10 Condiments and Spices for the Diabetes Diet | Type 2 Diabetes Center (2024)

Enhancing your food's flavors through condiments and spices is key to enjoying a healthy type 2 diabetes diet. But before you reach for the ketchup and mayo, know that some choices are a lot better for you than others. You'll also benefit from learning how to read nutrition labels and measuring servings carefully. "Most important is portion control," says Constance Brown-Riggs, RD, CDN, author of The African American Guide to Living Well With Diabetes. "Condiments should be used to enhance the flavor of food and not serve as the main course." Here are the facts on the most popular condiments and spices to help you choose.

Ketchup is often considered one of the bad-boy condiments for people with type 2 diabetes. This may be in part because ketchup contains "hidden" sugar and salt, and also because people often use too much of it and put it on everything. But if you love ketchup, you don't have to totally deprive yourself — just use a little self-control when pouring it. "While ketchup may contain sugar and salt, 1 tablespoon (tbsp) will not provide enough sugar or salt to be of concern," says Brown-Riggs. And it does have a potential health perk: Ketchup contains the antioxidant lycopene, which gives fruits and vegetables their red color and may help prevent damage to the bodies' cells. So enjoy in moderation.

Classic yellow mustard or spice-rich stone-ground versions of this condiment are excellent additions to sandwiches and burgers. Mustard can also add zest to certain meats. It's low in carbs and fat and usually falls into the "free" category for the person with type 2 diabetes — that is, foods that have fewer than 20 calories and fewer than 5 grams (g) of carbohydrates per serving. Just stick to one serving, or about 1 tbsp.

Another condiment on the diabetes free foods list is hot sauce, although itshard to imagine anyone eating unlimited amounts of it at any given meal. But if you have a special passion for the tongue-tingling spices of hot sauce, feel free to add a dash or two. Some research even suggests that using hot sauce can help you regulate how much you eat by controlling your appetite — a key part of managing your weight whether you have diabetes or not.

For a truly tasty condiment that jazzes up so many foods, blend fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, hot peppers, cilantro, and a little bit of salt. And when you make your own salsa, you can add as many spices as you want. This condiment makes a great topping for grilled fish or chicken and adds zest to your favorite wraps. You can eat up to 2 tbsp before you have to start counting carbs, says Brown-Riggs.

Vinegar is a condiment that's low in calories and carbohydrates, with no salt or fat content. With the wide variety of vinegars available to you on grocery store shelves, you can experiment to find the right flavors for the meals you enjoy most. A sprinkle of balsamic vinegar on salad can make the veggies pop, and vinegar with a touch of low-sodium soy sauce is a flavorful marinade. You can also make your own flavored vinegars by infusing them with herbs and spices.

You can find low-calorie salad dressings enhanced with almost any of your favorite spices. Add this condiment to salads and sandwiches or use it as a marinade or dipping sauce for healthy, lean proteins, such as fish or chicken — perfect for the diabetes diet. Just remember to keep portions under 2 tbsp, and read nutrition labels so you can keep track of the fat, salt, and sugar content in the salad dressings you love.

With an aroma that might bring back memories of home-cooked pies, mulled cider, and holiday treats, cinnamon isa good alternative to sugar. Just a sprinkle of cinnamon adds great sweet and spicy flavor to foods and beverages.You'll just have to watch the portion sizes of the foods you love that contain cinnamon — especially baked goods — when managing diabetes.

A traditional condiment served with roast beef, horseradish packs a powerful flavor punch. A serving of horseradish is about 1 tbspand contains only 2 g of carbs. Add it to low-fat sauces or marinades for fish, beef, and chicken. When planning dishes for your diabetes diet, keep in mind that some packaged horseradish-based condiments are high in salt and others are high in fat, so read labels carefully.

Like ketchup, mayo gets a bad rap. But if you choose one made withhealthy fat(such as olive oil), and make sure you stick to just one serving or less as described on the nutrition label, it can be a diabetes-friendly choice.To avoid overdoing this condiment, always measure it before you spread it.

At 5 g of carbohydrates per 1 tbsp serving, sweet pickle relish just barely slides into the free foods category. Still, this unique taste sensation is a classic condiment, perfect for addingto hot dogs, tuna fish sandwiches, and a host of other treats. The flavor is so good that it should be easy to stick to the serving size limit in order to include this in your diabetes menu.