Every homeowner and food lover knows that a well-equipped pantry is the key to whipping up the best meals. Whether your condiments gravitate toward sauces, spices, or everything in between, all these will surely spruce up your dishes. These ingredients can elevate your cooking, add texture or color, and enhance the flavors present in your meals.
Likewise, condiments can also be used after cooking to complement the food that you’ve prepared or simply make it more presentable. For instance, fancy mustards can boost the flavor of your meals. You can also use salt either during or after you’ve cooked the food, and herbs are great as garnishes and to be chopped into foods, as well.
A Guide to Healthy Condiments
In spite of these wide choices, it’s best to choose condiments that are made from wholesome ingredients. This is to ensure that you aren’t regularly consuming excessive loads of preservatives, added sugars, sodium, and the like. It would be best to do your research, read informative posts, and check the label before putting items into your cart.
If you’re about to head out and buy groceries, pay attention to the following healthy and tasty condiments:
1) Hummus
Hummus’s star ingredient is chickpeas. Alongside this pulse vegetable, hummus is typically made from a combination of tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. These ingredients are readily available and abundant in the market, making it easy to whip up your own hummus at home. However, if you opt to purchase a premade product, you can choose from an array of options such as black garlic, coconut curry, etc.
Chickpeas are famous for their high protein content, antioxidants, minerals, and more. They’re also a great source of dietary fiber, helping you feel full for longer periods, aid in weight loss, and possibly curb sugary cravings. In its entirety, hummus is associated with promising health benefits, such as improving blood sugar and better digestive health, among others.
You can serve it together with your mixed salads or use it as a dip for your air-fried potatoes. Hummus is a tasty, versatile, and easy-to-make condiment that’ll surely be enjoyed by you and your family.
2) Ketchup
This condiment is a pantry staple nearly everyone loves. It’s an all-time favorite relish that can be used to top or serve alongside your fries, burger patties, hotdogs, meatballs, barbecues, etc. This can also be added to make alternative sauces that’ll be great for certain snacks.
However, ketchup typically has sugars and artificial flavors to boost its taste. While this ingredient might not be entirely hostile, too much of it isn’t good for your health, especially if you often use ketchup nearly every meal.
With this, make sure to purchase ketchup made from selected, high-quality tomatoes, preferably organic, and wholesome ingredients. Be wary of labels, and look out for ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup as this harbors a lot of sugar, and truly should be avoided in all foods.
3) Mustard
Mustard is a common condiment made from the seeds of the mustard plant. Both its seeds and leaves are edible, allowing you to savor its tangy taste and have less waste in the kitchen.
Consuming mustard—leaves, paste, or even its seeds—is safe for most individuals, and is even healthy. Nearly all types of mustard contain few calories. Apart from this, mustard is reported to have anti-inflammatory benefits, specifically variants that have loads of turmeric.
Mustard is a versatile ingredient that can be added to snacks and meals. For instance, it can be used as a sandwich and burger spread. It can also be used to supplement acidity in your pasta, brushed on top your choice of meat to achieve a wonderful crust, and as a dressing for your vegetable salads. It’s the go-to condiment for people who want to add just the right amount of spicy kick to any meal.
4) Honey
Honey is a multipurpose kitchen condiment that’s associated with an array of health benefits. As stated by Rachael Link, RD, honey can help facilitate burn and wound recovery and improved heart health. It also contains high amounts of antioxidants. To note, antioxidants help fight free radicals and reduce your risks for heart ailments, strokes, and other similar diseases.
With regards to its uses, honey can be added to glazed fish and certain kinds of meat. For instance, you can put together honey and lime to make a fresh, tangy glaze that’ll enhance the meat’s flavor.
Moreover, honey can bring a savory punch to improve the taste of your vegetables. The next time you’re going to prepare a salad, whisk honey with olive oil and vinegar. Also, mixing it with your tea or coffee is preferable compared to adding tablespoons of sugar.
Nonetheless, while honey is better than refined sugar, take note that consuming too much can result in adverse effects on your health. As with everything, use honey in moderation as it too is a sugar.
Final Thoughts
Adding condiments into your meals is a simple yet effective way to boost its flavors. While your preference for condiments may vary, it would still be best to choose products and alternatives that are healthy. By following the guide above, making minor lifestyle adjustments and condiment choices will become a breeze.
