Pasta with red sauce is a staple meal in so many households. It’s easy to make, it fills you up, and everyone loves it. But for those that don’t have the time or know-how to make their own pasta sauces, the aisle in the grocery store offers too many options, each calling out their own claim: “Heart Smart,” “Low-Sodium,” “Extra-Virgin Olive Oil,” “No Sugar Added,” “Two servings of Veggies” and more. So with each bottle crying out for you to purchase it, which one is really the healthiest?
First things first, you should always read the nutrition facts, and most importantly, note the serving size indicated. A typical serving of red sauce is listed at ½ cup, while a serving of white sauce is only ¼ cup, and a serving of pesto can be seen as low as 2 tablespoons. That’s barely enough to moisten a small serving of pasta.
When considering sauces, you should always note the sodium content. Since an increase in salt will raise your blood pressure, you should stick with sauces that have 300mg or less of sodium. Also, keep an eye on the saturated fat content in pink and white sauces. Some cream sauces can contain up to 26 grams of saturated fat (over a day’s worth) and are best to be avoided all together.
Don’t worry about claims regarding veggie content, or extra-virgin olive oil. Everyone knows that red sauce is made out of tomatoes, so eating the ½ cup of sauce fulfills the two servings of veggies alone. While some sauce brands do add in carrot juice, or other concentrates, it’s best not to rely on sauces to provide your daily intake of vegetables. And there’s so little olive oil in tomato sauce that neither your taste buds nor your body will know the difference. Same holds try for “no sugar added” claims. When sugar is added, it’s usually less than 4 grams (about one teaspoon). It’s a much better idea to keep your eye on the salt content than worry about small amounts of added sugar.
Check out some of our sample menus here.
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