Choose your sauce wisely

Sauces can make a meal delicious with loads of flavor. But proceed with caution. Depending on the sauce you choose, that flavor might be coming from sugars. That’s right — even the most savory of sauces could include a lot of hidden sugars. These sugars impact not just the taste, but also your glucose.  

Choose sauces wisely 

Shop-bought soups, sauces, and bread products can often contain a surprising amount of added sugar, so it’s important to read and understand the food label. Labels for foods and beverages with added sugars list the number of grams and the percent Daily Value (% DV) for added sugars. Adults are advised to limit added sugar to no more than 10% of total calories, or about 50 grams. ¹ A product with 5% DV or less is considered low in sugar, while a product with more than 20% DV is considered high in sugar. ² 

In addition to the amount of sugar, check the ingredients for added sugars (like high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, and cane sugar) as well as sweeteners that can be listed under many names (such as erythritol or xylitol). Watch out for “low-fat” or “fat-free” sauces as they may have added sugars to make up for their reduced fat content.  

Make your own 

Making your own sauces does not have to be hard or time-consuming. They are fresher, tastier, and can be more nutrient-dense as you have control of what you put in them. You may still want to add sugar, but you can choose to use it sparingly. Opt for more natural sources like fruit puree, dates, honey, or maple syrup. 

Some easy-to-make sauces include tomato sauce, pesto, salsa, guacamole, and olive oil-based salad dressings.  

DIY tomato sauce 

The next time you need a tomato-based sauce, skip the ready-made stuff and make your own. Start with fresh or canned tomatoes, add in onions, garlic, peppers, herbs, and even red lentils to make it more nutritious and delicious.  

Once you find a recipe you like, make a big batch and freeze some to have on hand for an easy meal another time. 

A final note from Lingo 

Shop-bought sauces can contain surprisingly high amounts of added sugar, which means adding them to your meal can more likely spike your glucose. To help keep things steady, keep an eye on the sauce ingredient list and try making your own at home when you can.  

You can track the effects of different sauces on your glucose using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) like Lingo. These devices provide glucose data that can help you learn which foods and ingredients might be the best for you to keep your glucose steady.   

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