When cooking, it makes sense to add condiments to your meal for a burst of flavor. Unfortunately, you may not realize how the condiments might affect more than just the taste of your meal; they might also add unhealthy ingredients to your food that you would be better off avoiding.
With that in ming, keep reading for the one condiment you should not cook with!
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Ketchup
Ketchup is a popular condiment, but it's not as healthy or harmless as you might think.
Although ketchup is relatively low in calories, the sugar and salt content is what you need to pay attention to. According to the Food Network, ketchup is high in both sugar and salt, which can lead to problems if you're using it regularly.
The article explains, "Per tablespoon, ketchup contains 4 grams of sugar and 190 milligrams of sodium. Although 4 grams of sugar doesn’t seem like a lot, much of it comes from added sugar, as opposed to the natural sugar found in tomatoes."
Plus, according to the Washington Post, 4 grams of sugar is more than the average chocolate chip cookie.
Since many people add more than just one tablespoon of ketchup, the sugar really adds up. Plus, many brands use high fructose corn syrup, which can lead to its own set of problems.
According to Healthline, "Experts now attribute its excessive intake to many serious health issues, including obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome, among others. Avoiding high-fructose corn syrup — and added sugar in general — may be one of the most effective ways to improve your health and lower your risk of disease."
Most ketchup brands also contain a lot of salt
"The same goes for the added salt: consuming 8 tablespoons of ketchup will have you reaching your sodium needs for the entire day," the Food Network explains.
With this in mind, steering clear of ketchup is one way of developing a healthier diet--one that is not too high in salt or sugar. Instead, you could always try to make your own ketchup as a way to control how much salt and sugar you're consuming--check out a highly rated recipe here!
