How strict are you with condiments?
 

So I have been eating pretty clean lately, haven't seen a loss yet, but I'm eating clean and I feel "clean" if that makes sense lol. I just wanted to ask, how clean do you keep your diet in terms on condiments?

I was eating a salad the other day and I wanted to add some salad dressing, and my friend told me it defeats the purpose of a salad, which I understand it can be a lot of unnecessary calories, but the satisfaction from a little salad dressing really keeps me from binging. I was thinking of trying those zero calorie/fat-free ones, but it's feels overly processed/chemical ridden so I feel healthier eating smaller portions of the real stuff. Which is a better option in this case?

I have the same issue with flavored coffee creamers, mayo, sauces for meats (BBQ, sweet and source, Ketchup, soy) :(

I measure mine out now and count the calories. I like a little honey with my salad and was adding what I thought was a tablespoon. Turned out to be twice that.

At your weight, I would not worry too much (nearer goal you may get super sensitive to small changes) but a trick I used to use for salad dressing at my heavier weights was to have a small pot of it and dip things into it with a fork rather than spraying the stuff all over my salad. That really helped me with portion control.

For the other condiments, I would try to drop them. I got rid of mayo quite late on but it does have a lot of fat. Ketchup went early because there is a lot of sugar in that. And coffee creamers add up. I had one today. That's 15 calories. Again, some of this will not matter at your weight since you have some wiggle room. But at 130 it will! For milk, I am now using Flaxseed milk in my coffee (25 calories instead of 90 for non-fat milk). That is how crazy things have become for me.

So start making small changes and see how things go.

Originally Posted by IanG:
I measure mine out now and count the calories. I like a little honey with my salad and was adding what I thought was a tablespoon. Turned out to be twice that.

At your weight, I would not worry too much (nearer goal you may get super sensitive to small changes) but a trick I used to use for salad dressing at my heavier weights was to have a small pot of it and dip things into it with a fork rather than spraying the stuff all over my salad. That really helped me with portion control.

For the other condiments, I would try to drop them. I got rid of mayo quite late on but it does have a lot of fat. Ketchup went early because there is a lot of sugar in that. And coffee creamers add up. I had one today. That's 15 calories. Again, some of this will not matter at your weight since you have some wiggle room. But at 130 it will! For milk, I am now using Flaxseed milk in my coffee (25 calories instead of 90 for non-fat milk). That is how crazy things have become for me.

So start making small changes and see how things go.

Omg :( So you've been pretty proactive in making changes. I just don't know how strict to be, I kind of want to lose weight sooner, and make changes earlier, but then I have this mindset where if I make changes now and lose, to lose more, the more drastic changes have to be. Does that make sense?

I guess I could start taking out one at a time, what's your take on on the low cal/zero cal options?

I count the calories for things that are caloric. I have been using a salad dressing that is 120 calories for 2 tbsps. Other times, I'll directly add olive oil and balsamic to my salad and add the calories.

Originally Posted by hhm6:
Omg :( So you've been pretty proactive in making changes. I just don't know how strict to be, I kind of want to lose weight sooner, and make changes earlier, but then I have this mindset where if I make changes now and lose, to lose more, the more drastic changes have to be. Does that make sense?

I guess I could start taking out one at a time, what's your take on on the low cal/zero cal options?

I agree with Ian but you don't have to make it all at once! You gave your correct answer in your original post ;) if you drop the salad dressing it could sabotage and lead to binges. Just do a full fat/flavor one that you love and that's the healthiest you can find and MEASURE. THAT is the key is measuring. If you cannot stick to a measurement that allows you to continue losing, then by all means, pick a low calorie one but you have to measure that also :)

It doesn't have to be too difficult, just start up with what's costing you the most calories and what you can live with. You can do it! :)

Oh and chunky salsa is a really good low calorie dressing. I make taco salads all the time with it.

I measure my salad dressing. Usually one serving is plenty. I count it to my daily calorie allowance. And yes I use a measuring spoon, it is accurate :)

I don't eat ketchup (sugar), but I use mustard quite a bit.

Again same for mayo as for salad dressing; I take my measuring spoon out. It is my (best) friend.

