conscious eating


Mayonnaise and Ranch Dressing Eschewing eggs, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, of San Mateo, California, uses aquafaba, the starchy liquid in a can of chickpeas, for a plant-based twist on emulsifi ed mayonnaise. Find it at Tinyurl.com/AquafabaMayoRecipe. In her Mebane, North Carolina,


CRAZY-GOOD CONDIMENTS DIY Versions Add Zest and Nutrients


by Judith Fertig


and added enjoyment to any dish. Such meal accompaniments range from vinegars to spreads and sauces, fi nishing spice mixtures and natural salts. America’s previous king of condi-


W


ments was ketchup. Today, according to a 2017 poll from T eDailyMeal.com, it stands behind mayonnaise and mustard with soy and hot sauce rounding out the top fi ve (generic product ranking at Tinyurl.com/ Top20Condiments). We oſt en take familiar condiments for


granted, yet a look at their ingredients can be startling. Many prominently include pro- cessed corn syrup and other sugars, sodium, gluten, monosodium glutamate (MSG), arti- fi cial fl avors and unpronounceable preserva- tives, according to Dana Angelo White, a registered dietitian in Fairfi eld, Connecticut. Homemade versions of condiments


provide a happy alternative. T ey not only taste great, but can be good for us. “Certain condiments add more to your meals than fl avor—some actually improve your health,” says White. T e potassium in homemade mustard is good for the digestive system through stimulating the fl ow of saliva, suggests a study in the Indian Journal of Medical Research. Homemade ketchup made with small cooked tomatoes is rich in lycopene, a nutrient that protects


hile not essential to every dish or meal, condiments provide extra fl avoring, fi nal fl ourishes


heart health, according to research pub- lished in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. White’s fresh-made “THE Green Sauce,” full of vitamin-rich avocado and cilantro, is replete with antioxidants (Tinyurl.com/T eGreenSauceRecipe).


Better Basics Ketchup Heather McClees, a plant-based nutritionist in South Carolina who blogs at One Green Planet, once loved commercial ketchup; then she read the labels. “Most ketchup is made of tomato concentrates, sugars, including high- fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, agave nectar, coconut nectar/syrup, brown rice syrup, cane juice and cane crystals, vinegar, “spices” that is likely code for MSG, water and refi ned salt. All of this makes ketchup addicting,” she says. “While you could pay for pricey


organic ketchup and condiments that come without added sugars, you can save money by spending fi ve minutes in the kitchen to make your own.” Find a recipe at Tinyurl. com/HealthyKetchupRecipe.


Mustard Serious Eats food writer Joshua Bousel uses only six ingredients to make a deliciously easy Grainy Mustard: yellow and brown mustard seeds, dry white wine, white wine vinegar, kosher salt and an optional pinch of brown sugar. Learn how at Tinyurl.com/ WholeGrainDijonRecipe.


Natural Awakenings recommends using organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) and non-bromated ingredients whenever possible.


22 Austin Edition AustinAwakenings.com


kitchen, Kim Campbell, author of T e Plant- Pure Kitchen, makes a plant-based ranch dressing with tofu for body and nutritional yeast, herbs and lemon juice to achieve the characteristic fl avor. Find it at Tinyurl.com/ HealthyRanchDressing.


More Exotic Condiments Pomegranate Molasses Sweet and tart pomegranate molasses can be used like vinegar in salad dressings, as a marinade ingredient or as syrup over pan- cakes and waffl es. Angela Buchanan, aka Angela Cooks, a professor at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, who blogs at Sea- sonalAndSavory.com, follows the Whole30 program, which bars sugar. Because she also likes Middle-Eastern food, Buchanan experimented and created her recipe for Pomegranate Molasses without added sugar (Tinyurl.com/PomegranateMolassesRecipe).


Superfood Popcorn Seasoning Green popcorn is fun. With a spirulina powder, garlic powder, sea salt and cayenne pepper spice mix, even a movie snack can be healthy. “Spirulina is one of the most potent of all superfoods. Available in a powder form, it’s a blue-green algae that provides protein, B vitamins and iron. It’s used as a natural energizer, digestive aid and detoxifi er,” says Tara Milhern, a holistic health coach in New York City. She also likes it sprinkled on baked potatoes or vegetables as a fi nishing fl avor. See Tinyurl. com/HealthyPopcornSeasoning. Without preservatives, homemade


healthy condiments don’t last as long as commercial versions. McClees advises, “I store mine in a glass mason jar for one week in the fridge. I choose a half-pint-size jar, since the less empty space there is at the top of the jar, the longer it keeps.”


Judith Fertig writes cookbooks plus foodie fi ction from Overland Park, KS (JudithFertig.com).


Fortyforks/Shutterstock.com


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