We all love to save time in the kitchen. One of the most common ways to accomplish this is to use jarred sauces. However, that might not be the best option for your health...or your taste buds. Today, The Weekend Gourmet correspondent is sharing some of the best reasons to avoid jarred sauces...and learn to make basic sauces from scratch in your kitchen. This feature may contain affiliate links.
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You know how it goes...life gets busy, work runs late, and it often seems easier to fill your grocery shopping cart with ready-made jarred sauce. You don’t have any choice, right?Surely the jarred sauce approach is better than simply heating ready-to-eat meals every night. At least using jarred sauce lets you add your own veggies and proteins! Sadly, an ongoing habit of using jarred sauces can spell significant trouble for your pantry. After all, these are processed foods. Simply adding a few pieces of vegetable and/or protein won’t be enough to make a huge nutritional difference. If you’re currently in the habit of using jarred sauces, it’s past time for you to "break the seal" on that addiction! But, how can you achieve this...and why should you bother?
Do a Little ResearchYou know how it goes...life gets busy, work runs late, and it often seems easier to fill your grocery shopping cart with ready-made jarred sauce. You don’t have any choice, right?Surely the jarred sauce approach is better than simply heating ready-to-eat meals every night. At least using jarred sauce lets you add your own veggies and proteins! Sadly, an ongoing habit of using jarred sauces can spell significant trouble for your pantry. After all, these are processed foods. Simply adding a few pieces of vegetable and/or protein won’t be enough to make a huge nutritional difference. If you’re currently in the habit of using jarred sauces, it’s past time for you to "break the seal" on that addiction! But, how can you achieve this...and why should you bother?
If you’re not convinced you should give up jarred sauces, then research is about to become your best friend. The fact is, the evidence here really speaks for itself. With few exceptions, jarred sauces are jam-packed with sugar, salt, and fat. Worse yet, you have no real way of knowing exactly what ingredients you’re putting into your body. One thing’s for sure -- a quick glance at the nutrition label on the jar will show you that tomatoes and goodness aren't the only ingredients in your favorite sauce! This is terrible news for everything from your body to your dental health. One thing’s certain: if you’re wondering "does a root canal hurt?" then the sugar content in jarred sauces alone can have you finding out. That’s before you consider other health risks like heart conditions that these sauces' high oil and sodium contents can cause.
Stock Up On Some Staples
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Now that your research has revealed the true face of jarred sauces, you may want to stock up on staple ingredients that will let you make sauces from scratch at a moment’s notice. Strange as it may seem, jarred sauces don't save you money or time. If you have the right ingredients on hand, there’s no reason why you can’t make your own sauces just as fast. Simple store cupboard staples like tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes, and some basic herbs and spices can help you recreate some of you favorite jarred sauce options.
What’s more, putting these sauce alternatives together is often as simple as getting out your can opener and measuring some fresh or dried herbs. When you think about it, that’s not much more effort than opening a jar. Simply get into the habit of putting these staple ingredients on your shopping list weekly...then have some fun playing around. You may find that you can create an even tastier sauce this way -- all while ensuring you know precisely what ingredients are in your sauce.
Now that your research has revealed the true face of jarred sauces, you may want to stock up on staple ingredients that will let you make sauces from scratch at a moment’s notice. Strange as it may seem, jarred sauces don't save you money or time. If you have the right ingredients on hand, there’s no reason why you can’t make your own sauces just as fast. Simple store cupboard staples like tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes, and some basic herbs and spices can help you recreate some of you favorite jarred sauce options.
What’s more, putting these sauce alternatives together is often as simple as getting out your can opener and measuring some fresh or dried herbs. When you think about it, that’s not much more effort than opening a jar. Simply get into the habit of putting these staple ingredients on your shopping list weekly...then have some fun playing around. You may find that you can create an even tastier sauce this way -- all while ensuring you know precisely what ingredients are in your sauce.
If your jarred sauce addiction is strong, you may want to do whatever you can to recreate your favorite sauces. To achieve this, you need to pay close attention to the flavors in your favorite sauce...then work to cook them for yourself. Jarred sauces actually typically contain pretty simple flavors, so don’t be afraid to get your gourmet on! With a jarred sauce alongside for reference, play around with herb content, the tomatoes you use, and even the salt you're adding. You can bet that -- no matter how close you’re able to get to the real deal -- your homemade sauce will be a lot healthier. In many cases, you may be able to create a sauce that actually tastes substantially better than the jarred version!
Batch Cook Go-To RecipesWhether you develop your own sauces using the methods above -- or turn to the many tasty pasta sauce recipes already out there -- batch cooking is guaranteed to be your friend. After all, you love jars so much for the convenience they bring to your life. That means that making your own jarred sauce shouldn't be any different! When you make multiple jars of scratch big-batch sauces, aim to batch cook the go-to pasta recipes you find online. Storing your jars of homemade sauces in the fridge in airtight containers or recycled jars will see them lasting you the entire week. In many cases, you may find that freezing portions lets you enjoy the convenience of jarred sauce -- along with a healthy and tastier sauce made from scratch.
Jarred sauces certainly hold their appeal. However, as you likely know by now, they’re terrible from a health perspective. Breaking the jarred sauce habit in the ways mentioned here will see you enjoying sauces that taste just as good -- if not better -- without any of the hidden negative nutritional surprises.
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