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If eating at a chain restaurant or fast food stop is on your weekend plans, before you ask for “extra sauces” at the drive-thru, just know that health experts say they could be making your meal so much more unhealthy.
Sure, the Big Mac or french fries you’re putting them on top of aren’t exactly “healthy” either–but these high-in-saturated-fat dips and spreads make the dish *so much* worse. Here’s everything you need to know:
High Saturated Fat Content
If eating better is your goal, either for your waistline or your heart health, experts warn that you should add these sauce packets to your “no-no” list immediately. Why? Because they contain a high amount of fat.
“Most fast-food goers use multiple sauce packets without realizing they are adding saturated fat to their meal, which is likely already high in this heart damaging nutrient,” egistered dietitian Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD of Balance One Supplements tells us.
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So, how bad are they? Take a packet of ranch dressing, Best says, which contains between 150 and 200 calories, 15-20 grams of fat, and *no* fiber or protein.
"Rather than adding an extra ingredient to your meal that will diminish or worsen its health quality it is best to choose a meal that either doesn't need sauce or is just as tasty without it," she advises. Makes sense!
Additionally, health experts warn that these fast food packets include "emulsifiers," such as Xanthan gum and Carrageenan.
"You need to avoid sauces from fast food restaurants as many have emulsifiers in them that can break down your gut mucosal lining leading to gut microbiome disruption and metabolic disease," says celebrity health and wellness expert Joey Thurman, CES CPT FNS of kuudose. Yikes!
