Condiments can add depths of flavor to your dishes.

Not all condiments are created equal - some of them are loaded in sodium, saturated fat, added sugar, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, etc. Those ones can cause tons of problems - heart disease, bloating, blood sugar problems, etc.

But luckily, there are also condiments that offer plenty of health benefits - anti-inflammatory properties, good gut health, etc.

Using condiments that are loaded with harmful ingredients can turn your healthy dishes into unhealthy ones.

You can make your own condiments at home, or you can buy store-bought condiments.

When buying store-bought ones, make sure to always check the label. While certain condiments are normally healthy, some brands aren’t great because they add additional (unneeded) artificial ingredients.

So, even if you know a condiment is normally healthy, check the label before buying.

To help you know which condiments are healthy, I’m sharing a roundup of condiments that deserve a spot in your pantry.

12 Best Healthy Condiments

Mustard

Mustard is one of the healthiest condiments out there. It’s made from mustard seeds, and is very low-calorie.

It’s perfect as a spread for healthy sandwiches or wraps. Plus, you can use it to make healthy dips and sauces.

If you mix it with greek yogurt, you’ll get a great sauce for grilled veggies.

Hummus

Hummus is made from chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and salt.

It’s a great source of healthy fats and fiber.

You can put it into healthy sandwiches or wraps, or you can use it as a dip for veggies for a healthy snack.

It’s vegan, so if you eat plant-based foods, you likely already love and use hummus often.

Greek yogurt

Natural greek yogurt is great for gut health, it’s a source of healthy fats, and it’s not that high-calorie (which is why it’s a great sour cream substitute).

You can use it in so many ways - make yogurt bowls, use it to make sauces and dips, etc.

A great sauce to make from greek yogurt is tzatziki.

Tomato sauce

When it comes to tomato sauce, it’s very important to check the label. Some tomato sauces have tons of added sugar, so you want to avoid those.

However, many of them only contain tomatoes, which makes them healthy and great to use in homemade pasta sauces!

Here’s a great recipe for homemade pasta sauce made with tomatoes & meat:

Pasta & Meat Sauce

415 calories

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup Cheese, shredded, mozzarella - 112 calories

• 4 oz Ground turkey, 93% lean, raw - 172 calories

• ½ cup Canned, diced tomatoes - 25 calories

• ½ cup Pasta, whole wheat, cooked - 90 calories

• ½ cup Tomatoes, grape - 16 calories

• 1 Garlic salt, dash - 0 calories

• 1 Basil, dash - 0 calories

• 1 Oregano, dash - 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta in boiling water & drain

2. While pasta is cooking, chop cherry tomatoes in halves

3. Spray a pan with an oil spray

4. Stir-fry meat and cherry tomatoes ~8 minutes, until meat has cooked through

5. Add in canned tomatoes for ~3 minutes

6. Add sauce to pasta, top with cheese and seasonings

7. No ground turkey? Use tofu.

8. Gluten-free? Use gluten free pasta.

Guacamole

Everyone loves guacamole, right?

Well, luckily for all of us, it’s one of the healthy condiments. Sure, it’s high-fat and high-calorie, but it’s a source of healthy fats, which are important to consume.

You can use it as a dip or as a spread.

Here’s a great recipe for homemade guacamole!

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is great for gut health, bloating, blood sugar, etc.

It can be used as dressing for salads (along with olive oil). 

Extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is an amazing source of healthy fats. It’s great to use on salads.

You can make your own salad dressings with it - combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, salt, pepper, and your favorite fresh or dried herbs.

Horseradish

Horseradish is very nutritional, so it’s a great condiment to use. You can eat it with veggies, eggs, or meat.

Hot sauce

If you’re a fan of spicy foods, hot sauce is probably your best friend! Hot sauces don’t contain many calories, so they’re great condiments even if you’re on a weight loss journey.

You can put hot sauce on almost anything - burrito bowls, eggs, sandwiches, etc.

Tamari

Tamari is made from fermented soybeans. It’s a great substitute for soy sauce, as it has more protein and is usually gluten-free.

It’s great on any dishes where you’d normally put soy sauce - noodles, Asian dishes, etc.

Tahini

Tahini is made from sesame seeds, and has a strong flavor. It has tons of plant-based protein, and can be used in dips, salad dressings, etc.

If you’re not familiar with tahini and don’t know what recipes to include it in, here’s a great tahini salad recipe for you to try out:

Greens Tahini Salad

522 calories

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Leafy greens, kale, raw - 15 calories

• 1 cup Leafy greens, spinach, raw - 7 calories

• ½ Avocado, small - 116.5 calories

• 2 Tbsp Dressing, Tahini - 160 calories

• 1 Bell pepper, green - 27 calories

• 6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories

• 2 Tbsp Red wine vinegar (Tbsp) - 6 calories

• 1 Salt, dash - 0 calories

Instructions:

1. Slice chicken intro strips. Spray pan with an oil spray. Cook chicken for ~8 minutes on low-medium heat, until cooked through.

2. Chop pepper into small pieces.

3. Slice avocado.

4. Combine all ingredients.

5. Top with dressing, seasoning, and tahini.

6. No chicken? Use fish, tofu, or beans.

Raw honey

Raw honey isn’t very processed, so it’s a much better sweetener than sugar.

Of course, you shouldn’t eat too much of it as it’s still sugar, but you can use it to sweeten tea, greek yogurt, or use it to make healthy dessers.

Unhealthy condiments

Here are some unhealthy sauces you shouldn’t eat too much:

• Barbecue sauce - BBQ sauce has tons of added sugar

• Sour cream 

• Pancake syrup - usually has tons of high0fructose corn syrup

• Ranch - high in calories, so not the best for weight loss 

Of course, you can still eat these condiments as well, but try not to eat them too often and too much.

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