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Jeff, We use a ton of pasta sauce in our house and the family favorite for years has been Classico Spicy Tomato and Basil. Although its low in fat 15 fat cals per 70 cal serving), it does contain olive oil (last item on list before the spices) and it does not meet your sodium guidelines (450 mg per 70 cal serving).

I went shopping at all health food stores yesterday to try to find oil- free, lower sodium pasta sauce.  I wanted to run by the choice I made to see if you think it is okay.

I probably looked at 100 different jars of pasta sauce and found ONE, that's right just one, that had no added oil, but it doesnt meet your sodium guidelines: Muir Glen Organic Portobello Mushroom. There was one without sodium, but it had oil, and was nearly 30% calories from fat, so I figured eliminating the oil was more important.  In all the Muir Glen is not much of an improvement over what we've been using, and it costs a ton more.

Would you be kind enough to take a look at the two compared and let me know if it's worth the expense (not to mention family outrage) at switching sauces?

Here's the nutritional profile for the two sauces:

Classico Spicy Tomato and Basil per 1/2 c: 70 cal, 15 fat cal, 450 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 6 g sugars. Ingredients: tomato puree (Water, tomato paste), diced tomatoes (tomatoes, tomato juice,citric acid, calcium chloride), red bell peppers, sugar, olive oil, basil, salt, onions, dehydrated garlic, spices,dehydrated onions, natural favors, dehydrated bell peppers, crushed red pepper.

Muir Glen Organic Portobello Mushroom per 1/2 c: 50 cal, 0 fat cal, 350 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugars. Ingredients: tomato puree (Water, tomato paste), tomatoes in juice, portobello mushrooms, onions, sugar, sea salt, garlic, parsley, mushroom powder, citric acid, calcium chloride, oregano,mblack beeper, basil, thyme.

In case our specific health concerns affect your answer: I am obese and have moderately elevated cholesterol and very slightly elevated bp. The rest of the family is normal wt and has no health issues other than asthma.

Is there a sauce out there that tastes good and DOES fully meet your guidelines? My locally owned health food store is willing to try to carry something for me. But I have to know what to request.

Making my own would be ideal, I know, but I don't have time to do this as the family uses it almost daily and I don't have a freezer where I could store jars made up in advance.

I would not recommend either one.

Since you say you use a ton of it, I think getting a healthy one is very important.

While you say you do not have time to make one, I will challenge you on that and give you the recipe for one that takes the exact same amount of time as heating up one of the jar sauces.

Here you go...

Instant Pasta Sauce
- 2 28 oz can of no salt add chopped tomatoes
- Empty both cans into a sauce pan
- Add basil, garlic, oregano and little chili pepper flakes (if desired).
(I use minced garlic, dried basil and dried oregano.)

There you have it.

Feel free to use as much or as little of each spice as you want and/or add in other spices.

I make a double batch which always gives me enough for dinner and leaves me with plenty to have around for other uses. It stay in the fridge all week and also freezes well so make a huge batch if you want.

If you are going to buy one, these may be the best commercial ones out there and both come the closest to meeting my guidelines

http://www.walnutacres.com/product_view ... &cat=sauce

http://healthyheartmarket.com/enricospa ... tfree.aspx

Everything else is a compromise that you need not make anymore.

In Health
Jeff

I do something similar--I also add a can of no-salt-added tomato paste. It gives it a more saucy consistency IMO. But otherwise, that's just what I do and it comes out great!

When I get somewhere that sells Pomi products, I will have to try Jeff's suggestion. Seems like the boxes would occupy far less cupboard space than glass jars, stack better too. However, in a previous thread Jim suggested the Walnut Acres product, which I do like. It will be nice to have options.

Jeff, I assume the herbs you are adding are dried? How long do you simmer it for please?

ET, could you be more specific please with the relative quantities?

2 boxes POMI; 1 can tomato paste. ?? Tomato paste comes in little cans--3-4 oz I think?

Woa!

The original post I put up said to use POMI or "ANY" other 28oz canned tomato product that is no salt added. Do not allow my preference for POMI to stand in your way of making a healthy choice.

As such, I have corrected the original post to say just that, "ANY" 28 oz canned no salt added tomato product.



