My Favorite HEALTHY Things

     No-Calorie and Low-Calorie Condiments.  Do you remember when a diet lunch meant a bowl of iceburg lettuce drizzled with lemon juice?  Do you remember hating that as much as I did?!?  Somebody slap me! 

     We've come a long way, baby, in terms of boosting the flavor on our plates without having to add additional calories.  Here are a few of my favorites:

1.  Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar (1 tablespoon = 2 calories):  Use it to dress salads or cooked vegetables or to increase the tanginess of sauces.

2.  Kroger brand Fat Free Italian Salad Dressing (1 tablespoon = 10 calories):  This is one of my secret weapons.  Not only for salads, I use it in marinades, sauces, and to saute vegetables or meat.  No oil or butter required!

3.  Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  This may be my new most favorite thing in the whole condiment world.  And NO calories!  If you're a wing lover, try this for your next lunch: Fill up a bowl with assorted greens, top it with diced leftover chicken, and drizzle a little of this sauce over the whole thing.  Voila -- Buffalo chicken salad! 

4.  French's Dijon Mustard (1 tablespoon = 15 calories):  Just one of the dozens of mustards available on your store's shelves, all of which add lots of flavor and hardly any calories. 

5.  Best Foods Dijonnaise (1 tablespoon = 15 calories):  A slightly creamier version of mustard without the heaviness of regular mayonnaise.  Mmmmmmmm.  Use it on sandwiches or in sauces.

6.  Morehouse Horseradish Mustard (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  Yet another example of the variety of mustards out there.  This one has a kick!

7.  Colgin Liquid Smoke (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  The perfect secret ingredient for BBQ sauces or meat marinades.

8.  Tiparo Fish Sauce (1 tablespoon = 20 calories):  Not for the fainthearted, this adds a strong, salty Asian flavor to sauces or marinades, but so good!

9.  Kikkoman Low Sodium Soy Sauce (1 tablespoon = 5 calories):  So much flavor for so few calories.

10. Kikkoman Ponzu Sauce (1 tablespoon = 10 calories):  A reduced-sodium soy sauce enhanced by either lemon or lime flavor, this is one of my favorites.  I pour a tablespoon into a mini ramekin and dip my daily dose of greens into it for big flavor.  And by the way, I have yet to use an entire tablespoon of it at one meal.

11. Kroger brand Worcestershire Sauce (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  The perfect flavor punch for sauces and marinades.

12. Hoy Fone Foods Sriracha Sauce (1 tablespoon = 15 calories):  Warning -- this stuff is HOT!!!  But if it's heat you crave, you've found a friend.

13. Pam Olive Oil Spray (1 spray = 0 calories):  Now, you and I both know that there's oil in that there can, and if you were to pour the entire contents into a pan, you would indeed be looking at some calories.  Quite a few, in fact.  But half a dozen quickie sprays will cover the bottom of your saute pan or add moistness and flavor to cooked vegetables or salads.  Just don't lose your mind.

14. Heinz Dill Pickle Relish (1 tablespoon = 0 calories):  A tangy accompaniment to tuna salad, chicken salad, or deviled eggs.

15. Mezzeta Capers (1 tablespoon = 1 calorie):  For just one calorie, a few of these little beauties add terrific flavor to sauces, baked fish, or stir fries.    

16. Kraft Fat Free Mayo (1 tablespoon = 10 calories):  Okay, okay, let's just agree here and now that this stuff bears ABSOLUTELY NO resemblance in texture or taste to real mayonnaise.  Absolutely none.  I hear you, and I agree.  But if we can digest that information and learn to embrace new ways to make use of this alarming product, lunch might be a little more interesting.  For example, I use it to make homemade tartar sauce, combined with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dill pickle relish, and a few capers (let's see, where have you heard about those products before?).  Surprisingly good, trust me on this.  And you don't have to tell me that there is a time and place for FULL FAT, NOTHING BUT CALORIES, GOOD OLD REAL MAYONNAISE.  There is nothing quite like a big, thick turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato on achingly fresh bread loaded up with enough mayonnaise to choke a hippo.  I, for one, am not totally happy unless some of it is dripping down my arm.  But for other times and places, give my friend the fat-free version a try.

One warning: Read those labels!  I've provided the calorie counts, but a few of these products can pack a sodium punch if you go overboard.  The good news is that, with so much flavor, you never need to go overboard. 

Those are just a few of the things I keep in my refrigerator.  Do you have other favorites we might want to know about?  Leave a comment!  (Look for the instructions in red after all the articles.)