Typically it's not the food we consume that's the problem, it's the things we put on the food. Right now we're going to be looking into one of the primary condiment culprits… tomato ketchup!
I enjoy ketchup, I slop it over everything. So this hits home to me.
Tomatoes are a healthy option, aren't they?
Ketchup is primarily made out of tomatoes. So you may presume it's not too bad for you. Everyone knows that it's also rich in sugar, yet tomatoes are veggies, right? So at least you're receiving the nutrition from those.
Well not if you cook them to death!
Ketchup is actually manufactured from very over cooked tomatoes that have lost all of their nutrition, some water and a LOT of sugar.
The sugar in ketchup is definitely worth a closer look. Because of the fact that, even though it begins as sugar (and that is already unhealthy) before it goes into the bottle it's refined into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is quite a bit worse! On top of this, we have flavourings, like MSG, that often makes us desire it a lot more.
How MSG earned me a kiss!
It seems that MSG is in pretty much everything everything. I remember several years ago, I was on a date with a beautiful girl I'd been chasing for the better part of a year. We were feeding each other Malteasers and she challenged me to guess the ingredients.
I said a few of the obvious ones, then I rolled the malteaser around in my mouth almost like attempting to indentify another flavor, before announcing 'monosodium glutamate?' She instantly scrutinised the ingredients and was shocked by my super-tasting ability, which earned me a kiss!!
I'm most probably the one person on Earth that's actually got anything decent out of MSG (well me and the entire food production industry who use it to make us hooked on their products!)
So, ketchup is bad. The one healthy ingredient has long lost its worth and all the other stuff has been connected to numerous health problems.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is connected to:
- Morbid obesity
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Cancers
…and it includes basically no nutritional value. It just makes stuff sweet, so you consume much more of them.
Is MSG genuinely unhealthy?
If you do a search on MSG, you will discover tons of articles stating that it has a poor reputation but it really isn't that unhealthy. And then you'll stumble upon this quote:
“It’s probably one of the most harmful substances that one can eat.”
Michael Galitzer MD
I truthfully feel that there's a little bit of a conspiracy happening, hoping to prevent many people from uncovering the reality about MSG. With the intention that we keep consuming products that are abundant in it.
MSG can lead to a little something named a 'Leaky Gut' which sounds vile as well as being associated with
- Bloating
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain
I have to say that, on more than one occasion I've had all of these, especially after stuffing myself with a greasy takeaway.
Wholesome Ketchup options
So, returning to ketchup. We adore it. We want to carry on consuming it. However we don't want to get 'Leaky Gut'
The better alternative to store bought ketchup might be to cook your own.
If you happen to fancy giving that a try, then take a look at this video clip:
Steps to make your very own simple rapid and extremely healthy ketchup
If you simply don't have the time for that, you also have some store bought ketchups that happen to be a better solution.
Back in 2010 ConAgra took out the HFCS from their ketchup (Hunt's Ketchup) however put it back a couple of years later. The reason why? Well I would say that they were trying to cash in on peoples escalating awareness of the potential risks of HFCS and hoping that their healthier option would win them an increased share of the marketplace.
I don't for a second think that they actually did it out of concern for our well-being.
Needless to say, it didn't work, because they put it back. But people are constantly getting more health aware, so chances are they'll give it another try if they decide that the public is ready for it. It's definitely worthwhile picking up a bottle and reviewing the ingredients now and again.
Why not try tomato puree?
One more possibility, but certainly not an incredibly tasty one, might be to use tomato puree in place of ketchup. In recipes this will work fine, however as a condiment it's really not as good. Tomato puree isn't so sweet and has a very intense flavour. But play with it, put in a little sweeter and see what you can come up with. I'm fairly certain that whatever you produce it'll be quite a lot better for you compared with any shop bought ketchup!
As long as you don't boil all the nutrients away, cram it with HFCS or lace it with 'gut-leaking' MSG! Aside of that, go crazy, you might even add some (deadly) sugar and you'll probably still make a healthier ketchup in comparison with the one you're eating now.
Tomato puree (mixed with a sweetener) is a good alternative to producing your own ketchup as it will last a good while longer than fresh tomatoes, uses up less space in your fridge and its simple to rustle up in a couple of seconds as required. They it, and let em know how it goes.