Enjoying our favorite dishes (in a healthy way) is one of those pleasures that make the best moments of our life.
And of course, to become so, spices are the secret! But, do condiments make you fat?
If we take care of our health and weight, our food choices will be a little bit limited.
Nowadays, we can find healthy options for our favorite meals in restaurants and supermarkets, which is great, right?
The problem with them is that they usually use seasonings and spreads to enhance their flavor or make them more appealing for our palate.
In that case, maybe you’re wondering if condiments make you fat or if seasonings affect your weight loss process.
Please don’t freak out about that!
Removing all kinds of condiments from your meals won’t help you.
Because everything we eat has a caloric contribution, and that includes condiments.
It doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate any seasoning from your life because they are essential for our meals’ flavor.
Here we will solve all your dilemmas about it, stay with us and you will find answers to your questions!
What are condiments, and where can we find them?
Before removing all your salads’ dressings, it is necessary to know what they are to understand more about them and their body’s impact.
Condiments are complements that help us add or enhance (depending on what we are cooking) flavor and smell to our dishes.
A more informal way to describe what we are saying is that everything you add during or after the preparation of our meals is a condiment.
And yes, even the salt that we all know and commonly use in our cuisine is one of them.
Condiments come in different presentations like liquid, semi-liquid, powder, etc. And packed simply – like sugar, salt, pepper salt, garlic salt, and more -.
Or combined with more than two species, herbs, and sauces.
Their use will depend on personal, social, and cultural factors.
Although, we all have different tastes and every kitchen is a unique world, there are a few condiments that people usually use: ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, soy sauce, salt, sugar, pepper, and salsa.
First, a bit of flavoring history!
The presence of seasonings and sauces in the kitchen is not something reserved for the modern era.
It has been used at least from the 16th century until today, and they were not products that anyone would use.
At that time, the royal cooks and people of good social position were the ones who could use them.
Back then, the seasonings helped preserve the meat and fish for a more extended period.
And currently, thanks to technological advances, the condiments can also come enriched with vitamins and minerals that complement the daily diet.
Do condiments make you fat?
Answering the big question about whether condiments can make you fat, let us tell you that they can!
Like any other food, they provide our body with a caloric intake.
That also means that the more ingredients contained in the seasoning, the more calories you will be eating.
And it would help if you don’t often use low-fat products or light versions of our preferred condiments.
Because according to nutritional researchers, this type of seasonings provides a false confidence sense that makes us eat them more than we really should be.
There are healthy and unhealthy condiments for our bodies. It all depends on the caloric quantity that they add to our food.
Condiments that share specific characteristics have been proven as possible causes of weight gain when added to our daily diet.
So, it’s necessary to pay attention to what we are eating!
Our body’s balance is fundamental if we want to live a pleasant and long life.
That is why we must focus on the condiments quantity we consume daily and their quality.
So, we will know if they help our organism or if they are making us gain weight.
condiments and weight gain
According to the calorie amount, the most recommendable thing to do is to distribute correctly the condiments we use in our meals.
In that way, we will maintain our organism in optimal conditions; without affecting our healthy lifestyle.
There are many healthy choices in condiments that can help control the calories you put into your body each day.
A good option is aromatic herbs that enhance food flavor and are zero caloric; finally, condiments that won’t make you fat!
They do not add calories when used in our daily cooking.
You can use herbs such as rosemary, thyme, dill, basil, others as a substitute for high-sodium condiments, which promote liquid retention in the body.
Seasonings such as vinegar, mustard, Greek yogurt, or garlic can be healthy options and represent a minimum caloric amount within our daily diet.
But be careful! Excess in consumption can be harmful or saturate our dishes compound, changing their flavor completely.
That is why, although healthy, we must also watch their consumption.
You can also watch the video below on the top low calorie sauces to add flavor to your meals.
How To Control Your Condiments Calories?
Like any food that comes from a factory, processed condiments are the worst enemies of your health!
They can dramatically decrease your metabolism, make you gain weight, and damage your body in very extreme overuse cases.
Now, what should you do? Well, little changes make the difference; we recommend you to follow the next tips:
- Start preparing your condiments without chemical additives.
- Choose healthy options to complement your meals, focusing on the ones that will provide the necessary nutrients to your body.
- If you want to eat outside, always order your dressings separately from your food, so you can control the amount you eat.
- Do not use double condiment portions! If you have already seasoned your meals, do not add more sauces or creams. It doesn’t matter how delicious they are; you would be summing twice calories without realizing it. That is not healthy at all!
As long as you prepare your seasonings naturally and control the amount you eat, you will be able to lead a healthy life and enjoy your dishes simultaneously without caring if condiments make you fat anymore!
If you want step-by-step dieting plan that will help you lose weight and keep it off in the long run check out this program here.
I much prefer healthier seasonings. I typically use scallions, garlic, onions, habanero peppers, all spice, black pepper, curry powder. I love these and they don’t add any negative effects to my body!
Perfect! Thanks for sharing 🙂