Smart Supplies and Condiments Choices for the Low-Carb Pantry

When following a low-carb or ketogenic diet, you may find yourself focusing on the foods you need to avoid. But there are also plenty of foods you can eat. Shifting your focus to lower carbohydrate foods will be an adjustment, however, focusing on produce such as vegetables, healthy fats, and lean protein will ensure you're getting adequate energy and nutrition.

Eliminating foods rich in refined carbohydrates and sugar can reduce cravings for those types of foods. One way to keep your new eating plan interesting and delicious is by equipping yourself with flavorful condiments and cooking supplies.

Prep Your Pantry

Preparation, including seasoning of low-carb diet staples (such as fresh veggies), is a great way to add a variety of tastes and textures to your diet. A "secret ingredient" to staying motivated and satisfied on a low-carb diet is a fully, and thoughtfully, stocked pantry.

Condiments like vinegar, mustard, hot sauce, chicken broth, and mayonnaise made with olive oil as well as fresh and dried herbs and spices have few, if any, carbohydrates. As long as you know what to look for (and what to avoid) you'll be surprised by how much you can do with a few simple ingredients. Many of the most versatile spices you can have in your kitchen are widely available, affordable, and don't require any special storage or preparation.

Check Food Labels

When experimenting with a new diet, get into the habit of reading food labels. If you're adjusting to a low-carb diet, this practice is especially important as you fill your pantry. Many sauces, for example, are high in sugar (which would count toward your carb intake for the day). However, these added sugars can be tricky to spot on food labels because they often go by different names.

Keep in mind that even if a product doesn't have many carbs or added sugars, other nutritional info, such as sodium content, is also important to note. For example, while Tamari Soy Sauce has no carbs or sugar, it does have 980mg of sodium per serving—meaning that even though it's a low-carb option, it might not be the best choice for someone watching their salt intake. Even if you're not adhering to a low-sodium diet, condiments high in sodium should be used in moderation.

Cooking and Baking

Another key to success with low-carb diets is making sure you’re getting enough healthy fat. Some fats have higher nutritional value than others. Partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fat which can negatively affect your cholesterol by raising bad LDL cholesterol.

Here are a few fats you can add to your repertoire of low-carb recipes:

• Avocado oil
• Canola oil
• Coconut oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Ghee (clarified butter with no milk solids)
• Olive oil
• Sesame oil
• Walnut oil

Baking

If you're committed to a low-carb diet you might be resigned to giving up sweets —especially baked goods. Depending on the ingredients you use, as well as keeping an eye on portion size, there are several ways to satisfy a sweet tooth that are low-carb.

• Low-carb jams and preserves (check labels)
• Nut and coconut flours (baking, breadmaking)
• Lemon or lime juice (1g of carb per tablespoon)
• Extracts (vanilla, lemon, almond, etc.)
• Unsweetened milk alternatives (such as almond milk)
• Coconut milk

Condiments

When you’re watching your carbs, knowing what foods to avoid is just as important as knowing which ones to eat. This is especially true if you’d like to add condiments to the mix.

Sauces and Dips

Raw veggie sticks can be a great snack or lunchbox item on their own , but you can take them to the next level by adding a dollop of dip or drizzle of sauce. Pesto and tamari also work well in hot meals like stir-fries or veggie-noodle pasta dishes.

• Soy sauce or tamari: 1g of carbs
• Salsa: check labels for each brand; for example, one serving or 2 tablespoons of Newman's Own brand Mild Salsa has 3g of carbs
• Most bottled hot sauces: Tabasco original red has 0g of carbs
• Horseradish: 1 tablespoon of Woeber’s Horseradish Sauce has 1g of carbs
• Mayonnaise: look for brands high in monounsaturated fat rather than polyunsaturated fat or soy oil. 1 tablespoon of Hellman's Mayo with Olive Oil has less than 1g of carbs.
• Mustard: avoid sweetened varieties such as honey mustard. Heinz Spicy Brown Mustard has 0g of carbs.
• Pesto: 1/4 cup of Prego Basil Pesto has 4g of carbs
• Low-carb ketchup: Heinz No Sugar Added Ketchup has 0g of carbs and no high fructose corn syrup
• Dill pickle and sugar-free sweet pickle relish: Heinz Dill Pickle Relish has 1g of carbs per 1 tablespoon

Seasoning

No matter what you're cooking, even something as simple as a little salt and pepper can make even any meal much more interesting to your taste buds. Herbs, whether fresh or dry, are also versatile additions to many dishes.

• Dried herbs and spices: check for added sugars
• Fresh herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, parsley
• Seasoning salts and peppers
• Capers: Goya Capers have less than 1g of carbs per serving
• Broth or stock: bone broth and low-sodium or no-sodium stocks and broth

Dressings

While lettuce is often characterized as stereotypical "diet food," salads can be a filling, balanced, and nutrient-rich meal choice. Greens are also a quick and easy vehicle for healthy fats, like olive oil. There are, however, many salad dressings that add less healthy fats and may have a lot of sodium and sugar. If you check labels and ingredient lists before you buy, you'll find there are many suitable low-carb, low-sugar options.

If you want something even simpler, vinegar (another common pantry staple) can be paired with oils for easy make-your-own dressing. The mix is also great to have on hand for cooking (try drizzling on steamed veggies).

Hidden Sugars

Some condiments may have more carbohydrates than you think and if used in large amounts can contribute a decent amount of carbohydrates to a low carbohydrate eating plan. For example, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar contains 2.7 grams of carbohydrates, while 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce contains 3 grams of carbohydrate. These carbohydrates can add up if you are using multiple servings.

Educate yourself on which types of condiments have more carbohydrates so that you can factor them into your meal plan or decide not to use them if you'd prefer to do that instead.

• Regular ketchup: Heinz Original Ketchup has 5g of carbs and 4g of sugar per 1 tablespoon
• Tomato-based chili sauce and cocktail sauce: Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili Sauce has 16g of carbs and 15g of sugar per serving
• Salad dressings: unless low or no sugar—Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing has 2g of carbs and 1g of sugar per 2 tablespoons
• Tartar sauce: Ken's Tartar Sauce has 3g of carbs and 2g of sugar per 2 tablespoons
• Plum sauce: Kikkoman Plum Sauce has 21g of carbs and 20 gs of sugar per 2 tablespoons
• Sweet and sour sauce: Kikkoman Sweet and Sour Sauce has 9g of carbs and 7g of sugar per 2 tablespoons
• Oyster sauce: Kikkoman Oyster Sauce as 5g of carbs and 4g of sugar per 1 tablespoon
• Teriyaki sauce: La Choy Teriyaki Sauce has 3g of carbs and 2g of sugar per 1 tablespoon
• Steak sauce: A1 Original Steak Sauce has 3g of carbs and 2g of sugar per 1 tablespoon
• Barbecue sauce: (Sweet Baby Ray's Original Barbeque Sauce has 18g of carbs and 16g of sugar per 2 tablespoons
• Jams, jellies, preserves: Smucker's Concord Grape Jelly has 13g of carbs and 12g of sugar per 1 tablespoon

Availability and Cost

For non-perishable products, you may be able to find additional options to order online. If you find a product you really like and want to fill your pantry, you may also be able to buy it in bulk to save money. In addition to being affordable, these options are also more likely to be in stock at your local grocery store, meaning you won't have to make a trip to a specialty store, coop, or farmer's market to find them. You can also find organic versions of condiments on-line and in the grocery store. If you prefer to eat organic, this is a good option, as well.