Oftentimes it's not the foods we eat that's the issue, it's the things we use to cover the food. Right now we're going to be examining one of the most significant condiment culprits… ketchup!
I really like ketchup, I lavish it over almost everything. And so this hits home to me.
Tomatoes are a healthy option, aren't they?
Ketchup is primarily manufactured from tomatoes. So you may possibly believe it's not too unhealthy. Everybody knows that it's also filled with sugar, but tomatoes are veggies, right? So at least you're receiving the nutritional value from those.
Well not when you cook them to death!
Ketchup is basically manufactured from incredibly over cooked tomatoes that have lost almost all of their vitamins and minerals, some water along with a LOT of sugar.
The sugar in ketchup is really worth a more detailed look. Because of the fact that, whilst it begins as sugar (and that is already undesirable) before it is added to the bottle it's refined into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is considerably worse! Moreover, you have got flavourings, like MSG, that often makes us need it a lot more.
How MSG earned me a kiss!
It appears that MSG is in almost everything. I remember many years ago, I was on a date with a super hot girl I'd been chasing for the better part of a year. We were feeding each other Malteasers and she challenged me to list the ingredients.
I gave her most of the obvious ones, and then I rolled the malteaser around in my mouth as if attempting to indentify the next flavour, before announcing 'monosodium glutamate?' She quickly checked the ingredients and was stunned by my super-tasting ability, which won me a kiss!!
I'm quite possibly the only person on Earth that's ever got anything decent from MSG (well me along with the whole food production industry which use it to get us addicted to their products!)
So, ketchup is bad. The sole good ingredient has long shed its worth and all of the additional stuff have been connected with several health conditions.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is associated with:
- Being overweight
- Diabetes
- Heart Conditions
- Cancer
…and it has no real nutrition. It only helps make things sweeter, and that means you eat much more of it.
Is MSG actually harmful?
Should you do a search on MSG, there are a variety of articles declaring that it has a bad rep but it really isn't that bad for you. And then you'll stumble into this quote:
“It’s probably one of the most harmful substances that one can eat.”
Michael Galitzer MD
I truthfully feel as if there's a little bit of a conspiracy going on, intending to stop most folk from uncovering the facts about MSG. So that we continue eating products that are packed with it.
MSG can lead to something named a 'Leaky Gut' which sounds disgusting as well as being associated with
- Bloated tummy
- Wind
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
I have to admit, on more than one occasion I've suffered from all of those, particularly after treating myself to a fatty takeaway.
Wholesome Ketchup alternatives
OK, let's get back to ketchup. We really like it. And we want to keep eating it. However we don't want 'Leaky Gut'
The most excellent alternative to store acquired ketchup is usually to cook your very own.
If you fancy giving that a try, then look at this video:
Making your own easy quick and super healthy ketchup
In the event you just don't have the time for that, then there are a couple of store bought ketchups which are a healthier option.
In 2010 ConAgra took out the HFCS from their ketchup (Hunt's Ketchup) but they also added it back a couple of years after. Exactly why? Well I would say that they were expecting to cash in on public escalating awareness of the dangers of HFCS and expecting that their far healthier alternative might win them an increased piece of the market.
I don't for a second believe that they actually did it because of concern for our health.
Needless to say, it didn't work, given that they put it back. But people are always getting more health aware, so possibly they'll give it a second try after they believe that the public is ready for it. It's clearly worthwhile grabbing a bottle and checking the ingredients once in a while.
Can you substitute ketchup with puree?
An extra possibility, though not a very tasty one, could be to use tomato puree as a substitute for ketchup. In recipes this will work perfectly, however as a condiment it's really not the same. Tomato puree isn't so sweet and has a quite powerful flavour. But experiment with it, put in a bit of sweeter and see what you come up with. I'm very positive that whatever you end up with it'll be a lot better for you as compared with any shop bought ketchup!
Just don't cook all the nutrients away, fill it with HFCS and lace it with 'gut-leaking' MSG! Aside of that, you can go nuts, even adding some sugar and you'll still produce a greatly improved ketchup compared with the one you're using now.
Tomato puree (mixed with a sweetener) is a superb alternative to making your own ketchup as it lasts considerably longer than fresh tomatoes, requires less room in the refrigerator and it is simple to rustle up in a few seconds when you need it. They it, and let em know how it goes.