination of spices such as mustard seeds, turmeric and paprika. All these bring great health benefits. And best of all no sugar is added to it!

3/ Guacamole – made primarily with a great source of healthy fat, i.e. avocadoes. Full of vitamins, minerals and balances your hormones to name a few benefits.

4/ Salsa – Made primarily from vegetables so pretty healthy. Check the label for sugar content before buying though.

Conclusion – Healthy and Unhealthy Condiments

With all of these healthy condiments they become even more healthy when you make them yourself. And remember just because something has healthy ingredients doesn’t mean the calories can’t rack up and affect your weight loss results so always be aware of how many valorise you are consuming.

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