Tropical Traditions Tomato Sauce

Yes, I know it is easy to make your own tomato sauce and I often do, but by now I am totally out of harvested organic tomatoes and I refuse to buy those pinkish flavorless tomatoes at the store.

The thing about store bought marinara sauce is that most of them like Prego are filled with added sugars, and harmful soybean or canola oils. But I wasn’t a fan of spending $9 a jar on Mario Batali’s tomato sauce at Target! Sheesh!

I found Middle Earth Organic tomato sauce online for only $5 a jar (if you order a case) and immediately ordered one of each to try!

Things to look for when purchasing marinara or tomato sauce:

1. Added Sugars: Some store-bought sauces can have up to 13 grams of carbs per serving! If you are trying to keep your carbs under 10-20 daily for optimal ketosis, switching sauces is an easy way to cut out the sugar.

I was talking to the producer of a local tomato sauce and he mentioned how Prego tomatoes are picked when they are green, shipped across the country and ripened in the truck while they are transported. Which is why they need to add a lot of sugar to the sauce. The sauce started with a bland tomato.

However, if you pick a plump and juicy tomato at the prime harvest time, there is no need for added sugar. Middle Earth Organics’ fields are located directly adjacent to their processing plant. This means that their vegetables go direct from vine to jar. They are never transported or refrigerated. Their policy is to process everything within 3 hours or less of being harvested, and this accounts for the distinctly fresher flavor of these premier organic tomato sauces. NO SUGAR OR SWEETENERS ARE ADDED!! These sauces are so fresh and delicious, that no sugar or sweeteners are needed, and no tomato concentrate is added either.

2. Soybean oil or Canola Oil: Vegetable oils are very inflammatory not only to the arteries but also your gut which can aggravate crohn’s disease, colitis, acid reflux and indigestion. Always make sure they use a quality oil like olive. I use SkinnyFAT MCT oil when making my homemade sauce.

3. Organic Tomatoes and Veggies: Pesticides are massive endocrine disrupters so it is best to purchase organic produce whenever possible.

4. Sea salt: These salts have been harvested either from ancient sea beds or made by evaporating sea water with high mineral content and contain about 70% of the sodium of regular salt (which has been refined, bleached and processed until it is pretty much pure sodium chloride, often with anti-caking agents added).  The other 30% is other minerals and micronutrients (including iodine) found in mineral-rich seas.  I greatly prefer these salts taste-wise to regular salt, it is well worth the extra bucks. Do not mistakenly use Morton’s “sea salt” which is devoid of iodine and nutrients.

 Click HERE to find Tropical Traditions totally organic and sugar free tomato sauces! 

Are you wondering if it tastes good???

“In a taste test of over forty types of tomato sauce, Organic Style Magazine rated the Tomato and Basil Sauce the BEST IN THE USA in its category. 

And Child Magazine rated the Tomato and Eggplant TOPS FOR KIDS because of its great flavor and healthy ingredients. 

The San Francisco Chronicle commended the line’s “clear, natural flavors” and listed Middle East Organics as one of only four gourmet quality sauces that use the best ingredients and no sugar.”