Nutrition Facts: Condiments

It's barbecue season!  Whether you grill meat or veggies, condiments are often used to enhance flavor and accompany cookout faves like burgers and fries.  Since I follow a mostly vegan diet, I love condiments (as well as spices) to add pizazz to my food.  When selected carefully, condiments can add nutrients to your meals and help you better absorb the nutrients in other foods.  However, some condiments are not good for you at all.  This guide will provide a little info on which condiments are the healthiest choices for your next cookout meal.

Ketchup
Pros: Contains lycopene (heart-healthy nutrient in tomatoes), fat-free, relatively low calorie
Cons: Can be high in sugar
Best choice: Organic ketchup with limited added sugar

Mustard
Pros: Contains sodium (essential nutrient in small quantities), extremely low calorie, fat-free
Cons: Can put sodium consumption over the top since lots of other barbecue foods contain excess salt, stains teeth and clothing easily
Best choice: Natural mustard or brown mustard if you like a spicy flavor

Barbecue Sauce
Pros: Also contains lycopene if tomato based (most bbq sauces are), contains antioxidants and iron (common ingredients include black pepper and molasses), fat-free
Cons: Generally high in sugar (avoid brands containing high fructose corn syrup), can be high calorie
Best choice: Natural barbecue sauce with limited added sugar

Mayonnaise (including Vegannaise)
Pros: Varieties made with olive oil contain heart-healthy omega-3s
Cons: Quite high in calories and fat, varieties made with eggs spoil quickly, vegan varieties sometimes contain processed soy (only bad if you have a soy sensitivity)
Best choice: Natural mayo with olive oil, or use avocado instead for a similar flavor with no dairy or soy

Salad Dressing
Pros: Fats consumed with micronutrient foods (like salad greens) increases the body's ability to absorb the micronutrients, varieties that contain vinegars have antioxidants and aid digestion
Cons: Generally high calorie and high fat, some varieties contain soy and diary (watch out if you have sensitivities), also generally high sodium
Best choice: Natural oil and vinegar based dressing

Sauerkraut
Pros: Raw unpasteurized sauerkraut is a fermented food rich in probiotics (great for digestive health), very low calorie, fat-free
Cons: Many varieties are over-processed and loose probiotic properties, can be high sodium
Best choice: Raw unpasteurized sauerkraut