Pasta sauces are salty & sugary… make it instead!

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Mars, who own Dolmio, has said we should only eat their sauces occasionally, something like once a week due to the amount of salt and sugar within them (BBC website). Even though?I don’t use sauces like Dolmio often, I’m not professing to be a ‘homemade-only-mummy’ an ‘I only buy natural organic ingredients’ or even just an ‘I only make my own dear’ wife-y. I’m a mummy and I’m tight on time, yes Toddler H does?have?fish fingers and beans for dinner too. We do use these sauces, but I have used them much much much less since becoming a mummy, once or twice a month at most. I knew they contained a copious amount of salt?so to me that is not new news. Who thought shop bought sauces, just like shop bought ready meals were not filled with salts and sugars and preservatives? It’s quite clear on the labelling for goodness sake. I think “good on Mars”, for choosing to warn us in bulk – an ‘occasional’ warning label on 5% of their foods, is another reminder to us not to eat them too often. This news isn’t bad, and it’s not new, it’s just the labelling which is, and that’s a good thing.

The high salt and preservative content of such sauces meant I always saw them as being unsuitable for Toddler H. I knew from the start we’d eat healthier when she started weaning. I also knew if I was going to have any attempt to make her homemade pur?es and scrumptious homemade healthy meals, I would do it without adding any salt or sugar when cooking. This is actually the easy option when it comes to weaning (yes buying Ella’s pouches is easy too), but I do try to make my own food for her. So instead of making two meals, I just make one and H has some pur?ed. I also freeze it and keep a portion in the fridge too. It’s easy, and if I’m honest, that girl LOVES my spag bol. It’s a fail safe, so I’m not changing it!!

Now, when it comes to Indian sauces, I do often reach for a bottle, but we really don’t eat them more than once a week. Actually scrub that, hubby might if I’m out – his go-to meal is often an Indian either cooked himself or a ready meal… but hey ho we all deserve a treat now and again don’t we?

I do have an Indian sauce recipe up my sleeve, but for some reason don’t often make it. I must just love that Korma sauce a bit too much. Maybe this news report is just the extra kick I need to make me drop the shop bought Indian sauces, oh and the nann bread and poppadoms? Who knows, but given I have on occasion given Toddler H my rather hot homemade chilli con carne by mistake, I’m sure she can handle my curry sauce too!

Now, how do we make pizza healthier? Or Chicago Town Pizzas, more specifically? That’s our weakness. Well, that and a good burger.

What do you think of this report? Do you use these sauces more than once a week? Did you know about their high salt content?

 

If you’re inspired, or looking for inspiration, I’m going to write up the recipes to?my Basic Quick & Easy Tomato Sauce Recipe (check it out here), my Tomato and Mushrooms Sauce, and my Chilli Con Carne – so follow me by email to get them straight to your inbox 🙂

 

Lynne x

Note. In my image I have used a bottle of Ragu sauce as that’s all we had in our cupboard and this post is not?necessarily?about Dolmio, more the fact that I don’t use shop bought sauces and make my own.