Often it's not the food we consume that's the issue, it's the stuff we put on the food. Right now we're going to be examining one of the most significant condiment culprits… tomato ketchup!
I enjoy ketchup, I slop it over everything. And so this one hits home for me.
Tomatoes are good for you, right?
Ketchup is principally made up of tomatoes. So you would definitely suppose it's not too unhealthy. We know that it's also stuffed with sugar, but tomatoes are vegetables, right? So at least you're receiving the nutritional value from those.
Well not after you cook them to death!
Ketchup is basically produced from very over cooked tomatoes that have lost most of their nutrients, some water and a LOT of sugar.
The sugar in ketchup will probably be worth a more detailed look. Because, whilst it starts out as sugar (and this is already undesirable) before it is added to the bottle it's processed into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is quite a bit worse! As well as this, you have flavourings, like MSG, which will make us desire it more.
How MSG won me a kiss!
It would appear that MSG is in pretty much everything everything. I recall several years ago, I was on a date with a super hot girl I'd been obsessed with for the better part of a year. We were sharing a bag of Malteasers and she challenged me to identify the ingredients.
I said some of the obvious ones, and then I rolled the malteaser around inside my mouth as if attempting to pick up the next flavour, before announcing 'monosodium glutamate?' She instantaneously checked the ingredients and was shocked by my super-tasting skills, which won me a kiss!!
I'm most probably the only guy on Earth that's ever got anything good out of MSG (well me along with the entire food manufacturing industry that use it to get us addicted to their products!)
So, ketchup is bad. The sole decent ingredient has long shed its value and all of the additional ingredients has been linked to countless medical issues.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is connected with:
- Excessive weight
- Diabetic issues
- Heart Conditions
- Cancer
…and it possesses minimal nutrition. It just helps make stuff sweeter, so you eat much more of it.
Is MSG actually unhealthful?
Should you do a search on MSG, you will discover countless articles declaring that it has an unhealthy rep but it really isn't that unhealthy. And then you'll disover this quote:
“It’s probably one of the most harmful substances that one can eat.”
Michael Galitzer MD
I sincerely believe there's a little bit of a conspiracy happening, intending to stop most people from figuring out the truth about MSG. Making sure that we keep eating foods that are brimming with it.
MSG can lead to something called a 'Leaky Gut' which sounds disgusting as well as being linked to
- Feeling bloated
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
I have to admit, on more than one occasion I've suffered from all these, particularly after stuffing myself with a fatty takeaway.
Wholesome Ketchup substitutes
So, back to ketchup. We adore it. And we want to continue using it. But we don't really want 'Leaky Gut'
The best substitute to store acquired ketchup is to cook your very own.
If you would fancy giving that a try, you should watch this video:
How to make your very own easy fast and very nourishing ketchup
In case you simply don't have enough time for that, there are also a couple of store purchased ketchups that happen to be a much healthier selection.
In 2010 ConAgra took out the HFCS from their ketchup (Hunt's Ketchup) however they put it back a few years later. The reason why? Well I think that they were trying to cash in on the publics growing awareness of the potential risks of HFCS and hoping that their far healthier option would gain them a larger piece of the marketplace.
I don't for a second feel that they did it because of concern for our health and wellbeing.
Of course, it didn't do the job, because they put it back. However people are invariably getting more health conscious, so quite possibly they'll give it another go if they determine that the public is ready for it. It's certainly worthwhile grabbing a bottle and checking the ingredients from time to time.
Why not try tomato puree?
Another alternative, but certainly not an incredibly 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 simply not the same. Tomato puree isn't so sweet and also has a very strong flavour. However experiment with it, put in just a little sweeter and see what you can come up with. I'm pretty sure that whatever you produce it'll be lots healthier in comparison with any branded ketchup!
As long as you don't cook all the nutrients away, fill it with HFCS and then lace it with 'gut-leaking' MSG! Aside of that, you can go crazy, even adding some sugar and you'll probably still produce a better ketchup compared with the one you're eating now.
Tomato puree (coupled with a sweetener) is an effective alternative to making your own ketchup as it usually lasts a good while longer than fresh tomatoes, takes up less space in your cooler and it is easy to rustle up in a few seconds as required. They it, and let em know how it goes.