Amber asked me awhile ago about some healthy substitutes for condiments, as she's noticed now that she's reading labels more closely, many are high in sodium.
Before I get to my suggestions, I want to congratulate Amber for her victorious week fighting the nicotine demon! It can be so hard to kick that habit, and it takes a lot of willpower. But if she can kick the butts…the rest is a whole lot easier.
Also, she's going to notice as she clears the tar and nicotine residues out of her body, her senses of smell and taste may be a whole lot more sensitive than when the cigarettes dulled everything. She may find that she doesn't even need salty condiments in order to taste her food. It's one of the rewards of quitting.: )
Tartar sauce
1/2 cup canola oil mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 large green onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Barbecue sauce and Steak Sauce
I'm leaving this up to Eating Well, as they have a whole collection of barbecue sauces, marinades, and rubs. And the vinegar in many of these is excellent for keeping your post-meal blood glucose level low!
Ketchup
For the Jamie Oliver fans in our group, here is his recipe. I recently wrote an article about fennel, and it's included in his version. It takes a little bit of time, but for things like this I like to find pretty bottles at Goodwill and get crafty with it. Your kids might enjoy this as a Saturday afternoon project.
Mayonnaise
Canola oil mayonnaise is my favorite. I also, for those wanting to reduce fat, recommend stirring a spoonful of mayonnaise into a cup of Greek yogurt. Hummous makes a nice sandwich spread alternative to mayonnaise as well.
OK! Sounds like Amber had a great week, and tackled a lot of tough challenges. I look forward to seeing what the next week brings!