Smart Swap Saturday: BBQ Sauce

ByMacy Michelle

When starting a healthier lifestyle, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by all the products and food on the market. I am a firm believer that simple swaps add up and make a difference over time. Each Saturday I will feature a Smart Swap! These Smart Swaps will be healthier choices and recommendations for your favorite not-so-healthy foods.

Today’s Smart Swap: BBQ Sauce

Condiments add up quickly! But let’s be real, most food just needs a little sauce to be dunked in! Or is that just the inner-child in me?!

I had no idea how much sugar and added ingredients were in BBQ sauce until I started reading nutrition labels.

Let’s break it down!

In traditional BBQ sauce, such as Sweet Baby Ray’s, there are about 18 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of sugar and 70 calories in a single serving. These numbers can vary slightly depending on the brand of sauce.

While those numbers don’t sound too horrible, most of us are not using just one serving of sauce. A serving size is just two tablespoons. How often do you take the time to measure out two tablespoons?! When pouring condiments right from the bottle, it’s really easy to add more than a serving size.

Grilled chicken or whatever you’re dunking in sauce can quickly turn into a calorie-laden choice if you add too much.

BBQ sauce

Healthy Swap: G Hughes Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce

I stumbled upon G Hughes Sugar-Free sauce while I was sitting on the floor of the condiment aisle of Walmart. Yes, sometimes a girl just has to plop on the floor to really check out those nutrition labels!

G Hughes Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce comes in at 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar and 10 calories per serving. The serving size for G Hughes Sugar-Free Sauce is also two tablespoons. Because G Hughes is much healthier- it’s not as big of a deal if you don’t measure and over-do it!

The G Hughes brand also has many other flavors, mustards and marinades to provide a wide variety of healthier alternatives.

Key Takeaways:

  • G Hughes BBQ Sauce can be found in stores next to normal barbecue Sauce. I typically find mine at Walmart!
  • G Hughes tastes almost exactly the same as regular barbecue sauce!
  • The first ingredient in normal BBQ sauce is high fructose corn syrup. The first ingredient in G Hughes BBQ sauce is crushed tomatoes!
  • Typical barbecue sauce contains 7 times more calories than G Hughes BBQ sauce.
  • G Hughes sauce is completely sugar-free and gluten-free.

Are you excited to try this swap? Let me know in the comments below!