Often it isn't the food which we eat that is ruining our diet, it's the stuff we slather over the food. Today we'll be looking at probably the guiltiest condiment culprits... ketchup!

I really like tomato ketchup, I use it everythingthat I eat. So this particular one hits home for me.
Tomatoes are nutritious, right?
Ketchup is primarily produced using tomatoes. Therefore you should believe that it's not that bad for your health. All of us realize that it's also packed with sugar, but tomatoes are lovely wholesome veggies, correct? So at the very least you're receiving the nutrition from those...
Well not when they've been boiled to death!
Ketchup is basically made using very over cooked tomatoes that have lost all of their natural value, some water and plenty of sugar.
The sugar in ketchup is worth a closer inspection. Because, although this starts as sugar (which is already unhealthy) before it's added to the bottle it's refined into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is a lot worse!
As well as this, it's crammed with flavourings, like MSG, that make us want it more.
So , ketchup is bad. It's only nutritious ingredient has lost its value and all of the additional stuff has been linked to countless health issues, for example...
HFCS is connected to
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Cancer
.. and contains absolutely no nutritional value whatsoever. It just makes things sweet, so people eat more.
Is MSG really bad for you?
If you do a quick search for MSG, you will discover a great deal of articles saying that it has a negative reputation but it isn't really that bad for your health. Then you'll stumble in to this from Michael Galitzer...
“It’s probably one of the most harmful substances that one can eat.”
I honestly feel that there's a bit of a conspiracy going on, seeking to prevent the majority of people from obtaining the truth about MSG. So that we carry on eating products that are packed with it.
MSG could cause 'Leaky Gut' which certainly sounds disgusting and is connected with...
- Bloating
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
I have to admit, on several occasions I have had all those, especially after scoffing a greasy Chinese takeaway.
Healthier Tomato Ketchup alternatives
Anyway, let's get back to ketchup. We love it. We would like to keep consuming it. But we don't really want 'Leaky Gut'.
The greatest substitute for shop bought ketchup is to make your own.
If you fancy giving that a try, then watch this video from "Cooking With Plants"
In case you just don't have time for that, a few shop-bought ketchups which are a much healthier option.
Back in 2010 ConAgra removed the HFCS from their tomato ketchup (Hunt's Ketchup) but unfortunately they added it back in a few years later. Why? Well, I believe that they were wanting to cash in on peoples growing awareness of the dangers of HFCS and hoping that their much healthier option would earn them a higher share of the market.
I don't for one second believe that they made the decision out of concern for our health.
Obviously, it didn't work, because they put it back in. But men and women are constantly getting more health mindful, so maybe they are going to give it an additional go when they decide that the general public is ready for it. It's certainly worth picking up the bottle and checking the ingredients every so often.
An additional option, but not really a tasty one, is to switch out your reglular ketchup with tomato puree. Within recipes this works perfectly, but as a sauce it's really not the same. Tomato puree isn't as sweet and has a very strong flavor. But give it a try, add some sweetener and see what you come up with. I'm pretty sure that anything you do will be a lot healthier than any branded ketchup!
Just don't boil all of the nutrition away, fill it with HFCS and lace it with 'gut-leaking' MSG! Aside of that, go crazy... even adding a sprinkling of (deadly) sugar will still create a far healthier ketchup than the one you're most likely using now.
Tomato puree (mixed with a sweetener) is a good alternative to making your own ketchup because it lasts a lot longer than fresh tomatoes, takes up less room inside your refrigerator and its easy to rustle up in a couple of seconds when required. Try it, and let me know how you get on.







