Are Your Condiments Making You Fat?

Most people pour on the ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise without a thought.  But you could be adding a ton of salt and fat to your food without realizing it.

Here’s a glimpse into your favorite condiments:

Ketchup:  made from pureed, cooked tomatoes with spices and seasonings added for flavor.  Can also be made from peppers or fruits in addition to tomatoes.  One tablespoon of ketchup generally contains 20 calories and 140 mg of sodium.

Mustard:  a paste made from ground mustard seeds, vinegar, and seasonings. The type of seeds and seasonings used varies by brand and variety (yellow, spicy, etc.).  One tablespoon of yellow mustard contains 9 calories and 170 mg sodium.

Mayonnaise:  made of oil, vinegar, lemon juice and egg yolks, mayonnaise contains 10 to 12 grams of fat per tablespoon.  The amount varies by brand, but that’s a lot of fat for one tablespoon of mayo!  In addition to the fat, you’re also adding 100 calories to your meal for each tablespoon of mayo.

Soy Sauce:  very high in sodium.  One teaspoon of soy sauce can contain 300 mg of sodium; a packet of soy sauce usually contains two teaspoons, so you are consuming 600 mg of sodium for every packet of soy sauce you add to your food!  Soy sauce also contains 8 calories.

No one expects you to give up the condiments entirely, but if you’re watching your fat or salt intake, it’s important to keep the condiments in mind as well as the food itself.  If condiments are a big part of your cooking or your diet, you might also consider switching to low-sodium, low-fat variations of your favorite condiments.