With summer getting underway, odds are you’ve got some barbecue on the brain. Grilling meats and vegetables—and even fruits, like peaches and pineapples—can be a quick, fun, and healthier way to eat. Unfortunately, some of the most popular sauces and marinades on the market are full of added sugar and fat, which add a lot of hidden calories.
Not to worry! We’ve rounded up five lower-calorie BBQ sauces that’ll give your grilling that robust summer flavor without the hidden calories.
Let’s start with one of the best lower-calorie swaps out there for that classic BBQ flavor: Good Food for Good. This sauce is sweetened with dates, which you might find add a more complex and better flavor than refined sugar. It’s also low in salt. One jar of this and you’ll be everyone’s new grill guru.
This tropical fruit-inspired marinade adds sweetness and heat, while leaving out added sugar and fats. With a blend of mangos, dates, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, and more, this sauce will make your meals taste like you spent hours adding spices and ingredients, when really all you did was glop on the sauce.
Want your barbecued creations to take your palate on a journey? That’s precisely what this sauce does. It begins with a hickory-smoked flavor experience that’ll make anyone think you spent days in the smokehouse, but still leads to a sweet finish (despite being sugar-free!). Bon voyage and bon appétit.
If you’re a daredevil with spicy food, you’ve got to try grilling with this sauce this summer. Three different kinds of hot peppers—ancho, chipotle, and habanero—join forces to light a fire in your mouth. But have no fear. It’s rounded out by a mindful amount of maple syrup for sweet relief.
If you’re on the fence about moving away from the BBQ sauce you’ve used for years, Tessamae’s might just be the one to convert you. A plethora of ingredients combine to produce a flavor that’s sweet, tangy, hearty, and just delightful. In other words, it gives you everything you want and need from your grilled handiwork, without sugar or fat.
