The world of sauces and condiments runs farther and wider than the half-empty bottle of ketchup on your local diner’s checkered-print tables. Though plenty of people will accept any old ketchup or hummus or jam, some people won’t settle for anything but the best.
If you’re one of these people, HealthGrove is here to help. Considering that sauces typically consist of only a few primary ingredients, the freshest, healthiest versions usually taste best. With this in mind, HealthGrove used data from the ESHA nutrition database to find the healthiest sauce in every category of sauces.
Each of the sauces compared falls into one of ESHA’s defined categories, is commercially available and has been ranked using HealthGrove’s “Nutrient Score.” This compares the vitamin and mineral content of a food to its “bad” nutrient content, such as sodium, fat and cholesterol. Many sauces are inherently unhealthy, though, so even the best options should still be enjoyed in moderation.
On this list, products are shown from least to most healthy sauce overall.
#26. Category: Hollandaise
Best Product: Knorr Hollandaise Sauce
Nutrient Score: F
Calories per Serving: 10
Serving Size: 1 tablespoons (28g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 105 mg
#25. Category: Tzatziki Sauce
Best Product: FAGE Tzatziki Sauce
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories per Serving: 30
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (28g)
Fat: 2 g
Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 120 mg
#24. Category: Tartar Sauce
Best Product: Inglehoffer Tartar Sauce
Nutrient Score: D-
Calories per Serving: 139
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (27.6g)
Fat: 15 g
Sugar: 0.8 g
Sodium: 152.9 mg
#23. Category: Pickle Relish
Best Product: B&G Hamburger Pickle Relish
Nutrient Score: D
Calories per Serving: 15
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon (15g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 150 mg
#22. Category: Steak Sauce
Best Product: Heinz 57 Steak Sauce
Nutrient Score: D
Calories per Serving: 20
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon (17g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 190 mg
#21. Category: Jelly
Best Product: Trader Joe's Pepper Jelly
Nutrient Score: D
Calories per Serving: 50
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon (20g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 13 g
Sodium: 55 mg
#20. Category: Stir Fry Sauce
Best Product: Tai Pei Sweet & Sour Sauce
Nutrient Score: D
Calories per Serving: 25
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon (14g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 30 mg
#19. Category: Buffalo Sauce
Best Product: Uno Chicago Grill Buffalo Sauce
Nutrient Score: D
Calories per Serving: 20
Serving Size: 1 portion cup (43g)
Fat: 0.5 g
Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 510 mg
#18. Category: Alfredo Sauce
Best Product: Au Bon Pain Alfredo Sauce
Nutrient Score: D+
Calories per Serving: 80
Serving Size: 1 portion cup (28g)
Fat: 7 g
Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 160 mg
#17. Category: Cheese Sauce
Best Product: White Castle Cheese Sauce
Nutrient Score: D+
Calories per Serving: 130
Serving Size: 1 portion cup (43g)
Fat: 10 g
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 560 mg
#16. Category: Cocktail Sauce
Best Product: Culver's Cocktail Sauce
Nutrient Score: C-
Calories per Serving: 50
Serving Size: 1 portion cup (42g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 7 g
Sodium: 360 mg
#15. Category: Gravy
Best Product: Tofurky Tofu Giblet & Mushroom Gravy
Nutrient Score: C-
Calories per Serving: 30
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (60g)
Fat: 1 g
Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 210 mg
#14. Category: Horseradish
Best Product: Boar's Head Pub Style Horseradish Sauce
Nutrient Score: C-
Calories per Serving: 15
Serving Size: 1 teaspoon (5g)
Fat: 1.5 g
Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 15 mg
#13. Category: Hot Sauce
Best Product: Taco John's Super Hot Sauce
Nutrient Score: C-
Calories per Serving: 5
Serving Size: 1 portion cup (28g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 0.5 g
Sodium: 25 mg
#12. Category: Ketchup
Best Product: Organicville Ketchup
Nutrient Score: C-
Calories per Serving: 20
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon (17g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 125 mg
#11. Category: Barbecue Sauce
Best Product: Organicville Tangy Barbecue Sauce
Nutrient Score: C
Calories per Serving: 35
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (30g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 200 mg
#10. Category: Salad Dressing
Best Product: Marie's Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
Nutrient Score: C
Calories per Serving: 150
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (30g)
Fat: 13 g
Sugar: 7 g
Sodium: 170 mg
#9. Category: Non-Pickle Relish
Best Product: Boston Market Cranberry Walnut Relish
Nutrient Score: C
Calories per Serving: 140
Serving Size: 1 portion cup (85g)
Fat: 2 g
Sugar: 27 g
Sodium: 0 mg
#8. Category: Pesto
Best Product: Buitoni Basil Pesto
Nutrient Score: C+
Calories per Serving: 300
Serving Size: 0.25 cup (62g)
Fat: 28 g
Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 540 mg
#7. Category: Mayonnaise
Best Product: Hellmann's Mayonnaise
Nutrient Score: C+
Calories per Serving: 50
Serving Size: 1 tablespoon (15g)
Fat: 5 g
Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 120 mg
#6. Category: Enchilada Sauce
Best Product: Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce
Nutrient Score: C+
Calories per Serving: 30
Serving Size: 0.25 cup (60g)
Fat: 1.5 g
Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 220 mg
#5. Category: Mustard
Best Product: Blimpie Honey Mustard
Nutrient Score: B-
Calories per Serving: 20
Serving Size: 1 portion cup (15g)
Fat: 0.5 g
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 85 mg
#4. Category: Jam
Best Product: Bob Evans Blackberry Diet Jam
Nutrient Score: B-
Calories per Serving: 5
Serving Size: 1 portion cup (11.3g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 5 mg
#3. Category: Guacamole
Best Product: Trader Joe's Avocado's Number Guacamole
Nutrient Score: B-
Calories per Serving: 50
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (30g)
Fat: 4 g
Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 75 mg
#2. Category: Hummus
Best Product: Trader Joe's Hummus Quartet
Nutrient Score: B
Calories per Serving: 45
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons (30g)
Fat: 2.5 g
Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 75 mg
#1. Category: Tomato Sauce
Best Product: Del Monte Tomato Sauce
Nutrient Score: A-
Calories per Serving: 20
Serving Size: 0.25 cup (61g)
Fat: 0 g
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 10 mg
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