Did you know the serving size of some ketchup has more sugar than a typical chocolate chip cookie?

Used to elevate all kinds of meals, condiments are a staple in any kitchen. Unfortunately, many of the most popular condiment brands use ingredients that are less than ideal; sugar, poor quality oils, and food coloring, for example. This week, we’re partnering with our friends at True Made Foods to show how you can opt for condiment options that have the familiar flavors you love, without the refined and artificial sweeteners.

Use code PANDA15 for 15% off an order on their website.

Found in so many of the condiments we’re all familiar with (we’re looking at you, Heinz Ketchup), over consumption of high fructose corn syrup has been shown to be a major cause of heart disease, obesity, cancer, and other diseases. Plus, excessive sugar consumption may trigger neuroadaptations in the brain that decouple eating behavior from caloric needs and lead to compulsive overeating. As a healthier alternative, True Made Foods sweetens their ketchup with apple, carrot, and butternut squash.

Low quality oils such as soybean oil or canola oil are commonly found in mayonnaise. These oils can contain high levels of glyphosate, a toxic pesticide linked to cancer, and overconsumption may lead to chronic inflammation.

Food coloring may be present in ketchup, mustards, or hot sauces - and is an additive worth flagging. Paprika extract color, for example, is created through the process of chemical extraction, with any of the following chemicals: Acetone, Ethanol, Ethyl acetate, Hexane (a neurotoxin), Isopropanol, or Methanol. And these chemical residues can remain in the final product! Look for products without this additive when possible.

Many hot sauces use preservative sodium benzoate to extend shelf life. When combined with vitamin C, light, or heat, Sodium Benzoate can form benzene, a strong carcinogen. If over consumed, sodium benzoate can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and other symptoms. It can also interfere with the body's intermediate metabolic processes. We love that True Made Foods not only excludes this ingredient, but adds veggies to their Sriracha instead!

When choosing condiments for you or your family, the ingredient list is everything. Believe it or not, there is a way to choose both high-quality taste and high-quality ingredients. True Made Foods has remade America’s iconic condiments using foods that are rooted in tradition, heritage, and most importantly, the ground. Plus, they add veggies to their products for an extra dose of nutrition. What can be better than that? Give any of their products a scan in Trash Panda to see the real ingredients that should be in our daily foods!