I use light salad dressing or EVOO, vinegar and Italian spices on the side, dip my fork into the dressing, then into the salad. I try to use mustard rather than mayonnaise; salsa rather than ketchup. It doesn't work for everything as I do not like lite or fat-free mayo, and do not like the taste of plain Greek yogurt as a condiment - - I only like it as a fruit topping.

Originally Posted by nelie:
Oh and chunky salsa is a really good low calorie dressing. I make taco salads all the time with it.

Ditto! I use salsa everywhere (but not in chips ;)). Chicken and salsa makes a great combination.

i weigh everything with a kitchen scale, when i am actively restricting calories.

i like the full fat version of salad dressings because "lite" ones taste strange to me and the sugar free/fat free kind tastes like a science experiment ...ugh...i'd rather measure out the calories and count it than eat something i despise

otherwise i don't really use condiments...i dont like mayo, ketchup, mustard, salsa etc...if i use it, it's a very little bit because i just don't like it...i do use bbq sauce on meat and i will measure that out and count it

but for me, weight loss depends more on lowering my carbs and sugars, watching my overall calories and exercising than whether i added 1 or 3 tablespoons of ketchup....

I measure out salad dressings and vegenaise and olive oil. I generally use full fat dressings, or use straight evoo and vinegar (mmm balsamic vinegar!). But ketchup I just eyeball and don't go crazy with. Mustard, horseradish, vinegar, salsa, sriracha and pretty much everything else I use however much I want.

I won't cut out dressings because it makes salad delicious and 2 TBS shaken with a giant salad is well worth it in my opinion. I've tried using other things (squeeze of lemon, etc.), but they just don't do it for me.

Like you, a GOOD salad is emotionally satisfying to me, and keeps my thoughts from straying to much, much worse options. Same with roasted veggies -- a big pan of roasted veggies tossed in evoo (and garlic salt!)-- sooooo good and satisfying. And a little evoo goes a long ways anyway. Well worth the calories.

Edited to add: I also add almond milk to my coffee. It's these little touches that still bring fun to my food. But it is different for everyone, I'm sure. You'll have to find what you are willing to give up and what you aren't. :)

I don't think there is anything "unclean" about home made salad dressing. I wouldn't use bottled dressing. I've tried and its rubbish.

I use 1tsp of extra virgin olive oil and 1tsp or a splash of either red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of a lime. And i don't feel in the list bit compromised about it.

Of course i consider the calories.

I think if you food tastes like grass you will soon stop eating it. Food should taste good but not so strong as to make you unable to stop eating it.

All other condiments i use too. I use tomato sauce, even mayonnaise sometimes, butter on my sandwiches, any of the asian things that are necessary to make the food taste proper.

Sometimes i would forgo butter, mayonnaise and the like but when you are starting out on a diet there is absolutely no need. Even as you get down to a low weight if you are eating in a balanced way you should be able to keep eating it.

The idea of poached skinless chicken breasts, steamed broccoli and carrots is anathema to me.

Real food only
 

Hi gals: I am strict about condiments because there are a ton of sugars in most of those and the fat free/calorie wise fake-food ones are the worst. That sets you up for cravings as the sugar gets more insulin released into your body. So presently NO ketchup, BBQ sauce, etc. BUT I do love hot sauce (Frank's with Lime, Tabasco, Cholula, Sriracha, TexasPete's, Dave's Insanity - all in my fridge door right now) and mustards of all kinds grainy, german, dijon, etc - just not honey mustard.
I also use Bragg's real Apple Cider vinegar, rice vinegar, tarragon vinegar, and mix those with quality EVOO in multiple flavours on my salads like Citrus & Habanero, Portobello & Garlic, Sundried Tomato & Parmesan. You can google Sapori Oils in Armstrong, BC and they can ship them to you. Not cheap at all but worth it for real food and EVOO is good for you in moderation. I also use Bragg's Aminos for a soy sauce substitute as I am gluten free. My toughie right now is Thai peanut sauce... What I wouldn't do for some of that :devil: but a bit will be added in once I am at maintenance weight. Not gonna overdo it tho.

