When President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden stepped out recently for a couple of burgers, pundits and other observers had a lot to say about the topping each chose. As you'll recall, the president asked for mustard, preferably a Dijon style, while the vice president went for ketchup.

As the rest of the world teased out the political implications, I, of course, got to wondering which was the more nutritious pick. Must be the mustard, I figured. But that question raised others: Is mustard much better than mayo? Does pickle relish -- or, to revive an old controversy, ketchup -- count as a vegetable?

Now that the cookout season is upon us, I think this is information we can all use. So here's the scoop on the sauces, plus some thoughts on healthful alternatives.

KETCHUP

• What's Good: A tablespoon of Heinz ketchup has just 15 calories and no fat. Its main ingredient is tomato concentrate made from tomatoes, which contain vitamin C, folate and potassium. As you may already know, processing tomatoes to create products such as ketchup actually concentrates the lycopene therein; studies have found a correlation between lycopene, an antioxidant, and a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, some cancers and macular degeneration.

• What's Bad: Though it doesn't taste all that salty, ketchup has lots of sodium: That single tablespoon delivers 190 milligrams, about 8 percent of the recommended daily limit (between 1,500 and 2,300 mg) for most people. (Yes, Heinz contains high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, as do many processed foods. But the latest research suggests that the syrup, though icky in its ubiquity, is no worse for us than regular sugar.)

• What's Better Than Store-Bought: Homemade ketchup can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes; either way, it will contain about the same nutrients as store-bought, including lycopene. It's typically sweetened with brown sugar, which some may find more palatable than HFCS. Calorie count is about the same for both. But by making your own, you can adjust the salt and sugar levels to your own taste; every teaspoon of sugar you eliminate saves 15 calories from the total recipe.

• Want an Alternative? Salsa, which recently bypassed ketchup as the nation's top-selling condiment, can be a more healthful choice, particularly if you buy a refrigerated version rather than one sold in room-temperature jars; the latter are more likely to contain added sweeteners and sodium. If you don't mind swapping ketchup's smooth mouth feel for salsa's more crisp texture, you can get a few extra nutritious vegetables -- such as sweet and hot peppers and onions -- in addition to tomatoes, for fewer calories (about five per tablespoon).

MAYONNAISE

• What's Good: Mayonnaise is made mostly of eggs and oil; eggs are a good source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that appears to promote cardiovascular health. Look for mayo made with olive or canola oil, both of which are also good for your heart. Don't worry much about the cholesterol: Even full-fat mayo has just five grams per tablespoon, and the Hellman's variety made with canola oil has no cholesterol. Canola-based mayo also provides six grams of calcium and 6 percent of the government-established daily value of vitamin E per tablespoon plus 25 percent of the daily value for alpha-linolenic acid.

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