Typically it's not the foods we consume that's the problem, it's the condiments we put on to the food. Right now we're going to be checking out one of the primary condiment culprits… tomato ketchup!
I adore ketchup, I slop it on almost everything. So this one hits home to me.
Tomatoes are healthy, aren't they?
Ketchup is mainly made out of tomatoes. And that means you would most likely believe that it's not too unhealthy. We all know that it's also loaded with sugar, yet tomatoes are veggies, right? So at least you're getting the nutritional value from those.
Well not if you cook them to death!
Ketchup is actually made of very over cooked tomatoes that have lost all of their nutritional value, some water and a LOT of sugar.
The sugar in ketchup is really worth a closer look. Because of the fact that, whilst it starts out as sugar (and that is already undesirable) before it goes into the bottle it's processed into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and that is a great deal worse! In addition to this, we get flavourings, such as MSG, which will make us need it more.
When MSG got me a kiss!
It appears that MSG is in almost everything. I remember many years ago, I was on a date with a girl I'd been attracted to for the better part of a year. We were sharing a bag of Malteasers and she challenged me to guess the ingredients.
I said 1 or 2 of the obvious ones, and then I rolled the malteaser around inside my mouth almost like looking to pick up another flavour, before announcing 'monosodium glutamate?' She quickly checked the contents and was shocked by my super-tasting ability, which earned me a kiss!!
I'm most likely the only person on this planet that's ever gotten anything decent from MSG (well me along with the whole food manufacturing industry which make use of it to make us addicted to their products!)
So, ketchup is bad for you. Its single decent ingredient has long shed its worth and all the other stuff has been connected to plenty of medical issues.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is thought to be linked to:
- Excessive weight
- Diabetes
- Coronary Disease
- Cancers
…and it offers minimal nutrition. It simply makes things sweeter, so you eat much more of it.
Is MSG actually unhealthful?
Should you choose to do a quick search on MSG, there are actually countless articles saying that it has a poor rep but it isn't that unhealthy. Then you'll find 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, attempting to prevent most people from finding out the reality about MSG. Making sure that we continue eating foods that are packed with it.
MSG can lead to something referred to as a 'Leaky Gut' which sounds vile and is linked to
- Feeling bloated
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
I have to admit, on more than one occasion I've had all of those, especially after eating a greasy takeaway.
Healthy Ketchup options
Right, let's get back to ketchup. We all love it. And we want to carry on eating it. However we don't want 'Leaky Gut'
The best alternative to store bought ketchup may be to prepare your very own.
If you should fancy giving that a go, you should check out this video tutorial:
Learning to make your own easy rapid and ultra nutritious ketchup
If you just don't have the time for that, you also have some shop bought ketchups which are a healthier possibility.
In 2010 ConAgra took out the HFCS from their ketchup (Hunt's Ketchup) however added it back a couple of years after. The reason why? Well I would say that they were looking to cash in on the publics growing awareness of the risks of HFCS and anticipating that their far healthier option would win them a bigger share of the marketplace.
I don't for 1 second think that they actually did it out of concern for human health.
Of course, it didn't do the job, because they put it back. But individuals are constantly getting more health conscious, so perhaps they'll give it a second go as soon as they determine that the public is ready for it. It's definitely worthwhile grabbing a bottle and reading the ingredients now and again.
Tomato puree
An alternate possibility, though not a very tasty one, would be to use tomato puree in place of ketchup. In recipes this works fine, but as a condiment it's honestly not as good. Tomato puree isn't as sweet and also has a very powerful flavour. However play with it, put in a little sweeter and see what you come up with. I'm confident that whatever you produce it'll be lots healthier than any shop bought ketchup!
So 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 nuts, you could even add some sugar and you'll probably still produce a better ketchup compared with the one you're eating now.
Tomato puree (mixed with a sweetener) works great as an alternative to producing your own ketchup as it lasts a lot longer than fresh tomatoes, needs less space in your refrigerator and also its easy to rustle up in a couple of seconds when you need it. They it, and let em know how it goes.