Adding condiments to your diet is a great way to enhance flavor, but are you aware of the health hazards associated with the packaged condiments you get in the market? Research shows that most packaged condiments such as ranch sauce, barbeque sauce and teriyaki sauce are high on artificial additives added salt and sugar, that causes heart burn and acid reflux.
Here are some facts about popular packaged condiments:
Barbecue sauce: loaded with sugar
Ranch Dressing: contains 129 calories and artificial additives
Pancake Syrup: High on high-fructose corn syrup
Teriyaki Sauce: High on sodium
Do not worry, we are not asking you to stay away from them. Instead, we are here to help you with some natural and easy condiments that you can easily make at home and make your meals healthy as well as tasty.
List of natural condiments that are diabetes-friendly
Avocado Dip or Guacamole
Avocado is one of the superfoods for diabetes, so making it your go-to condiment sounds like a plan. It is low in carbohydrates and packed with fiber, with a GI score of 15. Try to include avocado dip or guacamole as a condiment or dip.
How to prepare Avocado dip?
- Take ½ avocado, ½ cup Greek yogurt, ½ cup cilantro, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 clove garlic, ¼ tsp cumin, and sea salt.
- Mix all these ingredients into the blender or food processor until you get a smooth texture.
- You can refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
You can serve Avocado dip with your favorite veggie or use it as a salad dressing.
Tahini Spread
Tahini is a thick spread made from ground sesame seeds. It is popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, for its creamy and tangy character. Tahini is a rich source of antioxidants, preventing tissue damage common in type 2 diabetes patients. It is also high in fiber, thiamine, vitamin B6, and protein.
How to prepare a Tahini spread or sauce?
- Toast or dry roast white sesame seeds for 5 minutes. Set them aside until it cools.
- Blend the cool sesame seeds into a power.
- Add your favorite flavors such as garlic, fresh lemon juice, parsley, or cumin along with olive oil, salt, and warm water into the blending jar. Blend all ingredient together with the sesame powder until it forms a smooth paste.
- Stir until you get a creamy and thick texture.
- Top it up with olive oil, fresh parsley, and toasted cumin powder for more flavor.
You can enjoy Tahini as a salad dressing, a perfect dip for veggies and meats, or a sandwiches spread instead of butter and jam.
Hummus Spread
Hummus is a healthy condiment made from mashed chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. It popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. Hummus is packed with protein, heart-healthy fats, and many vitamins and minerals, making it one of the healthiest option for condiments.
How to prepare hummus dip?
- Paste your boiled chickpeas in the blender,
- Add tahini paste, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt, and olive oil into the blender and blend all ingredient together until it forms a thick paste.
- Add cold water while the processor runs for a creamier hummus dip.
- Serve cold with topics like olive oil, cilantro, and roasted garlic.
You can enjoy hummus with pita bread. It also serves as a condiment for eggplant, fish, and grilled chicken. You can also add it to your salad.
Salsa
Salsa is a popular dip and condiment for Mexican cuisines. It is a mixture of red tomatoes, onions, chili peppers, cilantro leaves, and lime juice.
Salsa is rich in fiber and vitamins and low in calories and fat.
How to prepare homemade salsa?
- You will need fresh tomatoes, cilantro, red and green onion, garlic, salt, pepper, lime, jalapeno (optional), and chili powder (optional).
- Chop the tomatoes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and other ingredients into the blender.
- Process and whip the mixture into a fine grade.
- Once done, and salt to taste.
- Refrigerate salsa and serve when chilled.
Alternatively, if you are using a oven, then you can follow this recipe:
- bake the tomatoes along with the onion and garlic until they are soft.
- De-skin the tomatoes, onion and garlic
- Put them into the blender along with salt, pepper, lime, jalapeno (optional), and chili powder (optional)
- Blend until it forms a smooth paste.
You can serve salsa with chicken Caesar salad, backed zucchini fries, and cilantro lime rice. Salsa is the perfect topping for tacos, nachos, burritos, and quesadillas.
Baba Ganoush
Baba ganoush is a delicious spread of Middle Eastern origin. It is a mixture of roasted eggplant, tahini paste, and spices. Eggplant is a superfood for diabetes patients.
How to prepare a simple baba ganoush recipe?
- You need three large eggplants, ¼ cup tahini paste, ¼ cup lemon juice, garlic, fresh parsley, and salt to taste.
- Rinse the eggplant with clean water and poke them with a sharp knife or fork.
- Roast the eggplants for 20-30 minutes in an oven until soft.
- Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.
- Cut the roasted eggplant and scoop all its flesh.
- Add the scooped eggplant into the food processor together with the rest of the ingredients.
- Blend until you achieve a chunky and smooth texture.
You can store most of these condiments for up to 4 days. It can survive for longer if you store them in the deep freezer.
