Cutting fat and sugar from sauces can make a big difference in a healthy diet. Low-calorie sweet and savory sauces can be made with healthy substitutes like low-fat yogurt, vinegar, and flax or chia seeds. Store-bought low-calorie sauces are also available.
For many dieters, sauces are one of the first things to cut out. It’s a shame because there are many ways to prepare low-calorie sweet and savory sauces, such as mayonnaise, salsa and desserts. Cutting the fat and sugar from sauces added before, during, or after cooking can be the difference between creating a permanent, healthy dietary change and one that’s too restrictive to last for any significant amount of time.
Fat, flour, and egg are the heartbeat of many savory sauces, but that heartbeat could be clogging the diet. Luckily, there are many recipes available that replace food disasters with healthier counterparts. Swapping low-fat or nonfat yogurt for high-fat sour cream can turn a dip into a welcome guest at anyone’s party, for example. Low-calorie mayonnaise made from egg whites, a little curry powder, and just a splash of olive oil whipped in your blender can get your tuna or chicken salad to sing.
Replacing the lean or lean counterparts with cream, cheese or mayonnaise gives the sauce a less satisfying mouthfeel. Dipping and piquant sauces with chopped fresh herbs, minced garlic or a dash of hot sauce distract the diner’s attention from what’s missing. It also adds extra nutrition.
Another way to create savory, low-calorie sauces is by thickening them with flax seeds or chia seeds rather than a more traditional butter-and-flour roux. Both types of seeds absorb many times their weight in liquid and can use this superpower to transform a delicate sauce into an ice cream go-getter. Of course, in most cases, some butter or oil will still be needed.
Some low-calorie sauces use vinegar to add a savory zing. Apple cider, red wine, and balsamic vinegars can be found on nearly every grocery store shelf. Many home cooks are exploring other options, such as fig or raspberry vinegar, both excellent foils for poultry dishes.
Summer celebrants who like to party outside the barbecue can swap in a few ingredients to turn sugar-packed, high-fat barbeque sauces into low-fat enhancements. Substituting sugar, a staple in many barbecue sauces, for orange juice, powdered mango or other fruit is one way. Mustard, especially in combination with vinegar or juice and fresh chopped herbs, makes a barbecue marinade to rival less healthy counterparts.
By making a few crafty switches, dessert lovers can bring sweet sauce calorie counts down to earth. A healthy, creamy salsa that’s delicious over sherbet or fresh fruit can be made by blending peeled, frozen bananas with a splash of nonfat creamer and a handful of berries or a tablespoon of nut butter. Using sweet leaves from the stevia plant or a processed stevia sugar substitute will reduce the calorie count in puddings and sugary fruit treats.
Commercially available low-calorie sauces are easy to find. Low-fat mayonnaise, chocolate sauce, caramel, and other canned or frozen condiments have saved many people who are too busy to cook. These store-bought, low-calorie marinades, cooking sauces and table dressings have been perfected to deliver consistent flavor and quality.
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