How healthy is spaghetti sauce?

Enjoy that pasta and cover it with some spaghetti sauce.  How healthy is spaghetti sauce?  Are some brands healthier than others?  What should you look for when buying spaghetti sauce?

Is spaghetti sauce healthy?

Yes.  Spaghetti sauce provides vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.  All good for your health.

•  Vitamins:   Spaghetti sauce is full of a number of vitamins like vitamins A, C and K.  A half cup serving of spaghetti sauce supplies about 10 mg of vitamin C.  An important vitamin for collagen formation and our immune system.  A half cup supplies about 100skin.  Vitamin K – lots of it in spaghetti sauce.  A half of cup also supplies about 20% of w0 IU of vitamin A or about 20% of what you need each day.  Vitamin A helps us see at night and for our skin as it builds the connective tissue under our skin.  I always tell my students to eat carrots for healthier skin but I can add eat some spaghetti with tomato sauce on it for healthier hat you need each day.  
• Minerals – spaghetti sauce is a great source of potassium and manganese.  Potassium helps lower your blood pressure and potassium and manganese help you build stronger bones and helps avoid muscle cramps.   When my daughter was playing basketball they often had spaghetti as a pre-game meal.  Good choice as it would help prevent muscle cramps during the game.  
• Antioxidants – tomato sauce has a number of antioxidants such as lycopene.  Lycopene is unusual in that cooked tomatoes have more lycopene than raw tomatoes.  So, there is more lycopene in spaghetti sauce than in raw tomatoes.  Lycopene helps prevent damage to your cells, reduces one’s risk of macular degeneration, heart disease and cancer.  Along with lycopene, vitamins A and C are also antioxidants further protecting your cells from damage.  
• Low in Calories – spaghetti sauce is a low fat, pretty low in calories food with only about 100 calories in a cup.  When choosing a sauce for spaghetti, skip the white sauces which are usually loaded with calories and opt for the tomato-based spaghetti sauce.  
• Fiber – who would think that spaghetti sauce has fiber in it?  Use half a cup and you add 3 grams of fiber to your day.  Check the label as the amount of fiber varies by brand.  My daughters never liked spaghetti sauce with “chunks” in it but now that they are grown, that is all we buy.  The “chunks” of tomatoes add some fiber.  Fiber not only helps your digestion, but it slows the absorption of food so helps control how high your blood sugar levels go.  Add some whole grain pasta to your spaghetti noodles and you add even more fiber (and nutrients) to your meal. 

 What should you look for when buying spaghetti sauce?

• Added sugar – tomatoes have no added sugar, but have fructose in them which provides some natural sugar.  But a number of manufacturers add sugar to spaghetti sauce.  Look at the ingredients to see if sugar, high fructose corn syrup or other forms of sugar have been added.  Kids may prefer spaghetti sauces with some added sugar, but those wanting a healthier spaghetti sauce can easily find brands that have no added sugar in the ingredient list.
• Sodium – what doesn’t have added salt these days?  If you are watching your sodium, then check out the different brand labels and choose a sauce that is lower in sodium.  For those watching their sodium, Eating well recommends Amy’s Light in Sodium Family Marinara and Victoria Low Sodium Marinara. 

Low in sodium

• Oil – check out the oil the manufacturers have used.  Look at the ingredients for heart healthy oil like olive oil or canola oil.

Check out some of these brands:

Barilla – chunky traditional, marinara, meat sauce, mushroom sauce.  These pasta sauces are made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil so are heart healthy.   Lower in sugar and sodium than many other brands.

Made with olive oil

For Vegetarians:  Wegman’s Organic Italian Classics – Grandpa’s Sauce Goes Vegetarian made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and no added sugar

Wegman’s Italian Classics:  Good choice as these sauces are made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and no added sugar.  Check out:  Grandpa’s Sauce, Grandma’s Pomodoro Sauce, Organic Roasted Garlic Sauce, Organic Chunky Marinara Sauce -   

No added sugar and made with olive oil

This week when grocery shopping, take time to read the label on the spaghetti sauce you are buying.  Read the ingredients and look for sauces made with olive oil, and if your kids will eat it, sauces with no added sugar in the ingredients. 

Sources: 1000 IU of vitamin A,  lycopene, macular degeneration,  antioxidants, antioxidants, Eating well Image Source:  Amy's Family Marinara, Barilla, Wegman's Italian Classics