It’s been said before, and I’ll say it again: The secret’s in the sauce. A store-bought sauce is a simple yet delicious way to add a noticeable flavor boost to any meal. After all, nobody comes home excited to slice into a bland chicken breast. And sauce-free steamed broccoli is awesome, said nobody. The right sauce or dressing can anchor a meal. This cherished food-enhancing quality might be why the typical grocery store stocks colossal amounts of sauces and dressings in every imaginable flavor profile. The sheer tonnage of the stuff is mind-blowing. Yes, the demand for for these flavor sources is high, so we’ve supplied you with the healthiest sauces to add to any meal.
But, many brands of sauces and dressings go well beyond simplicity, incorporating excessive amounts of calories, sodium, added sugar, and questionable additives that end up making all that added flavor come at a nutritional cost. And perhaps a hit to your six-pack pursuits. This is why it’s important to shop carefully so you aren’t dousing your grilled chicken with a sauce gone horribly wrong.
If you’re looking to make some healthy changes to your diet but don’t want to sacrifice good taste. You’ll be pleased to know there are still plenty of healthier sauces and dressings available on the market for you to pour at will.
Let’s get saucy, shall we.
How to Choose the Healthiest Sauces
Sauces and dressings may seem like a minor aspect of our meals, but they can have a significant impact on nutrition numbers. Keep these nutritional requirements in mind the next time you are shopping for a sauce to make your life more tasty without bulldozing your diet.
Calories: Depending on the serving size, sauces can rack up a surprising amount of calories typically from added oil, cream, or sugar. You probably shouldn’t be using a sauce that delivers more than 150 calories in a serving, even for those made with cream or cheese. Just remember to take into account your actual serving size. If a label presents its nutrition numbers for 2 tablespoons but you are more likely to consume twice this amount you need to do the math.
Added Sugar: Manufacturers may add sugars like high fructose corn syrup or cane sugar to increase shelf-life, cut the acid from ingredients like tomatoes, or make up some of the flavor lost when fat is removed as is the case for several fat-free dressings. However, you might find it surprising just how much added sugar can be packed into one serving of a sauce. Examine nutrition labels and choose options with 3 grams of added sugar or less per serving. Naturally occurring sugars found in some sauce ingredients like tomatoes and fruits are nothing to fret about.
Sodium: Sodium is a preservative, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find store-bought sauces with zero salt added; however, some products are much higher in added salt than others. Keeping in mind that you don’t want to go too much higher than the daily 2,300 milligrams recommendation for added sodium in the diet so look for sauces that cap the sodium at 400mg in a serving.
Other fluff: Prioritize choices made predominantly with real ingredients (like ones you recognize and can pronounce). That means peaking at the ingredient list and seeing if there are a lot of items in there that you can’t actually shop for at your grocer like food dyes, gums, and artificial sweeteners.
7 Healthiest Sauces For Big Flavors
These sauces and dressings bring the flavor while playing by the nutritional rules.
Chosen Foods Ranch Dressing
<strong>Nutrition (2 Tbsp): 120 calories, 12g fat (2 g saturated), 0g Protein, 1g Carbs (0g fiber, 0g added sugar), 240 mg sodium
Known for their avocado oil and mayo, Chosen Foods has expanded to include a number of sauces and dressings. Their avocado oil-based ranch dressing scores big with the perfect balance of creamy and tangy, and with the unmistakable ranch flavor we all love. A glance at the ingredient list reveals an absence of any added sugars, which is sadly not the case for so many bottled dressings, which makes this one of the healthiest sauces to choose. Avocado oil is full of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health. Beyond salads, you can use this dressing as a creamy dip or as a marinade for meats. Dump some on anything you want to add some rich flavor to.
Tasty Bites Tikka Masala
<strong>Nutrition (1/4 cup): 100 calories, 8g fat (3 g saturated), 1g Protein, 7g Carbs (1g fiber, 1g added sugar), 400mg sodium
Looking to change things up for dinner? This Indian-inspired simmer sauce is an effortless way to enliven meats, lentils, or sautéed vegetables. It’s spiced in a way that tastes authentic with fewer calories than what you’d get from most saucy dishes at an Indian restaurant. For a meal that tastes way better than the effort you put in simply cook some chopped meat or tofu, and vegetables in a skillet, add the sauce and heat through. Serve on some whole grains like brown rice or quinoa.
