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Congratulations! You have made it HALFWAY! Do you feel like you have this no sugar thing down at this point? This week you will be adding condiments {dips, sauces, dressings, etc.} to your list along with treats, beverages, and grains. And of course, drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day!

Condiments are a sneaky group. After all, it’s only a spoonful or two at a time. We often focus on the main elements of our meal, not realizing the sprinkle of sauce or seasoning could be adding in unnecessary and unwanted ingredients, including sugar! It is absolutely crucial to read the ingredient list of your dips, dressings, marinades, salsas and sauces.

A common criminal is high fructose corn syrup (and corn syrup). As a society, we have gone from consuming about 20 teaspoons of sugar per person each year, to 140 pounds of sugar per person each year. OUCH! It is believed that the introduction of high fructose corn syrup has significantly contributed to this staggering statistic. This sweetener, which is usually derived from genetically modified corn can lead to leaky gut, cancer, dental decay, diabetes, obesity and liver stress…to name a few! Go into your kitchen and remove every item that has this on the ingredient list. You might be surprised at what you find.

The good news when it comes to condiments, is that they can all be easily homemade with high quality ingredients that will not compromise your health AND can save you money! Some tips?

1. When looking to add extra flavor to a dish, think of spices and seasonings first! Check the ingredient list for these too, since sugar is commonly added into spice mixtures. A favorite of ours is Trader Joe’s “Everything but the Bagel” seasoning. (Try it on a salad!)
2. If you are adding a condiment, make sure it is made from real food. Can you pronounce every ingredient? If not, you shouldn’t be eating it. Reference the chart below for easy sugar free swaps.