I have tried to eat as clean as possible. Check out some clean blogs like graciouspantry.com. She has recipes for clean dressings, marinades and even ketchup. I do buy a fresh yogurt dressing sold at my farm market but most of time make my own. The sodium and the sugars are the culprits so you are better off making it yourself.

Originally Posted by hhm6:
I was thinking of trying those zero calorie/fat-free ones, but it's feels overly processed/chemical ridden so I feel healthier eating smaller portions of the real stuff. Which is a better option in this case?(

My vote goes to the natural stuff. I make my own salad dressing (a blend of olive and sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, soda water, garlic, honey, salt, ground pepper) and it's so yummy that I don't want to use anything else. I'd rather have the extra calories and a satisfying taste experience than use the tasteless stuff and feel cheated. YMMV.

F.

It depends on the condiment. I don't think you're defeating the purpose of a salad with dressing - I eat salads because they're delicious, and my toppings are part of it. I'm not eating them to avoid eating better or tastier food - it IS the better, tastier food :lol:

Low calorie, low sugar condiments (mustard, vinegar, sauerkraut, coffee syrups, etc) I don't measure overly strictly, just eyeball. Things like oil, heavy cream, or mayo I do measure out because I'm at the point in my weight management where those calories add up fast if I'm not careful, and it's a simple mindfulness practice. But even then I'm not obsessive about it. Unless the scale is going up when I'm maintaining or I'm stalled when trying to lose, I don't obsess about sauces and condiments without a good, physical reason to do so.

Originally Posted by nelie:
Oh and chunky salsa is a really good low calorie dressing. I make taco salads all the time with it.

I'd never even thought of that! I am not fat phobic so I might add some sour cream, but salsa on a salad sounds scrumptious!

From another forum I heard of yogurt dressing, I find I like them, I've tried a variety of Bolthouse farms and like them, they're mostly 45 calories for 2 tbsps, which I do measure and count. DH brought home some Wegman's southwest yogurt dressing 90 cals, which I like. I also like Newman's Italian which I have been religiously measuring and counting, a friend of mine says she's gone to straight up vinegar, which is a little tart for me, but I have recently switched 1 tbsp of Newman's for a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and have been enjoying that.

I don't like the taste of nearly all "lite" dressings and feel like the veggies justify the dressing, rather than the dressing negating the salad. I find I just wouldn't eat the salad if I didn't like the dressing. Find what works for you and do that, it's good to listen to people"s suggestions, but you need to do what works for you, not anyone else.

Best of luck to you :sunny:

P.s. I measure out my mayo, too, also regular, I even use tartar sauce (measured of course) on occasion, I don't want to give up anything permanently, that's me :D

Salsa is great on a salad, especially with Bolthouse farms salsa ranch dressing and a small pouch of salmon.

Originally Posted by Arctic Mama:
I'd never even thought of that! I am not fat phobic so I might add some sour cream, but salsa on a salad sounds scrumptious!

I add avocado :)

I'm not that strict but then again I don't use a lot of condiments save for the occasional mayo or mashed avocados on my sandwiches or wraps and I eyeball it for the most part. If I used condiments often, I might be a bit more strict, though.

I love using cottage cheese as a salad dressing, mix in 1/2 oz blue cheese crumbles in about 1/4 cup of cottage cheese and a bit of roasted garlic powder, soooo good especially with some hot sauce! If I have it on hand, sometimes I mix in a bit of powdered ranch dressing (have homemade recipes online if you wanna make your own) in cottage cheese, yum! Lots of protein and it's cheap too.

Another one of my fave dressing (this makes about a cup)- a packet of zesty Italian dressing or homemade (many recipes online tells you how, pretty easy), follow instructions for less oil but I use way less like 1-2 tbsp, more red wine vinegar, water and a bit of Splenda since I like sweet Italian dressing. I don't make this often since the vinegar in the dressing sometimes irritates my GERD. :(

I count condiments but how precise I am varies. I make my own salad dressing, and I use measuring spoons for that. If I were to buy some mayo, I would measure that too, but I just don't buy it. Things like mustard or sriracha or chili flakes I record but I just eyeball the amount and try to err on the side of overestimating. Like this morning I said I had a teaspoon of sriracha in my grits, but it looked like less really. Mostly this lets me feel virtuous without eating into my calorie budget very much.

