When you think of summer, images of picnic and outdoor barbeques may come to mind.  However, often when people are watching their food choices, they feel as though they cannot partake.  But who wants to just sit on the sidelines and eat carrot sticks?  The good news is that condiments are actually healthier than you think.

Here are the 9 healthier condiments according to Prevention Magazine:

Ketchup

Ketchup contains lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant.  It is essential to choose organic ketchup as it has 60% more lycopene than regular ketchup, according to the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.  Organic ketchup also has higher levels of Vitamin C, E and A.  Not only does organic ketchup tastes great, but it also will allow you to skip the preservatives and high fructose corn syrup that are commonly in non-organic ketchup brands.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon has the powerful ability to lower blood sugar.  If you are eating carbs and you add cinnamon, it can help you avoid highs and lows in your energy.  This condiment can also greatly help diabetics.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is good for you because it contains probiotics.  These can help with stomach related problems including gas, and symptoms of irritable bowel disease.

Black pepper

This is one of my favorites.  Black pepper contains piperine, which can interrupt stem cells that initiate cancer from renewing.  Piperine is crucial for cancer prevention, because when you have less stem cells, fewer could potentially become cancerous.

Hot Sauce

If you are looking to lose some weight and not be hungry, hot sauce is a great condiment to use.  Hot sauce contains capsaicin; this compound produces a hormone in the body that reduces our appetites.  Also ghrelin levels are reduced through the consumption of capsaicin.  Ghrelin is a hormone in the body that causes hunger.

Buckwheat honey

Researchers at University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign, recently analyzed 19 varieties of honey.  They found that blueberry honey and buckwheat honey have the most antioxidants.  These antioxidants protect the body against free radicals and may prevent effects of aging.

Olive oil

Rosemary contains oleic acid.  This is an omega-9 fatty acid that is converted to OEA or oleoylehanolamide.  University of California Irvine researchers recently found that mice that were fed OEA, could remember tasks more clearly than other rodents.

Horseradish

Horseradish has been shown to help your liver to detoxify from carcinogens. It also can suppress the growth of tumors.  Horseradish also has 10 times more glucosinolates than broccoli!

Rosemary

When some foods are cooked they produce carcinogens.  Rosemary can help eliminate these substances that have been linked to cancer.   Heating food, and grilling in particular, can cause these carcinogens, but adding some rosemary can neutralize these effects.

There are easy ways to get all of these condiments into your diet.  Experiment with salad dressings, sauces and toppings.  When you have prepared a meal, before eating take a moment and ask yourself, “What kinds of condiments could I add to make this food more nutritious?”

Sources
prevention.com