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Saucy secrets

 

If you think that a dollop of mayo makes no difference to your child’s healthy diet, think again.

 

writes Suzannah Olivier

 

Just a spoonful of ketchup helps the fish fingers go down? A squidge of brown sauce makes bangers go with a bang? Kids’ condiments are big business, not least because they are often the difference between a child polishing his plate and leaving his dinner to the dog.

 

But how often do we parents stop and think about what actually goes into those jewel-coloured, squidgy sauces so beloved of kids. One good reason is that they are used sparingly (or at least that’s how they’re meant to be used!)  But that doesn’t alter the fact that they may be packed to the hilt with the sort of additives we’d never allow near our children in an ideal world.

 

For instance, as a parent, you might be quite careful about choosing low salt or low sugar products for your family. So it could come as a surprise that the little swirl of sauce your kids put on top of their meal might make a big difference. Typical servings can easily double the daily intakes of salt, sugar or fat, taking the overall picture well beyond recommended levels.

 

Just 20 gm, or four level teaspoons of some ketchup brands gives a third of the recommended daily maximum of salt for a three-year-old. Choose a different brand and you can halve that amount.

 

There are low salt, low sugar and low fat versions of many products and it is worth switching to these options.

 

But in truth, the impact of these sauces on a healthy diet depends on how much is used. If it is a teaspoon, or two, twice a week, it’s not worth worrying about. If your children are adding these sauces in large quantities at almost every meal then it is wise to seek some alternatives. So if your child is regularly using 20g of a sauce (four level teaspoons) then cutting back to 15g or even 10g will improve matters.

 

Brown and barbecue sauces

 

The main ingredients in barbecue sauces are tomato, vinegar or mustard, and surprisingly for conservative British tastes brown sauce originally included dates and tamarind. They are sometimes used as marinades. These sauces are often just as high in sugar and salt as tomato ketchup.

 

Tomato sauce

 

High in salt and sugar, tomato sauce can be used in quite generous amounts by some children. Try to cut their portion sizes. Or experiment to see if your children will enjoy salsa which is a rough-cut tomato condiment with little or no fat, and much less sugar. It’s easy to make yourself by chopping up tomatoes with a little sweet pepper and coriander or parsley.

 

Sweet dipping or chilli sauce

 

These give an oriental flavour to a dish.  They are, as the name implies, high in sugar (a tablespoon of sugar in every serving), and also high in salt (around one-fifth of an adult’s recommended daily amount per serving).

 

Ready-made tomato pasta sauce

 

This gives a portion of vegetables from the tomato content, but again many recipes are high in salt. You can make your own tomato pasta sauce easily in about 10 minutes with fresh onions, herbs, tomato purée and canned tomatoes: both purée and canned tomatoes are generally salt-free.

 

Custard

 

Whatever version you use, dried, canned or in a carton, custard will be high in sugar and fat. A good idea is to buy reduced fat and sugar versions, or make up the powder with skimmed milk and a little less sugar than is recommended on the pack to reduce the fat and sugar content.

 

Mayonnaise and salad cream

 

These are the dressings with the highest amounts of fat. A 15g serving, or one level tablespoon, is two-thirds fat giving 10-15 per cent of the entire daily amount of fat for an adult, never mind a child. Buy low-fat versions and mix half-and-half with plain yoghurt.  

 

Ice cream sauce  

 

This is generally very high in sugar and many brands use artificial colourings too. Much nicer to blend some dried apricots with a little water for an instant golden-coloured ice cream sauce, or peeled kiwis for a jewel-green sauce.

 

Chocolate sauce

 

This tends to be very high in sugar, but is incredibly popular with children. For a quick chocolate hit, try grating some high quality (at least 40 per cent) cocoa-solid chocolate onto the top of ice-cream or a pudding.

 

Ready-made cheese sauce

 

At the risk of sounding monotonous, again we are talking about high salt levels, and usually high fat as well. Cheese is high in fat and salt anyway so it is hard to get round. But if you use a low-fat, low-salt cheese to make your own sauce then you can significantly reduce the level. Or combine a ready made cheese sauce half-and-half with low-fat yoghurt.

 

Try these healthy alternatives...

 

Making tasty food can reduce the need for strong flavoured sauces. Adding a squirt of fresh lemon, a little balsamic vinegar, garlic or herbs can transform a dish. Low-fat plain yoghurt is one of the best kept secrets for making creamy sauces for savoury dishes especially when combined with herbs.

 

 

no-salt ketchup

(makes 6-8 portions)

 

375g tomato purée/paste

400 ml water

6 tbsp sugar

7 tbsp vinegar

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 tsps brown sugar

A pinch each of: cloves, cinnamon, basil, tarragon, and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp molasses

 

Mix the first 6 ingredients in blender. Place in large saucepan on stove.  Add the remaining ingredients to saucepan. Simmer over low to medium heat until reduced by half, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Let the sauce cool. Refrigerate in sealed sterilised bottles (sterilise in boiling water).

 

low-fat custard

(makes 6-8 portions)

 

500 ml low-fat milk

10 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Heat the milk in a small saucepan on medium-low until simmering. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the egg to the sugar/cornstarch mix, and whisk until no lumps remain. Add the vanilla extract.  Gradually stir the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return the whole mixture to the pan. Heat on medium, stirring constantly, until it has thickened.

 

 

March/April 2010

All information is correct at time of publishing