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I’ve always loved ketchup. As a child it was my go-to condiment. Judging from the way my children use ketchup, I’d hazard a guess that it’s as popular as ever. The largest problem with this tasty tomato treat is that most brands are loaded with sugar – corn syrup to be exact. This is by far one of my least favorite ingredients. I’ve searched high and low for a brand of ketchup that I would be comfortable offering to my family. I’ve managed to find one nationally popular brand that fit the bill, but my kids tell me it “tastes funny”. (I have no idea what they are talking about; it tastes fine to me.) So my search has continued for ketchup that tastes “right” to them and yet doesn’t contain sugar and I found Westbrae Natural Unsweetened.
My quest for the perfect ketchup is still ongoing, but I can say I found something pretty close in Westbrae Unsweetened Ketchup 13 oz. bottle. It has a tangy tomato taste that is perfect. I’d have to say it’s one of the best tasting ketchup brands I’ve tried. Westbrae ketchup also has a fantastic texture. It’s smooth and thick – no watery messes on your plate. I didn’t even have to shake it up before opening. It dresses up any burger or meatloaf in a jiffy and doesn’t require large amounts to get the job done. The ingredient list is pretty straight forward. There are no unrecognizable items and compared to many foods, it’s a rather short list. My one objection is the use of maltodextrin. It’s still a corn product, although not quite in the same league as corn syrup.
Westbrae Natural Unsweetened Ketchup is certified kosher, fat-free and only has 5 calories per tablespoon serving. With only 1 carb per serving, this could be a decent ketchup option for many. Again, it will likely boil down to how you feel about the maltodextrin. Otherwise, I see nothing to complain about in this product at all. It’s even vegetarian, for those that care.
Westbrae Natural Unsweetened Ketchup Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size 1 tbsp (15g)
- Serving per package about 24
- Calories 5
- Calories from Fat 0
- Total Fat 0g
- Saturated Fat 0g
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 0mg
- Sodium 70mg
- Total Carbohydrates 1g*
- Fiber
- Sugars
- Protein 0g
Ingredients: Water, tomato paste (from red ripe tomatoes), Apple cider vinegar, salt, onion, maltodextrin (from corn), spice, natural flavor.
I give Westbrae Natural Unsweetened 4 stars. If not for the corn-based ingredient, it would have been a full five. This should be an acceptable product for most diet phases, although I’d caution moderation, simply because large globs of ketchup can really add up fast. Honestly, do you really measure out ketchup before you put it in your burger? Nah… neither do I.
Disclosure: I was provided Westbrae Natural Unsweetened free of charge in order to review it. It in no way affected my opinion of the product.
© 2011 by Amy Dungan. Article and photograph used by kind permission of the author. Send Amy your comments to Amy Dungan.
Have you tried the Heinz Ketchup that also only has 1 gram of carbs per tablespoon. It is great.
And probably alot cheaper than the one you reviewed.
Hi Richard!
We have tried the Heinz. I think it tastes good, but my kids think it tastes off. They liked the taste of this one better, which surprised me. That being said, they’ve used Heinz when we were out of Westbrea and complain about it less than they used to. Maybe they just needed to adjust their taste from the regular, sugary ketchups.
Another plus: the glass bottle! I recently bought my first bottle of this ketchup, and my husband and I really like it. We’ve been reducing our consumption of sugar as well as plastic, and this is great for both. (If you don’t know how bad plastic is, watch the documentary “Plastic Paradise.”)