Primal Kitchen Hawaiian Style BBQ Sauce
<strong>Nutrition (2 Tbsp): 30 calories, 0g fat (0 g saturated), 1g Protein, 7g Carbs (0g fiber, 2g added sugar), 230mg sodium</p>
Worthy of a resounding “Aloha,” use this barbecue sauce to add a romp of tropical flare to your grilled meats, burgers, and even chunks of cooked veggies at a low calorie
cost. It also works whisked into a salad dressing. The pineapple and date paste add a nice sweetness with the apple cider vinegar providing a bit of zing. There is even a noticeable smokiness to the sauce. Notable is the absence of the high fructose corn syrup pumped into most BBQ sauces on the market. As a bonus, all of the ingredients are organic.
Bionaturae Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce
<strong>Nutrition (1/2 cup): 90 calories, 4.5g fat (1 g saturated), 0g Protein, 11g Carbs (3g fiber, 0g added sugar), 440mg sodium
Sometimes you just need to splurge on a good sauce to upgrade your meals. Made with sun-splashed Italian tomatoes, this has the fresh-from-the-garden flavor that so many marinaras lack. The sauce clocks in at 90 calories a serving, which is a bit higher than what’s typically in the jarred marinara world but that’s because extra virgin olive oil is used in its production which is something to celebrate.</p>
It’s free of the added sugar used in most tomato sauces and boasts a whole food ingredient list consisting of: Organic Italian tomatoes, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic red onion, salt, organic garlic, organic basil, organic black pepper, organic oregano make this one of the healthiest sauces in the marinara
aisle. I believe most Italian grandmas would approve. Yes, no pasta is complete without a good red sauce, but you can also use it to gussy up hunks of meat, fish, scrambled eggs, wraps, and soups.
Cedar’s Tzatziki with Feta
<strong>Nutrition (2 Tbsp): 30 calories, 2g fat (1.5 g saturated), 2g Protein, 2g Carbs (0g fiber, 0g added sugar), 160mg sodium
This feta-infused tzatziki is guaranteed to satisfy all your creamy desires. It’s made with Greek yogurt so you get a touch more protein as well as those gut-friendly probiotics. There is no added sugar and at 160 milligrams the sodium level is very respectable. Dill, garlic, and lemon juice bring the flavors of a good tzatziki. It’s fantastic as a spread for sandwiches and crackers, or as a veggie dip, but you can thin it with olive oil and red wine vinegar to be used as a dressing for salads, cooked meats, and grain bowls.
Bolthouse Farms Avocado Green Goddess
<strong>Nutrition (2 Tbsp): 35 calories, 2.5g fat (0.5 g saturated), 1g Protein, 3g Carbs (0g fiber, 1g added sugar), 120mg sodium
Save for oatmeal, I’d happily smoother nearly anything in this creamy sauce. A two-tablespoon serving is a mere 35 calories, there are no artificial ingredients, and it’s made with wholesome ingredients including avocado, buttermilk, yogurt, and herbs. Aren’t most things in life a little better with avocado? I’d dare say it makes salads something you want to eat all the time.
Mother Raw Lemon Tahini
<strong>Nutrition (2 Tbsp): 60 calories, 4g fat (0.5g saturated), 1g Protein, 4g Carbs (0g fiber, 1g added sugar), 135 mg sodium
Mother Raw boasts an incredible line-up of healthy dressings ranging from smoky chipotle to roasted garlic Caesar. A true stand-out is their Lemon Tahini which can instantly upgrade everything from chicken to salads to fish to beans. You can also use the golden sauce as a marinade for proteins like chicken breast and pork tenderloin. Crafted with sesame seeds, real lemon juice, maple syrup, and extra virgin olive oil, all of which are certified organic, the ingredient list is certainly impressive. The calories, amount of added sugar, and sodium levels all play by the rules.
