March is National Sauce Month.

The sauce most used in American homes is tomato sauce—for pasta, pizza, eggs, meatloaf, soup base, dipping and so much more.

However, tomato sauce/pasta sauce is one of the biggest sources of hidden added sugar in prepared foods.

Look at the labels of the foods you buy: both the grams of sugar per serving and the serving size.

Check out the sugar in these popular tomato sauces:
For example:

 
And on and on. You can check more brands’ sugar content here.

According to the American Heart Association:

 
That includes not only the sugar you put onto oatmeal and into tea, but the hidden added sugars, which can comprise the majority of sugar grams consumed daily.

Added sugars are those sugars that have been used by the food industry to enhance a food’s flavor. These are processed sugars, compared to the natural sugars in a piece of fruit.

Natural sugars are digested more slowly and help you feel full for longer. Refined (processed sugar) can spike your metabolism stable.

Plus, why add to your 40g of daily sugar when you don’t have to?

That’s why we’re highlighting three pasta sauces for National Sauce Month.

 
There are other sauces out there that meet these criteria. But in our particular supermarket, we don’t find them on the shelf.

Instead, we head to natural foods and specialty foods markets and stock up. And, online ordering!

In alphabetical order, we present:
 
 
JAR GOODS

These are gourmet sauces, in that they can dress the most elegant dishes.

The line was begun by two sisters-in-law. With initial investment of $150, they bottled a family recipe by hand and began to sell at farmers markets and street fairs.

Their grass-roots efforts were a success, and today the line—bottled in a food packaging plant—includes:

 
The Classic Red, Classic Spicy and Vegan Vodka sauces are certified OU Kosher/Pareve. The Vodka sauce contains cream.

Here’s a store locator.

You can also buy directly from the website.

And if you like to bring little gifts to friends and family, these slender jars look great with a bow or ribbon.
 
 
OTAMOT ESSENTIAL SAUCE

Otamot is called Essential Sauce because it sneaks in 10 vegetables and their nutrients. And no one is the wiser.

The main ingredient, of course, is tomato. Otamot is tomato spelled backwards.

Otamot was created by the parent of a picky eater, who set out to create a more nutritious tomato sauce, a food his daughter would eat.

Starting with the concept of tomato sauce, he found a way to add a nutrient boost to meals, including vitamins, minerals and fiber.

The solution: a tomato-based sauce combined with ten other vegetables.

It’s full of flavor, and a great way to sneak in vegetables that the vegetable-averse will never suspect.

But you don’t have to be vegetable-averse to love this sauce: It’s delicious for everyone.

There are three varieties:

 
The sauces are gluten free, no sugar added, Non GMO, USDA Organic, high in fiber, and have 3 grams of protein per serving.

We made it a Top Pick Of The Week (here’s our review).
Check out the website, OtamotFoods.com, for a store locator and online purchase.
 
 
THE JERSEY TOMATO CO.

The brand, made from Jersey tomatoes, has Top Chef Head Judge Tom Colicchio as the brand’s official partner and culinary consultant.

The brand’s emphasis on vine-ripened, garden-fresh taste and naturally healthful attributes.

The sauces are very chunky. Varieties include:

 
The line is certified kosher by KOF-K.

Head to JerseyTomatoCo.com for more information and online sales.
 
 
Are you ready to get saucy?

[1] Jar Goods’ four varieties of tomato sauce (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Jar Goods).

[2] Use it anywhere, including shakshouka: eggs cooked in spicy sauce.

[3] The classic: spaghetti and meatballs.

[4] Otamot: a tomato sauce with 10 additional “hidden” vegetables for more nutrition (photos #4 and #5 © Otamot Foods).

[5] Get creative: Here’s Otamot on tacos.

[6] The Jersey Tomato brand is made from—you guessed it!—Jersey tomatoes (photos #6 and #7 © The Jersey Tomato Co.).

[7] Comfort food!