Oh! Also, I make taco salads all the time, and I mix salsa and Greek yogurt for the dressing. Amazing.

Wow, thanks for the replies!

I haven't gotten to the point where I can use vinegar/oil into my salads, it just feels like it doesn't have enough substance if that makes sense? I love french dressing but I know it's so bad for me. I might look into the greek yogurt, that sounds like something up my alley for sure and salsa! Or maybe mix them both?!

Does anyone get heartburn from tomato-y sauces? I've been using prego on my meats lately and I'm constantly getting heartburn, sad because I love anything tomato :( I've had weird reactions for many things lately (citrus makes my throat itch like crazy lately, when I eat avocado I swear my tongue gets bigger or something awful feeling) I think greek yogurt and seasoning might work though!!

I agree with the low cal stuff, it tastes awful 95% time when I try it! Luckily I've picked up couponing so it's not a huge waste of $ now. (Aside note-so many more coupons for junk food than healthy food!)

Anyway, how do you guys eat balsamic vinegar?! Is it an acquired taste? I have a bottle of it and it's SO tart, I can't imagine eating it on a salad.

What do you think the difference is between oil and vinegar and french salad dressing? I think you'll find if you look into it that bottled salad dressing has less substance than home made vinaigrette which is french.

Perhaps its sugar you like in your salad dressing. No french dressing is not bad for you.

Have a look on the contents of greek yoghurt and make sure it dones't have added cream. Look for whole milk yoghurt. It certainly goes well on veggies. And if you ad garlic to it, even better.

the indians make a yoghurt salad called raita they have on the side of their curries. It takes the burn out of the heat. It usually contains a bit of cucumber or tomato (which i don't particularly like in my yoghurt) or capsicum. And they don't use much. Maybe a couple of tbsps.


I suggest if you don't know what goes in it, don't buy it. And if you can read the labels, do so. If its got added fat or sugar, maybe avoid it.

Balsamic vinegar is sweeter than most wine vinegars. It shouldn't be tart but it is very strong. You don't need much. If you mix your dressing use half and half of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar it should be yummy. As far as i'm concerned extra virgin olive oil is the only oil to use on a salad, although they may be rare exceptions.

Olive oil is considered to actually be good for you. It is a mono saturated fat and if you buy cold pressed, that means its not been put through any chemical procedures to extra the oil. It is literally cold pressed from olives.

I either use balsamic or red wine in most recipes. I like them both.

Sounds like you are getting some sort of allergic reactions to all this stuff. Check out intolerance to the thing in potatoes tomatoes and eggplant. I can't remember what its called but its in lots of fruit and veg and many people are intolerant to it. Its not life long but you do have to do an elimination diet and then only gradually reintroduce those things back into after your body has recovered. Here in Australia we have a clinic that helps with it. You should consult a specialist if you think that's whats going on.

Also heartburn is acid reflux isn't it? Some people have damaged the valve at the top of their stomachs from overeating or from another reason. Anyway if this is your problem, you are getting acid reflux and its not good for you so give up the foods that cause it. Apparently if you go for a long time with reflux some people can get oesophageal cancer from it. You can have a laparoscopic surgery for it but i am not sure its a great idea either. My mother had it and she said that now she has trouble with the food going down, although my mother is a bit mad and there may be an other explanation for her difficulty.

Back to the salad dressing, it would only be bad for you if you make your salad swim in it. Just use a couple of teaspoons of the real stuff and that should be sufficient really. good ingredients have plenty of flavour and you do not need to drown your salad.

Also i add 5 walnut halves to my salad which is very strong flavoured, high fat but super delicious and healthy. You have to be able to not give in an pig out on the nuts though.

Also try other seeds like sesame, sunflower etc. But be sparing. they have plenty of flavour so you don't need much. 1 tsp full is enough.

Secret swan the amount of calories in chilli flakes is so negligible it shouldn't need to be counted. Unless its got additives like salt and sugar in it as well. But if its chilli, its got nothing in it.

