I love sauce. What can I say? I'm a saucy girl. Whatever the meal is, I want sauce, dressing or something to dip it in. It wasn't until I embarked on a calorie counting experiment that I discovered just how harmful those embellishments can be. Want to turn an otherwise healthy garden salad into an atomic landmine? Smother it in creamy dressing and you can easily double or triple the calorie content, not to mention the sodium and saturated fat. Many salad dressings labeled low fat aren't any better; they contain tons of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup to balance the acidity of the vinegars. A single serving size portion of a regular, full fat ranch dressing may actually be a better choice than a half cup of the low fat option (which I could easily end up using given my love for all things saucy and wet).
A lot of restaurants offer entrees using lean cuts of meat which deceives the customer into thinking he or she is ordering the healthiest option. The sauce can take a previously unobjectionable boneless skinless chicken breast and turn it into a decadent and (admittedly delicious) thing that is anything but healthy. Perusing one of the many sources of popular restaurant dishes' calorie counts online, I found that any kind of cream sauce, Alfredo being quite possibly the worst, is an absolute calorie firebomb. Want to rack up more calories in a single meal than you should be consuming in an entire day? By all means, order the fettucini Alfredo next time you eat out.
When trying to decide what fast food option was least offensive, I again found that the sauce often decides the fate of the plate. A grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato on a whole grain roll is not such a bad option. Add cheese, mayo and hot mustard dipping sauce (my favorite) and you just created a belt buster. Ketchup, while being fat free, is sweetened and has a fair amount of sodium, so think twice before you drown your fries (I know! I know!).
So what's a sauce lover to do? Have courage dear friends, for all is not lost. A shining beacon in the culinary world does exist and it is known as marinara sauce. Tomato based sauces are often the best options as they tend to be low in fat and high in nutritional value. The best marinaras get their flavor from slow cooked tomatoes and other veggies, perhaps a little olive oil, some white or red wine, and a variety of Italian spices. Beware of varieties that contain tons of added salt or cheese. A little sprinkling of a fine aged Parmesan is generally all that is needed.
When I'm really jonesing for something bad like Alfredo, I order the pasta marinara and get a little side dish of Alfredo. Adding a small amount of Alfredo to a good marinara sauce turns it into a yummy pink sauce with a creamy flavor and a fraction of the fat and calories in the pure Alfredo variety. With other saucy foods, get the sauce on the side. At least that way you know how much you're using. Don't be afraid to ask the server to have them go "light" or "easy" on the sauce.
As a rule, butter and cream based sauces, dips and dressings can be a serious pothole if you're on the road to better health. Remember to ask about getting your sauce on the side, check nutritional content, and be on the lookout for hidden diet busters and you should be fine.
