If you are someone who takes their condiments seriously, you will probably argue they make the meal. You are either someone who douses, drizzles and dollops on every plate, or not. And, frankly, life, or at least meal times, must be far duller for the latter.
“It’s important to enjoy your food,” says registered dietitian Kyra Collins. “Being both satisfied and satiated by what you eat is all part of the picture in eating healthily. If adding a spoonful of mayonnaise, ketchup or hot sauce helps someone eat more vegetables, that’s a worthwhile trade-off.”
When it comes to condiments, the main things to consider are portion size, how often they’re used, and being mindful of whether your chosen brands contain lots of added salt, sugar or calories, without you realising, Collins adds.
So how healthy is your chilli oil addiction? How much mayonnaise is too much? Which “healthier” alternatives are a waste of money, and are there any reasonable alternatives to the condiments that are saltier than is ideal? We asked experts to rank their favourites.
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