Mashed avocado is not a condiment. Its a high fat fruit. Its delicious and good for you but you need to be judicious if you are using it.

cottage cheese is not a condiment either. Its also cheese so watch out for the fat content. so is yoghurt not a condiment.

condiments are usually low in nutritional value and only small amounts are needed. Some of course could be high sugar but since you use so little, it shouldn't matter how often you use it. For most people. People who like a cup of tomato sauce, well they should count every darn calorie.

I think lite dressings are mostly consisting of water. They are a waste of money as far as i'm concerned, as is lite olive oil. I mean why would you water down olive oil, the most fantastic oil in the world. Its not watered down actually, its just got less flavour Its about the third or fourth pressing.

Oh actually when I meant has more substance I meant thicker, more satisfying than oils/vinegar which tend to be thin and runny. I tend to like the fattier, unhealthy dressings (french, ranch, thousand islands) so I think sooner or later I will have to limit how much I'm consuming them. And yes, it's def the sugar in french that I like!

Yeah I went to my see my doc about the weird reactions and he told me it was most likely allergies to foods that I'm consuming more of now and suggested I take an allergy pill when they arise, but I'm think I'd rather ditch them for now and slowly introduce them, or do a cleanse like you mentioned. I hate taking pills if I can avoid them.

Oh and yes I meant acid reflux!! That's the word I was looking for and I couldn't remember. My salads on their own are pretty healthy I think, I add spinach, mushrooms, tomato, Persian cucumbers, olives, sometimes shredded carrots but I'm not much of a carrot fan, problem is I can eat salad all day (with dressing) so calories add up quickly that way.

Hhm6, if you're experiencing what you think is mild allergic reactions to some foods, you should cut them out of your diet. I'm surprised your doctor said to take an allergy medication instead! The thing about serious allergies is that they can go from being mild to suddenly life threatening. Not something to mess with.

As for condiments, I use them but choose wisely, measure how much I use, and take the calories/fat into consideration. Condiments that are high in sugar (ketchup, barbecue sauce, some dressings) I stay away from completely because I'm trying to avoid sugar, but I put mayo in my tuna and in deviled eggs and ranch dressing (or other dressings) on my salads.

Here are a couple of salad dressings I enjoy. One has a southwestern flair. You just put about 1/2 C salsa (no sugar added), 1/4 or 1/3 C plain greek yogurt, about a tablespoon of lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin in a food processor, or you could just stir it up in a small bowl. You can tinker with the proportions and add a little salt if you'd like. Another one I enjoy is even easier, you just make up your salad, then use a garlic press to press a clove of garlic over the salad, drizzle on a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice, sprinkle on a tiny bit of salt and pepper, and toss the salad. Yum!

Did you know that your body has a very difficult time absorbing the nutrients from vegetables unless it is served with fat? So if you have a salad with zero-calorie dressing (whatever that is, bleh!), you won't be receiving those nutrients. Better to have some good healthy fats with that, like olive oil. You'll enjoy your salad more, you'll get the nutrients you need and you'll probably stick to eating more salads in the long term. People can't live on diet food forever, not people like me anyway - if I don't enjoy my food I'm definitely going to binge. I try to be careful with how much oil I put in because I don't like my salad over dressed but I NEVER omit healthy fats. I'm not concerned about fats anyway.

You've gotten good ideas about dressings here. I like to mix olive oil with vinegar, and I have several types of vinegar on hand to switch things up. I also like to crush an anchovy into my dressing - it doesn't make it taste fishy, just adds flavor and saltiness :) I put honey and mustard in my dressings too, why not? Honey is good stuff! Sometimes if I'm having a spinach salad I like to mix in a half tbsp of strawberry jam into my vinegraitte yum!

Ketchup - it's sickly sweet for me, I can't handle that much sweetness, and I can't handle BBQ sauces either for the same reason. As a dip I like to make tzatziki.

For flavored coffees, is there something you can add to the coffee grounds themselves? Sometimes I put real cinnamon in my grounds and it gives a nice aroma to the coffee. I wouldn't use the flavored syrupy creamers personally but only because they've got sugar or fake sugar in them.

