Summer has arrived. The smoker is currently tenderizing some baby back ribs(or meatless sausages), you’ve got the whole gang over (social distancing of course.) The Final touches are all that’s left, but wait, put that bottle of BBQ sauce down and first give this a little skim.

Barbecue sauce is a summer classic, but it’s a whole side dish if you squeeze enough on. Common household brand Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce, has 24g of sugar and 100calories per 1.5 ounces of sauce, at about 12 servings per 18oz. bottle. But what about that Ranch, you’re going to put on your side salad? Popular Household Brand, Hidden Valley Ranch, packs about 140 calories for 2tbsps, and 260mg of sodium. Okay, okay so you can skimp on those, but what about the coleslaw? Yes, even the coleslaw likes to get saucy. Marie’s Coleslaw dressing? In 2 tablespoons of Marie’s there’s 140 calories, there’s 12 servings in a jar. As you can see our favorite summer pastime of grilling out, can get quite saucy. If those are the only sauces you’re using, you’re looking at 340 extra calories alone and we haven’t even talked about the sour cream mac n cheese. 

Luckily, you’ve got options.Try making these healthy sauces or vegan condiments for your next, socially distant, cookout. We'll share with you how to make healthier Mayo, BBQ Sauce, Honey Mustard, Ranch Dressing, and spice it up a bit with some more fun dressings and sauces.

Try Out This Whole-30 Inspired BBQ Sauce Recipe From Bites Of Wellness

Ingredients: Tomato paste, Medjool dates (pitted), Pineapple juice, Water, Balsamic vinegar, Coconut aminos, Dijon mustard (check ingredients), Paprika, Salt, Cinnamon, and/or cayenne pepper or hot sauce

Add Ingredients by taste in an immersion blender or on high speed in your normal blender. The great thing about his barbecue recipe is there’s no sugar, the Medjool dates give it that thick sweetness and the citrusy pineapple juice also helps liven things up.

 

Photo Via https://bitesofwellness.com/whole30-bbq-sauce/

Whip Up This Tasty Vegan Mayonnaise From Simple Veganista

Ingredients: Soft or Silken Tofu, Oil (either canola, extra-light olive oil, or safflower), Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Dijon Mustard or Onion Powder, Mineral Salt.

Make sure you have all the ingredients for this one as each part plays a part in blending it all together for a creamy fresh mayonnaise.  The Simple Veganista, recommends adding more salt if the mayonnaise is bland. This Mayo can be kept for up to one week. 

Lower Calorie Coleslaw From The Chunky Chef 

Ingredients: 2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (or use some of the mayo you just made), 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, ½ Tbsp Lemon Juice (fresh), 2 Tbsp granulated sugar (or skip sugar and use Monk fruit extracts), ¼ tsp ground celery seed, kosher salt, black pepper to taste, 10oz bag of shredded coleslaw mix, ⅓ cup finely minced red onion or shallot, 2Tbsp green sliced onion

Mix everything together but the coleslaw and onion, save those for last. Once you’ve got all of the ingredients together, stick it in the fridge and let the ingredients get to know each other. Voila! The Chunky Chef estimates a serving of this Coleslaw is only 34 calories. 

Photo Via: https://www.thechunkychef.com/creamy-skinny-coleslaw-recipe/

The Perfect Vegan Poblano Pepper Cream Sauce For Your Tex-Mex Cookout by The Vegan 8

Ingredients: Raw Cashews (soaked hot water overnight), 3-4 Large Roasted Poblano Peppers, Roasted Garlic Cloves, Ground Cumin. Fresh Lime Juice, Pure Maple Syrup

A mouthwatering sauce is all about balance. In this recipe the acidity, says the creator of Vegan 8, Maple Syrup helps balance the acidity, so don’t skimp. The Lime juice gives it’s compliments to the heat of the Roasted Poblano Peppers, the cumin brings the smoke, and roasting your garlic adds depth. 

 

Smoother Your Food In Ranch Dressing Again With This Low Calorie Option From Show Me The Yummy

Remember when we said 2 tablespoons of Hidden Valley Ranch was about 140calories, how would you like to try a ranch that’s only 24 calories for 2 tablespoons, instead? Creator of Show Me The Yummy, gives us the perfect recipe so you don’t need to sacrifice health for smothering something in ranch dressing ever again. 

 

Photo Via: Showmetheyummy.com

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1/2 - 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon fresh chives, 1 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt, 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For about 192 calories you’ll almost fill up an 8-ounce mason jar. Make sure your parsley is finely chopped or place the parsley into a food processor with the other spices. Add the lemon juice last till you’re happy. And just like that you can welcome ranch back into your life again. 

Teriyaki Sauce, But With No refined Sugar From Food Network 

Ingredients: ½ cup tamari or soy sauce, 3 Tbsp rice vinegar or mirin (Japanese rice wine), 1 Tbsp honey, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 3 tsp ginger, minced, 1 green onion, sliced thinly, ½ tsp arrowroot powder (optional to thicken the sauce)

You can make this teriyaki sauce Gluten-Free by using a biologique Gluten Free Soy sauce. For a simple prep, the food network says, put all ingredients besides arrowroot powder and shake. Yes, it’s as simple as that. If you’d like a thicker Teriyaki sauce though, put all of the ingredients, this time also exempting the arrowroot and rice wine. You’ll mix those in a separate bowl and then add to the saucepan to thicken everything up. 

Healthy Vegan Honey Mustard, But Just As Sweet From My Whole Food Life

Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (vegan: use coconut yogurt), 2 T yellow mustard, 1 1/2 T raw honey (vegan: use maple syrup), 1 T lemon juice

We don’t have a simpler recipe on this summer barbeque list, just gather all your ingredients and whisk them together. If you prefer mayo-based honey mustard just use our vegan mayo recipe we shared above, ta-dah! 

Photo Sourced from MyWholeFoodLife.com

Creamy and Vibrant Vegan Green Goddess Dressing From Loving It Vegan

Ingredients: 1 cup (240g) Vegan Mayonnaise, 1/4 cup (60ml) Vegan Buttermilk (1 tsp Lemon Juice + Soy Milk up to the 1/4 cup (60ml) Line)* 2 Tbsp Lime Juice, 2 tsp Capers, 1/2 tsp Crushed Garlic, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/2 cup Cilantro (Packed), 1/2 cup Fresh Basil (Packed), 1/4 cup Fresh Chives (Chopped), 2 Spring Onions (Chopped), 1/2 tsp White Vinegar, 1 tsp Maple Syrup

 

Create your vegan buttermilk, add the vegan mayonnaise, and add in everything else and blend. Now you have a great healthy option for salad dressing for your guests. 

Alright Ladies, so now you can cookout in peace. While it might be simpler to just to just buy a few bottles of sauce, it adds up. You’ve been working so hard to be healthier and spending money too. So, make sure to eat mindfully when it counts, like with sauces! Homemade condiments and sauces are going to be fresh and just as delicious; because you’ll be eating them with some peace of mind.