Usually 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 looking at one of the primary condiment culprits… ketchup!
I love ketchup, I slop it over everything. And so this hits home for me.
Tomatoes are good for your health, aren't they?
Ketchup is principally made from tomatoes. So you might think it's not too unhealthy. We all know that it's also loaded with sugar, yet tomatoes are veggies, right? So at the least you're getting the nutrition from those.
Well not after you boil them to death!
Ketchup is essentially made from very over cooked tomatoes that have lost every bit of their vitamins and minerals, some water and a LOT of sugar.
The sugar in ketchup is really worth a closer look. Due to the fact that, although it starts as sugar (and that is already undesirable) before it goes into the bottle it's refined into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is quite a bit worse! In addition to this, we have flavourings, such as MSG, which will make us need it a lot more.
The time that MSG earned me a kiss!
It seems that MSG is in absolutely everything. I recall several years ago, I was on a date with a girl I'd been obsessed with for the better part of a year. We were feeding each other Malteasers and she challenged me to guess the ingredients.
I said some of the obvious ones, and then I rolled the malteaser around inside my mouth like trying to pick up another flavor, before announcing 'monosodium glutamate?' She instantaneously checked the contents and was stunned by my super-tasting skills, which earned me a kiss!!
I'm most probably the one person on the planet that's actually gotten anything decent from MSG (well me as well as the whole food production industry using it to get us addicted to their products!)
So, ketchup is bad for you. Its single healthy ingredient has long shed its worth and all the additional ingredients have been connected to a lot of health problems.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is connected with:
- Obesity
- Diabetic issues
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Cancers
…and it has got absolutely zero nutrition. It simply helps make things sweet, so you consume much more of them.
Is MSG really unhealthful?
Should you do a quick search on MSG, you will find a great number of articles saying that it has a poor reputation but it really isn't that unhealthy. And then you'll find this quote:
“It’s probably one of the most harmful substances that one can eat.”
Michael Galitzer MD
I seriously think that there's a little bit of a conspiracy going on, intending to prevent many folk from discovering the truth about MSG. To make sure we continue eating products which are packed with it.
MSG may cause something known as a 'Leaky Gut' which sounds nasty and is associated with
- Bloated tummy
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
I have to acknowledge, on many occasions I've suffered with all those, particularly after eating a fatty takeaway.
Healthier Ketchup alternatives
Right, let's get back to ketchup. We like it. And we want to continue eating it. However we don't really want 'Leaky Gut'
The best alternative to store acquired ketchup is to make your own.
Whenever you fancy giving that a try, then watch this video tutorial:
Learning to make your very own simple quick and extremely nourishing ketchup
In the event you just don't have time for that, there are a few store purchased ketchups that are a much healthier option.
Back in 2010 ConAgra took away the HFCS from their ketchup (Hunt's Ketchup) yet they put it back a few years later. Why? Well I think that they were intending to cash in on the publics escalating awareness of the dangers of HFCS and anticipating that their healthier option might gain them a better piece of the marketplace.
I don't for 1 second think that they did it because of concern for our well being.
Evidently, it didn't do the job, since they put it back. But the public is always getting more health conscious, so most likely they'll give it a second try once they determine that the public is ready for it. It's surely well worth grabbing a bottle and reading the ingredients every so often.
Can tomato puree be used as a substitute for ketchup
An alternate alternative, although not a very tasty one, would be to use tomato puree in place of ketchup. In recipes this works fine, however as a condiment it's honestly not the same. Tomato puree isn't so sweet and also has a really intense flavour. However play with it, add some sweeter and just see what you can come up with. I'm quite certain that whatever you create it'll be lots healthier as compared with any shop bought ketchup!
So long as you don't boil all of the nutrients away, load it with HFCS and then lace it with 'gut-leaking' MSG! Aside of that, go nuts, even adding some (deadly) sugar and you'll still produce a healthier ketchup when compared with the one you're eating now.
Tomato puree (along with a sweetener) is a great alternative to producing your own ketchup because it can last a good while longer than fresh tomatoes, occupies significantly less room in the cooler and it is simple to rustle up in a few seconds as required. They it, and let em know how it goes.