“Ketchup is essentially America’s sweetheart of condiments, complimenting a wide range of snacks and dinner items. However, it’s very easy to go overboard with your ketchup serving size, and this may find you consuming more sugar than you bargained for. “When we think of ketchup we connect it with tomato. However, store-bought ketchup has more harmful ingredients that should be avoided at all cost. Ketchup is loaded in salt, but also in sugar – one tablespoon of ketchup has approximately one teaspoon of sugar which is a lot, considering that the daily recommended intake of sugar for grown people is around 21 grams,” warns Kristina Hendija, MD.”
‘The basic ingredients of ketchup may not be all the bad for you, but when you factor in additives to give your favorite condiment its distinctive flavor, things take a turn. “While the ingredients are generally healthy (tomatoes, onions, vinegar), unfortunately they are loaded with HFCS = high fructose corn syrup. This is a processed sugar that has been linked to many cardiovascular problems,” explains registered dietitian Alexandra Soare. “Other ketchup companies use sugar cane instead of HFCS, however this is not quite solving the problem, since the amount of sugar is still quite high.”
Instead, try this homemade ketchup recipe! This simple homemade Ketchup recipe is not only healthier than its store-bought competition, but it is also so much more addictively delicious as you can control the exact amount of salt and spices added to the sweet tomato blend.
INGREDIENTS:
- ½-1 cup soaked sun-dried tomatoes, soaked 2 hrs.
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- Water, as needed to facilitate blending
DIRECTIONS:
- In a blender, add tomatoes, vinegar, raisins, onion powder and sea salt.
- Blend on high, adding water as needed to facilitate blending and increase creaminess.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate
