Often it isn't the food that we consume that's the problem, it's the stuff that we put on the food. Today we'll be taking a look at one of the biggest condiment culprits... ketchup!
I love tomato ketchup, I put it on almost everything. So this particular one hits home for me.
Tomatoes are pretty good for you, right?
Ketchup is mainly produced using tomatoes. So you'd think that it's not that bad for your health. All of us understand that it's also full of sugar, but tomatoes are wholesome veggies, correct? So at least you'll be going to be getting the nutrition from those...
Well not when they've been boiled to death!
Ketchup is essentially produced from incredibly over cooked tomatoes which have now lost all of their nutritional worth, some water and tons of sugar.
The sugar added to ketchup may be worth a closer inspection. Because, although it starts as sugar (which is already pretty bad) before it goes into the ketchup it is refined into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is much worse!
On top of this, it's crammed with flavourings, such as MSG, that make us want to eat more.
Therefore , ketchup is not good. It's only healthy ingredient has been robbed of its value and everything else has been linked to countless health issues, just like...
High Fructose Corn Syrup is connected to
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Cancer
.. and contains absolutely no nutritional worth. It just makes food sweet, so people eat more.
Is MSG really bad for you?
When you do a quick search on MSG, you will find lots of articles stating that it has a bad reputation but it isn't really that bad for you. Then you'll stumble into this from Michael Galitzer...
“It’s probably one of the most harmful substances that one can eat.”
I truthfully think that there's a bit of a conspiracy here, trying to avoid the majority of people from obtaining the truth about MSG. So that we carry on eating products that are packed with it.
MSG may cause 'Leaky Gut' which certainly sounds revolting and is linked to...
- Bloating
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Stomach pain
I have to admit, on several occasions I've had all those, specifically after eating a greasy Chinese takeaway.
Healthy Tomato Ketchup alternatives
Anyway, let's get back to ketchup. We adore it. We would like to keep eating it. But we don't want 'Leaky Gut'.
The best substitute for shop purchased ketchup is to make your own.
In case you fancy giving that a try, then you'll enjoy this video from "Cooking With Plants"
In case you just don't have time for that, there are some shop-bought ketchups that are a healthier option.
Way back in 2010 ConAgra eliminated the HFCS from their tomato ketchup (Hunt's Ketchup) but sadly they put it back in a couple of years later. Why? Honestly, I feel that they were seeking to cash-in on many peoples growing awareness of the dangers associated with HFCS and hoping that their more healthy option would earn them a increased share of the market.
I don't for a single minute think that they did it out of genuine concern the public's health.
Obviously, it didn't work, because they added it back in again. But men and women are constantly getting more health mindful, so maybe they are going to give it one more go when they consider that the public will prefer to buy it. It's certainly worth picking up the bottle and going through the ingredients every now and then.
One more option, but not a tasty one, is to switch out your reglular ketchup with tomato puree. In recipes this will work perfectly, but as a sauce it's really not the same. Tomato puree is not as sweet and has an extremely strong flavour. But it's worth a try, add some sweetener (such as Stevia) and see what you come up with. I'm pretty certain that anything you do will be a lot healthier than any kind of shop-bought ketchup!
Simply don't boil all of the nutrients away, fill it with HFCS and lace it with 'gut-leaking' MSG! Aside of that, go crazy... possibly even adding a touch of (deadly) sugar will still create a much healthier ketchup than the one you're likely using now.
Tomato puree (mixed along with a sweetener) is a good option to making your own ketchup since it lasts a great deal longer than fresh tomatoes, occupies much less room in your fridge and its easy to rustle up in a few seconds when needed. Try it, and let me know how it tastes.