Discussion Board

Is ketchup acceptable on the MWP?

I do not know. Why not post this question on one of the other forums? I expect someone there will know the answer.

Of course you can make your own tomato sauce that would probably taste better and be better for you you--especially if you like hot and spicy sauce!

On the main page of the DrMcDougall.com page, he has lists of approved prepared foods.

If you are looking for one without the list at your fingertips, read the labels. Look for a ketchup with no added oils, and no added sugars. It's the no added sugars that's the tricky part.

Raine

I believe that Ketchup with low sugar content is allowed. One of Dr. McDougall's breakfast suggestions on his book is to grill a couple of slices of baked potatoes and put them on a piece of whole grain bread and add Ketchup to it and voila you have a healthy breakfast

The best way to go would be to understand the label yourself rather than accepting any advertising on the front of the product as true - or even Dr. M's list of approved foods, which can change and become outdated. As Jeff says, Never, Ever believe anything on the product label except for what is required by law. Disregard any such statements as "low sugar or low fat or low sodium."

Can you post, or give a link to the following info:
The brand of ketchup (so we can check the label perhaps on the web)
The serving size
The calories per serving
The % calories from fat per serving
The sodium per serving in milligrams
The complete ingredients in the order listed on the label
How much you intend to consume per day in Tbsp or cups or whatever.

Learning how to read the labels is an important skill and the subject of an entire dvd published by our own Jeff Novick. Since this is your first post, you may be new to label reading. There are many tricks. I was unaware that many products legally advertised as low fat or no fat or zero fat are actually pure fat. Go figure.

Hi Bob,

I use an organic Ketchup from Organicville that has no fat and only 3g of sugar. Here's a link to the product: http://www.organicvillefoods.com/ketchup.html

I don't remember seeing this product on Dr. Mcd's list but I do read all the labels of the products I buy and I am aware of the things I am supposed to eat and try to find products as close to Mcd's suggestions as possible.

Also the bread I use for the recipe on his book is Ezekiel and I don't think that recipe is outdated since it came from his new Cookbook but let me know if I'm wrong

we've gone on several ketchup making stints round these boards. some of us to ensure getting fat free sauces, some to reduce the usage of HFCS, some to limit salt.

here are some links:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4465&start=0

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10494&view=previous

if you check the label of your purchased catsup and aren't pleased, you might like trying to make your own!

Good news and maybe some bad news -
That Organic-ville ketchup definitely meets the fat requirement - 20 calories per serving and none from fat. The ingredients have no oils or other hidden sources of fat.

Things of concern -
Calories per serving = 20 Sodium in milligrams should be around 20 - instead it is 125. Jeff allows some wiggle room for condiments, but that is a concentrated dose of salt - about six times the recommended max. The second ingredient on the list is a processed sugar (agave nectar) which is not what you want for weight loss, but a person who doesn't need to lose weight should not worry about small amounts.

Ketchup is easy to abuse for some people. The serving size is 1 Tbsp. I see people use much more than that. The worst thing about it is that it is not a whole plant food. If you want tomato flavor, use a real tomato, or better several.

Let's face it. It is the salt and sugar in this product that makes it popular - not its health benefits. If you are looking for results, you can learn to do without the added salt and sugar.

If you add a good amount of this ketchup to bread (a high calorie density food that is one of my vices and quickly puts weight on me), you are really handicapping your weight loss. The more you can eat plain unrefined whole plant food (which you can get used to and like if you try), the better off you will be IMO. My belief and experience is that there is no magic food that will help weight loss, but that the trick is in re-educating your tastes so that whole plant food is palatable. The taste of the food is in your neuro system, and not in the food itself. You can change your neuro system to like healthy food. You are never going to make especially appealing high calorie density foods and high salt foods healthy. The best foods don't need a label because they are whole plant foods.

I don't know if Jeff would recommend this product. Probably not due to the salt and sugar, but I'm sure he would allow it in small amounts since he is mostly concerned about where the great majority of the calories come from. If the ketchup and bread were a frequent part of the diet, I don't think he would recommend it, especially for somebody trying to lose weight.