To become a Beast and reach new heights of fitness and body composition, diet is crucial. And although I often state that “food is fuel” as a retort to those who complain that eating for proper nutrition is boring, I also understand that food can be a source of enjoyment. Eating for peak physical performance does not have to be bland. You can have your flavor and your Beast too by following a few recommendations when it comes to condiments, salad dressings, and other flavorings.
Condiments
If it’s thick, avoid it.
That’s not a hard and fast rule but it gives you a good starting point. Items with the “thickness” include ketchup, barbeque sauce, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. The main thing we are looking out for is sugar and all of the names that it hides behind. As an example, if you check the ingredient list on a bottle of Heinz Ketchup the third ingredient is high fructose corn syrup and the fourth ingredient is corn syrup. “Syrup” is one of the many names that is a warning sign for “sugar”. Other examples of condiments that include sugar are below:
Bull’s Eye Barbeque Sauce (sugar, molasses, and brown sugar).
A1 Steak Sauce (corn syrup, raisin paste).
Helmann’s Mayonnaise (sugar).
Sriracha Chili Sauce (sugar).
But what about mustard? Ah yes. . . mustard can indeed be the savior when it comes to condiments. But again, read the label and watch out for sugar. “Honey” mustard is a dead give away that it contains sugar. But here is the ingredient list for French’s Classic Yellow Mustard:
Distilled Vinegar, Water, No.1 Grade Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice, Natural Flavors and Garlic Powder.
Not too bad. . . How about Grey Poupon Dijon mustard?
Water, vinegar, mustard seed, salt, white wine, fruit pectin, citric acid, tartaric acid, sugar, spice.
Like I said, read the label.
Another good option to consider is hot sauce. My personal favorite Tabasco (the original flavor) contains just three ingredients: vinegar, red pepper, and salt. Frank’s Red Hot Original has a similar ingredient list: aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, natural flavor and garlic powder.
Did you notice a common ingredient between mustard and hot sauce? Vinegar! And vinegar, whether by itself or mixed with extra virgin olive oil for salad dressing, is a great way to add a splash of flavor. Balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar are both excellent choices. But don’t be afraid to branch out into other varieties such as red wine vinegar and even rice vinegar.
Two condiments that I consider on middle-ground are soy sauce and Worchestire sauce. Soy sauce contains wheat and. . . soybeans (although you can find gluten free soy sauce typically called Tamari sauce). Worchestire sauce contains molasses and sugar. But I have to say that I have personally used both of these sauces in limited quantity with no ill effects on body composition or fitness capacity. So a splash or two will probably be fine – just down drown your food in the stuff.
The final condiment that I want to mention is salsa. You really can’t go wrong here if you make it yourself. Ingredients for salsa generally include tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and peppers. Of course diverting from that base is fine as long as you use all natural ingredients. If you go with a jarred salsa, just read the label and look out for sugar! It’s usually pretty easy to find a jarred salsa without sugar or artificial ingredients so enjoy the salsa flavor on chicken, steak, eggs, vegetables, or anything else you like.
Salad Dressing
Skip the store bought stuff.
Oh sure there might be an exception to this rule. But salad dressing is so damned easy to make your self, why not have complete control over the ingredients? The base ingredients for tasty and healthy homemade salad dressing are extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. A ratio of 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar is typically suggested, but I find that I like mine closer to half and half. But that’s part of the fun of using homemade – you get to make it exactly how you like it. Other than the olive oil and vinegar, add some herbs and spices, put in a bottle, and shake. Done.
Below are a few salad dressing recipes to get you started:
Red Wine & Lemon
1 part extra virgin olive oil
1 part red wine vinegar
1 part lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Asian Sensation
2 parts extra virgin olive oil
1 part rice vinegar
1 part soy sauce
½ tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 parts extra virgin olive oil
1 part balsamic vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
Apple Cider Heat
2 parts extra virgin olive oil
1 part apple cider vinegar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp black pepper
All of the above salad dressings also work great for for marinades as well. Use some culinary creativity and experiment adding the herbs and spices that you enjoy.
Other Flavorings: Herbs And Spices.
You really can’t go wrong with these.
Basil, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, curry, marjoram, turmeric, saffron, chili powder. . . the list goes on and on. With seemingly never-ending combinations of herbs and spices available, the thought of bland healthy meals should be released from your mind forever.
Just be sure to read the ingredient list of any herb or spice “blends”. You know what to look for now – sugar for sure, but also MSG or other artificial ingredients. As long as the ingredient list contains only items you could imagine growing in a garden, you are good to go.
A little creativity and experimentation can go a long way in kicking up the flavor for your Beast meals. Be sure to choose condiments with out sugar, make your own salad dressings, and use the many available herbs and spices with reckless abandon.
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Vic Magary is a U.S. Army Infantry veteran and has been helping people lose weight and get fit online since 2008. You can learn more about how you take your fitness to the next level at VicMagary.com and be sure to follow @vicmagary on Twitter.
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