One of the biggest challenges when transitioning to a healthy and clean diet can be finding flavor. We get so used to adding cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing, etc. to all of our meals that when we take it away, we are left feeling like many foods taste bland. I’m sure you can think of all sorts of condiments that are obviously NOT healthy…
What about Mayonnaise? Nope…
Processed refined soybean oil is the main ingredient in most mayos and there’s nothing healthy about mayonnaise. It causes internal inflammation and harms your omega-6 to omega-3 balance with excess omega-6 fats. Tartar sauce has the same problems as mayo. If you can find a mayo made with 100% olive oil instead of soybean oil, this would be healthier choice.
Ketchup? Sorry…
Yes, ketchup is made from tomatoes so it does contain the beneficial nutrient lycopene. Unfortunately ketchup has a high % of sugar, and most brands are made with nasty high fructose corn syrup. Learn more about that here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a ketchup lover myself, but I just try to keep the quantity small and never buy the brands that include HFCS.
Barbeque Sauce? Not even close…
BBQ sauce is actually worse than ketchup because it has higher levels of sugar or HFCS and lower levels of actual tomato. Try this homemade healthy barbecue sauce recipe.
Salad Dressing? Not most store brands…
There’s not much healthy about most store bought salad dressings…most contain HFCS and soybean oil or unhealthy canola oil as the main ingredients.
Most “fat-free” salad dressings are simply loaded with extra sugar. Plus, remember that you need a good fat source to go with your salad to help absorb the vitamins and minerals in your veggies, so fat-free dressing is not a good idea anyway. Even most salad dressing brands that claim to be “made with olive oil” only have small amounts of actual olive oil, while unhealthy soybean or canola oils are main oils used. Instead, try making your own healthy salad dressing with olive oil, vinegar, and your favorite spices.
So, what are the top 5 healthiest condiments?
Below, I give you my top 5 picks for the healthiest condiments for a lean healthy body. Sure, there might be a few others not on this list that are also healthy, but these are my 5 favorite options:
1. Mustard
Mustard is absolutely one of the healthiest condiments! First, it has no added sugar. Also, mustard seed itself is a source of powerful antioxidants. In addition to the antioxidants in the mustard seed, most yellow mustards also contain turmeric which is one of the healthiest anti-cancer spices and paprika which contains powerful antioxidants as well.
2. Guacamole
I eat avocados or guacamole just about every single day. At this point, I don’t think I need to explain why guacamole is healthy, as I think everybody knows this by now… but a quick recap: lots of healthy fats (that satisfy your appetite and regulate hormone balance), lots of fiber, and plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
And creamy guac just makes anything taste better! I put it on eggs, on burgers, on chicken or fish, or just eat it with veggie sticks. If you buy pre-made guac from the store, just be sure to check the ingredients and make sure it doesn’t have added trans fats or other artificial ingredients. But it’s so simple and fast to make fresh guac, I don’t know why anybody would buy pre-made guac.
3. Salsa
Although ketchup was on the unhealthy list due to the sugar content, salsa makes the super healthy list as it almost never has added sugars if you get a good brand. Salsa is mostly just vegetables so it’s hard to go wrong. I like it on my morning eggs or salads for variety sometimes.
And if you’re a ketchup lover and want to reduce your sugar intake, just try salsa instead for a much healthier option. Trust me… salsa on a burger is just as delicious as ketchup on a burger.
Just remember that the corn chips that people generally cram down their throats with salsa are not even close to healthy. Corn chips are almost always fried in a heavily refined omega-6 oil such as corn or soy oil, and are inflammatory.
4. Hummus
Hummus is mostly just chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, and olive oil, and is easily one of the healthiest condiments or as a separate snack by itself.
The main thing to look for when buying a good hummus is to make sure it’s made with olive oil and not soybean or canola oil. Unfortunately most brands use cheap soy or canola oil, but if you’re a label reader, it’s easy to find a brand that uses solely olive oil.
One of my favorite snacks is just veggie sticks with hummus. However, hummus is also a delicious condiment to go with sandwiches, on top of meat dishes, etc.
5. Pesto
Pesto is generally a mashed mix of garlic, pine nuts, basil, olive oil, and grated cheese. It’s a great source of healthy fats and also powerful antioxidants, mostly from the garlic and basil, but to some extent from the pine nuts and olive oil too.
Pesto goes incredibly well with sandwiches, on meat dishes, or surprisingly, even on eggs.
There’s one more condiment we didn’t cover yet that you might be wondering about…
What about hot sauce? Actually, hot sauce is fairly healthy. Most hot sauces don’t have added sugars. And the hot peppers are actually good for you too and could even cause a slight and temporary metabolism increase. The only drawback to most hot sauces is a moderately high sodium content. But unless you go nuts with loads of hot sauce on every meal, the sodium content in hot sauce will not be an issue.
So now that you know 5 of the healthiest condiments, don’t be afraid to indulge next time you need one of these tasty additions to your meal.
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