Condiments can be a great addition to any food. They add flavor, they can sauce things up a bit, and they can even be the main attraction of your meal. However, they can also add an excess of sugar, sodium, and calories to your food if you aren’t careful (and let’s face it, hot dogs already come with their fair share of health risks) In fact, if you’re trying to lose weight, experts recommend steering clear of a few belly fat-forming sauces in particular.
To learn more about a few of the worst condiments you should cut out if you want to avoid abdominal fat, we spoke to nutritionist Lisa Richards and dietitian Trista Best. They told us that barbecue sauce and ketchup are two popular but detrimental choices. Read on for all of their expert insight.
1. Barbecue sauce
You can find a way to work barbecue sauce into just about any meal. It can be a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and all-around delicious—but unfortunately, it's also generally loaded with sugar. You likely already know that eating too much sugar could lead to a range of health risks, but did you know that barbecue sauce is one of the most sugary condiments out there?
"Barbecue sauce is a condiment that could contribute to abdominal weight gain primarily due to its high sugar and calorie content," Richards warns. "Many commercial barbecue sauces are loaded with added sugars, often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners. These added sugars can significantly increase the overall calorie content of the sauce, making it easy to consume excess calories unknowingly." Yikes!
"When you consume excess calories, especially those from added sugars, your body is more likely to store them as fat, and abdominal fat storage can be particularly problematic for health," she explains. "Research has linked excess abdominal fat to an increased risk of various health issues, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease."
She goes on to say that "sugary sauces like barbecue sauce can also lead to overconsumption of calorie-dense foods like grilled meats and processed foods, which are often coated generously in these sauces."
So, is there a way to enjoy some BBQ sauce without putting your waistline at risk? Richards offers some advice: "To avoid abdominal weight gain, it's important to be mindful of portion sizes and opt for barbecue sauces with lower sugar content or consider making your own with healthier, natural sweeteners in moderation." Got it!
2. Ketchup with added sugar
Speaking of sugar, ketchup is also another major offender when it comes to condiments that are loaded with the sweet stuff. For this reason, Best lists it as one of the worst condiments for abdominal fat.
"While manufacturers have started providing ketchup varieties without added sugar, most consumers continue to turn to *traditional* ketchup out of preference and habit," she notes. "Most brands of ketchup provide 4 grams of added sugar in just one tablespoon of their product." When you consider how much ketchup you're actually likely to use in a meal (probably multiple tablespoons!) that can really add up.
"Too much added sugar in the diet will increase the amount of calories consumed and simultaneously increase one's risk for chronic disease," Best warns. "Gut health can begin to take a toll as well as a diet high in sugar promotes gut dysbiosis and imbalance of gut bacteria." Say it ain't so!
However, there are healthy ketchup options out there. "Considering there are alternatives to traditional ketchup, it's ideal to opt for those instead," Best concludes.
