THE EDGY VEGGIE
Healthful condiments for dogs, burgers
Posted on Thu, May. 29, 2008
By ELLEN KANNER
Wholemato Organic Agave Ketchup ($4.99 for 13 oz)
You've got your tofu dogs and veggie burgers ready for summertime grilling, but how about your condiments? They should be yummy, yes, but they can be healthful, too.
Regular ketchup is loaded with cancer-fighting lycopene, but also with high-fructose corn syrup. Wholemato organic agave ketchup ($4.99, 13 ounces), available at Whole Foods and other natural food stores, has fructose as well, but it's minimally processed and low-glycemic. Wholemato uses both organic agave nectar and organic tomatoes, which yield even more lycopene than commercially farmed tomatoes. Wholemato is less sweet than Heinz (with 3 sugar grams, 1 less than Heinz), with an edgier taste.
Mustard, too, is more than a kick-butt condiment. It's made from mustard seeds (doh) that are rich in isothiocyanates -- good for your gut and circulation and they possibly stave off cancer. However, many popular prepared mustards, including Gulden's, get their bite from vinegar as a primary ingredient.
Eden organic stone ground brown mustard ($2.99, 9 ounces), also at Whole Foods, puts the mustard seed first. The result is a thick mustard with a rich, bold taste. It adds depth and dimension to faux dogs and burgers but no calories and makes an elegant vinaigrette.
Mayonnaise has few if any hidden health attributes. It just has fat. So hold the mayo and try Nasoya nayonaise ($3.47, 14 ounces) -- bad name, great product.
Available at natural food stores and some supermarkets, nayonaise is a soy-based vegan mayo that beats the real eggy item. A tablespoon has 35 calories and 3.5 fat grams, a third of traditional mayonnaise like Hellman's, and a smooth, creamy taste and texture. Better yet, it's made with unaltered soy. You won't even realize it's good for you.
Ellen Kanner writes biweekly about vegetarian concerns.
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