Originally Posted by Arctic Mama:
It depends on the condiment. I don't think you're defeating the purpose of a salad with dressing - I eat salads because they're delicious, and my toppings are part of it. I'm not eating them to avoid eating better or tastier food - it IS the better, tastier food :lol:

Low calorie, low sugar condiments (mustard, vinegar, sauerkraut, coffee syrups, etc) I don't measure overly strictly, just eyeball. Things like oil, heavy cream, or mayo I do measure out because I'm at the point in my weight management where those calories add up fast if I'm not careful, and it's a simple mindfulness practice. But even then I'm not obsessive about it. Unless the scale is going up when I'm maintaining or I'm stalled when trying to lose, I don't obsess about sauces and condiments without a good, physical reason to do so.

Ditto - I never measure mustard or hot sauce, but I do measure dressing, mayo, etc.

hhm6 I also have reflux, mine due to a hiatal hernia.
My gastoenterologist advised me to stay away from "COOKED TOMATOES"
he said uncooked was fine.

Originally Posted by Pattience:
Mashed avocado is not a condiment. Its a high fat fruit. Its delicious and good for you but you need to be judicious if you are using it.

cottage cheese is not a condiment either. Its also cheese so watch out for the fat content. so is yoghurt not a condiment.

condiments are usually low in nutritional value and only small amounts are needed. Some of course could be high sugar but since you use so little, it shouldn't matter how often you use it. For most people. People who like a cup of tomato sauce, well they should count every darn calorie.

That is your opinion that avocados are not a condiment. Guess what? We can actually change anything to be a condiment if we'd like as long it is used to enchance or add substance to your food as per online definition. Mashed avocado has more or less the same nutritonal value as mayonnaise and yet it's not a condiment? Please. Also, it does not matter the calories, fat, etc it to be a condiment, it can be either high/low calorie and/or fat. Who are you to say otherwise, really?

Lastly, where did I ever say cottage cheese was a condiment? I was giving ideas for salad dressings.

I think you need to tone down the opinionated-ness of your posts. It's coming off as you're all wrong and I'm right. Not cool.

Originally Posted by amandie:
[/B]Mashed avocado has more or less the same nutritonal value as mayonnaise and yet it's not a condiment?

Actually, avocado has less calories and fat than mayonnaise per serving, and it is loaded with nutrients. So its nutritional value by far exceeds mayonnaise :carrot:

Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny:
Actually, avocado has less calories and fat than mayonnaise per serving, and it is loaded with nutrients. So its nutritional value by far exceeds mayonnaise :carrot:

Even better! :)

I eat a few avocados per week. They are sooo good for you. It really jazzes up my salads and wraps.

Originally Posted by jillybean2014:
I have tried to eat as clean as possible. Check out some clean blogs like graciouspantry.com. She has recipes for clean dressings, marinades and even ketchup.

I can't seem to find graciouspantry.com... Google Chrome says no such animal :(
Is the address correct?? It sounds interesting and I'd like a look.
Liana

Originally Posted by :
but the satisfaction from a little salad dressing really keeps me from binging. I was thinking of trying those zero calorie/fat-free ones, but it's feels overly processed/chemical ridden so I feel healthier eating smaller portions of the real stuff.

Personally I’d only agree with friend if you were one of those people who pour on GLOBS of high-calorie sauces. Doesn't sound like it to me! Maybe its because I don’t place too much importance in my sauces, but as long as they taste decent, I just use the low-cal ones and mix them in with the higher cal ones, so I don’t have to rely on larger quantities of the higher cal sauces. Situations like replacing a whole meal with some bran crackers and 0 cal sauces would be upsetting for me, while others might feel differently about their sauces. I do think that its an individual thing, but maybe just mixing up high and low cal sauces might be a good idea.

Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny:
Actually, avocado has less calories and fat than mayonnaise per serving, and it is loaded with nutrients. So its nutritional value by far exceeds mayonnaise :carrot:

Yeah, but the problem is I can eat a whole avocado in one sitting easy, while I don't even like mayo thinly spread on a sandwich. :o To me avocado is actually a food, one I could eat spoons of, while condiments - not so much.
Liana