It's not necessarily the food which we consume that is the problem, it's the stuff we put on the food. Today we'll be taking a look at probably the biggest condiment culprits... tomato ketchup!
I enjoy tomato ketchup, I use it almost everythingthat I eat. So this particular one pushes a few personal buttons for me.
Tomatoes are nutritious, correct?
Ketchup is mainly made from tomatoes. Therefore you might think that it's not too bad for you. All of us recognize that it's also packed with sugar, but tomatoes are veggies, correct? So at least you're going to be getting the nourishment from those...
Unfortunately not when they've been boiled to death!
Ketchup is essentially made from very over cooked tomatoes that have shed all their nutritional worth, some water and a LOT of sugar.
The sugar that is added to ketchup is worth a closer inspection. Because, although it starts out as sugar (which is already pretty bad) before being added to the bottle it's refined into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is a lot more damaging to your health!
On top of this, it's crammed with flavourings, such as MSG, that make us want to use more.
Therefore , ketchup is not good. It's only decent ingredient has lost its value and all of the additional stuff has been linked to countless health problems, for example...
HFCS is linked to
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Cancer
.. and it has absolutely no nutritional benefit. All it does is make stuff sweet, so you eat more.
Is MSG really bad for you?
When you do a little research for MSG, you can find plenty of articles stating that it has a negative reputation but it isn't really that bad for you. Then you'll stumble upon this little insight from Michael Galitzer...
“It’s probably one of the most harmful substances that one can eat.”
I truthfully believe that there's a bit of a conspiracy going on, seeking to prevent most folk from finding the truth about MSG. So that we keep eating products that are packed with it.
MSG may lead to 'Leaky Gut' which certainly sounds revolting and is connected to...
- Bloatedness
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
I have got to admit, on several occasions I've had all of those, especially after indulging in a greasy takeaway.
Healthy Tomato Ketchup alternatives
Anyway, back to ketchup. We adore it. We would like to keep consuming it. But we don't want 'Leaky Gut'.
The greatest substitute for shop bought ketchup is to make some in your kitchen.
If you fancy giving that a try, then check out this video from "Cooking With Plants"
If you basically don't have time for that, there are some shop-bought ketchups which are a much healthier option.
In 2010 ConAgra took out the HFCS from their ketchup (Hunt's Ketchup) however they added it back a couple of years later. Why? My guess, I believe that they were seeking to cash in on peoples growing awareness of the dangers of HFCS and hoping that their more healthy option would earn them a more significant share of the ketchup market.
I don't for a single minute believe that they made the decision out of concern people's health.
Obviously, it didn't do the job, simply because they added it back. But men and women are constantly becoming more health conscious, so maybe they'll give it an additional go when they decide that the general public wants it. It's certainly worth picking up the bottle and looking at the ingredients every now and then.
One more option, but not a very tasty one, is to switch out your reglular ketchup with tomato puree. In recipes this will work perfectly, but like a condiment it's a bit strong. Tomato puree is not as sweet and has an extremely powerful flavor. But it's worth giving it a try, add some sweetener (such as Stevia) and it'll be much more agreeable. I'm pretty sure that anything you do will be a great deal healthier than any shop-bought ketchup!
Simply don't boil all of the nutrition away, stuff it with HFCS and lace it with 'gut-leaking' MSG! Aside of that, experiment... even adding a sprinkling of 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 alternative to making your own ketchup since it lasts a great deal longer than fresh tomatoes, takes up much less room in your fridge and its simple to rustle up in a few seconds as needed. Try it, and let me know how it tastes.