They are all about 28 oz or 14 oz so, as they say, it is 6 of one and 1/2 a dozen of another



How many options are you using right now?



Yes. But, again, I am giving you a template, You can use dried or fresh and the amount you use it to your personal preference.



Till its done.

Everything is already done so you are just simmering it. Sometimes I simmer for 5 minutes, sometimes 10 and sometimes 30. Whatever works for you.

In Health
Jeff

Jeff, please allow me to explain. We live in an RV, having traded our house for life on the road upon retirement. Storage space is limited, groceries must be packed carefully to prevent damages. Thus the comment about the boxes perhaps storing better, no glass to break. I have never found a 28 ounce can without salt, although, yes, two smaller ones work. I guess it just depends on options wherever one happens to be. So many here have sung the praises of the POMI products, that I'd like to try them. But up here in remote towns in Alaska, that's not an option! I presently have a single serving of the Walnut Acres product in the freezer, as well as some 28 ounce cans of Muir Glen peeled paste tomatoes, which I have never seen salt free. They work well in the food processor, and if I start the sauce first, including onions and garlic, I can have finished sauce in the time it takes to bring the water to a boil and cook the pasta. I also have several cases, got a good price in LA before heading north, of MG no salt diced, 15 ounce cans. However, options that are faster and use less dishes to wash, are often a great thing on long travel days, or when water usage must be limited, hence the interest. Does all this make sense, answer your questions? Thanks.

It really is your question that I am trying to help you answer.

At 350-450 mgs per 1/2 cup serving, there is just no way I would ever recommend such a product, especially if it is something that is used very often. Remember, no one uses 1/2 cup so you have to double or triple those numbers to reflect a true serving.

There are no salt varieties of canned tomato products regularly available, even at Walmart & both Heinz, Del Monte & Hunts make them too. Many imported brands are salt free also.

As an FYI, we can do anything we really put our mind to and are motivated to do. For instance, for almost 5 years on & off, I traveled the US out of a backpack, or on a bus or in a car and was able to follow the program. For 7 years, I was an account manager and spend most of my time in the car traveling including 3 nights a week out on the road and still followed the program.

Last night I landed in Idaho in a town I have never been to before. I got up this morning and walked outside to the nearest grocery store and bought no salt added tomato products, some frozen veggies and a can of low sodium beans and made one of my fast food meals in my hotel room.

The options are available, whether you make it yourself or whether you buy an acceptable product.

There is just no reason to choose anything less.

In Health
Jeff

Jeff, thanks so much for answering my question, and thanks to all of you for sharing your tips.

I can't see my family members making even the simple sauce; they aren't motivated to change sauces to begin with, so increasing the inconvenience factor even a little bit means a no go. But since it keeps well I can make it every couple of weeks and double the recipe as you suggest. That will take care of a lot of the times we use it. I'll see if any of the local health food stores would be willing to order the Walnut Acres or Enrico's for me so that we can have jarred sauce at the ready.

Hi Jeff,

What about combining a little less of the Muir Glen pasta sauce with a little more of the whole wheat pasta and some veggies so that the overall sodium:calorie ratio of the meal approaches 1:1? Would this meet your guidelines? If the sauce were one's only real source of added salt for the day and the daily sodium intake was still around 1200-1500 mgs, then what would your thoughts be about that? I know the sauce still is not optimal because it has too much added sugar, but let's ignore that for the purpose of this question. My real question is if it is okay to use higher sodium density products if the overall meal still satisfies the 1:1 guideline. Thanks!

Best,
Michael

Hi Michael

The principle works and can be done with several items but not with something that is SO high in sodium and they use "a ton of" it. The ratio in both of those sauces is around 7:1 and they are not a condiment.'

Our diets provide about 350-500 mgs of sodium per day. 2-3 servings of the pasta sauce, which is what most people use and not one serving, is 1050 to 1350. You are now over for the day and we didn't count any other food that may be over the 1:1 ratio.

I understand that we all may run into situation where we will have to make an exception but in a situation like this, where the item is something they use "a ton of" and where a very simple easy solution is available, and where they are asking for a solution that does meet my guidelines, there is absolutely no reason to make this an exception.

I discuss this in my note, "Hedge Your Health."

https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeff-nov ... 6038711818

In Health
Jeff