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Spreads, dips, and sauces may not get top billing when it comes to what we eat, but they’re just as important as staples like whole grains and dairy. Things like hummus, pasta sauce, and salad dressing are the important finishing touches that complete our meals, which would be way, way less exciting without them. It’s not just that they add flavor, though. They also pack in nutrients that help round out what we eat, providing us with much-needed proteins, fiber, or fats to keep us feeling satisfied (looking at you, hummus and peanut butter.)
Of all the newest dips, spreads, and sauces out there, these 11 are the winners of SELF’s 2018 Healthy Food Awards. In order to be considered, they first had to comply with nutrient criteria created by registered dietitians for our awards. From there, they had to be better than dozens of other products our editors personally taste-tested. From snack-size guacamole to added sugar-free tomato sauce, these are all the dips, spreads, and sauces at the supermarket worth diving into.
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Courtesy of Brand1 Best Guacamole: Wholly Guacamole Homestyle Guacamole
Our editors agreed that guacamole is best when it’s simple and the focus is on the avocado. These single-serve containers are super convenient and capture the essence of what we look for in a good guac. One editor noted that while many pre-packaged guacamoles are “pulverized and flavored to oblivion,” you can actually taste and feel the avocado in this one. Plus, they said, “It didn’t have that out-of-the-plastic-package feeling or taste to it.”
Per 2 Tbsp: 50 calories, 4.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 2 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 0 g protein, 110 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $4.98 for a 16-oz. container
Buy it: walmart.com
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Courtesy of Brand2 Best Hummus: Lantana Sriracha Carrot Hummus
As far as spicy hummus goes, this one is as good as it gets. Editors noted that the carrots added just the right amount of sweetness, and the fiery flavor from Sriracha was hot, but not overwhelmingly so. “I can’t do spicy things but the carrot flavor helped to mellow out the Sriracha,” one tester wrote.
Per 2 Tbsp: 50 calories, 3 g fat (0 g saturated), 5 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 2 g protein, 105 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $5.32 for a 10-oz. container
Buy it: target.com
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Courtesy of Brand3 Best Marinade: Be Sweet Kumana Mango Avocado Sauce
There are so many ways to use this marinade other than as a marinade. Tasters said that it makes a great dipping sauce, because it’s flavorful but not too sweet, and it could totally work on a salad too. And when you do use it as a marinade, it’ll make whatever you cook juicy, tender, and rich. “When I baked a chicken with just salt, pepper, and this, it came out great,” one tester wrote.
Per 1-tbsp. serving: 5 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated), 0 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 0 g protein, 30 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $7.99 for a 13.1-oz. bottle
Buy it: amazon.com
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Courtesy of Brand4 Best Nut Butter: Barney Butter Bare Crunchy Almond Butter
It can be hard to find a nut butter that’s not too sticky or thick, which is why our editors loved this one. They said that the consistency isn’t too thick to make chewing difficult, and the crunch isn’t so intense that you don’t notice anything else. Plus, they noted that it has a really rich, authentic almond flavor that tastes like throwing back a handful of legit almonds.
Per 2-tbsp. serving: 180 calories, 16 g fat (1 g saturated), 7 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 7 g protein, 0 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $9.99 for a 10-oz. container
Buy it: amazon.com
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Courtesy of Brand5 Best Pasta Sauce: Lucini Italia Organic Rustic Tomato Basil
Made with only five ingredients—tomatoes, onions, carrots, olive oil, and basil—this product is one of the most simple tomato sauces you’re likely to see at the supermarket. Editors loved it because it doesn’t have any added sugar (unlike a lot of the other store-bought tomato sauces), and it has an excellent chunky texture from chopped onions and carrots.
Per ½ cup: 35 calories, 1.5 g fat (0 g saturated), 5 g carbs, 3 g sugar, 1 g protein, 220 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $9.99 for a 25.5-oz. jar
Buy it: amazon.com
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Courtesy of Brand6 Best Crushed Tomato Pasta Sauce: Eden Organic Crushed Tomatoes
Our editors loved how straightforward this sauce was. “I like foods to be as natural and unprocessed as possible,” one wrote, “[and] you can dress [this one] up in so many ways!” Even if you choose not to experiment with this sauce, it tastes great and simple tossed with pasta.
Per ¼ cup: 15 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 4 g carbs, 3 g sugar, 1 g protein, 25 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $8.33 for a 25-oz. jar
Buy it: amazon.com
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Courtesy of Brand7 Best Peanut Butter: Brandless Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
Peanuts and sea salt are the only two ingredients in this spread, and it shows. Tasters noted that it had a “deep, peanut-y flavor” that was rich, smooth, and not chalky like a lot of other all-natural peanut butters can be.
Per 2 tbsp: 190 calories, 16 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 7 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 8 g protein, 115 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $3 for a 12-oz. jar
Buy it: brandless.com
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Courtesy of Brand8 Best Creamy Salad Dressing: Bolthouse Farms Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
This avocado-based product is technically a salad dressing, but our editors fully intend to use it as a dip for vegetables, a marinade for meats, and so much more. It had a texture so creamy and luscious, we were almost tempted to eat it by the spoonful—almost.
Per 2 Tbsp: 45 calories, 3 g fat (0 g saturated), 3 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 1 g protein, 130 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $3.49 for a 14-fl. oz. bottle
Buy it: bolthouse.com
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Courtesy of Brand9 Best Vinaigrette Salad Dressing: Bolthouse Farms Lemon Basil Organic Dressing
A lot of the salad dressings we tried tasted like watered down vinegar, but this one blew the others out of the water with it’s “bright, balanced lemon and basil flavor”. If you’re looking for a way to amp up your basic, weeknight salad, this is it.
Per 2 Tbsp: 45 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated), 2 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 0 g protein, 140 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $4.49 for a 14-fl. oz. bottle
Buy it: bolthouse.com
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Courtesy of Brand10 Best Classic Salsa: Newman’s Own Organics Mild Salsa
This salsa tastes like classic sports game fair, but new and improved. Low in sodium, packed with veggies, and completely without added sugars, it’s fresh, chunky, and wonderful.
Per 2 Tbsp: 15 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated), 3 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 0 g protein, 125 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $3.79 for a 16-oz. jar
Buy it: newmansown.com
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Stonewall Kitchen Peach Salsa11 Best Fruit Salsa: Stonewall Kitchen Peach Salsa
Sometimes the mood calls for fruit salsa, and when it does, this is the one you’ll want in your pantry. It’s not super spicy, but it has enough heat to satisfy hot heads. And the fresh, chopped peaches add a pleasant, sweet zing that almost tastes like a dessert.
Per 2 Tbsp: 10 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated), 2 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 0 g protein, 30 mg sodium
Suggested retail price: $7.50 for 16-oz. jar
Buy it: amazon.com
