Put It On Everything Sauce

Don’t underestimate the power of a good sauce.

I like to have some sort of homemade sauce sitting in my fridge. It makes cooking and eating so much easier because you can add flavor and moisture to any dish. Making it yourself is healthier, tastier, and you can customize it exactly how you like it.

This creamy, tangy, and herby variation is a yogurt, cilantro, and lime sauce. I put it on eggs in the morning, tacos, use it as a salad dressing, dip chips and veggies in it, and even use it as a marinade for chicken—really, anything!

~ Camilla

Harlan’s Food For Thought

The following is a macronutrient breakdown for the entire dish. Actual macro intake will vary based on portion size. I calculated this using non-fat Greek yogurt, which keeps the protein high and calories moderate.

  • Calories: Approximately 650

  • Protein: 23g

  • Fat: 54g

  • Carbs: 10g

This sauce is a great option for someone looking for an easy, low-carb option for dipping or smothering!

I often talk to people working on a low-carb diet who completely overlook sauces and dips as a sneaky source of unwanted sugars. Most of the store-bought options have lots of added sugar, which can disrupt your goal of using fatty acids for fuel. Make sure to be intentional about reading labels and portion sizes.

Let’s take a common BBQ sauce as an example. A typical serving size is 1-2 tablespoons (not very much) and contains 15-20g of added sugars! For those on a keto diet, aiming for a net daily intake of 20g or less of carbohydrates, one serving could put you at your limit.

Additionally, the added sugar in most sweet sauces is often high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is 55% fructose and 45% glucose. While fructose is a simple sugar, it must first be broken down by the liver into three elements: triglycerides, uric acid, and glucose.

Here’s what happens with these elements:

  • Triglycerides: The body uses triglycerides (a lipid or fat-based molecule) as a form of energy storage in fat cells. Glycerol, a major component in triglycerides, can easily be converted into glucose, and vice versa. When we consume too many calories (usually in the form of carbohydrates), our body produces an excess of triglycerides, storing them as fat or converting them into vLDL and sdLDL—forms of cholesterol prone to oxidation and potentially contributing to cardiovascular disease.

  • Uric Acid: A byproduct of fructose metabolism that contributes to various health conditions, including hypertension, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, kidney disease, and gout. High levels of uric acid can lead to systemic inflammation, which we definitely want to avoid!

  • Glucose: The simple sugar that the body uses most readily for fuel. Unused glucose is stored in muscle and fat cells as glycogen, which the body accesses when energy demand is present (so, remember to exercise!). This is why glucose directly contributes to weight gain when consumed in excess without any physical activity.

As you can see, the body does a lot of work to process high-fructose corn syrup, with results that go beyond just sugar!

I hope this information is helpful! We truly are what we eat, and knowledge is power. As always, feel free to reach out to schedule an appointment with me if you’d like to discuss diet and nutrition.

~ Harlan Wolff, Registered Nurse and Clinical Educator

Cilantro Lime Sauce

Ingredients:

1 bunch of cilantro

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 jalapeño, cut in half lengthwise, seeds and membrane scraped out with a spoon (save the seeds if you like it spicy)

2 limes (zest of one and juice of both)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

Instructions:

  1. Combine Ingredients: Add all ingredients to a blender: Greek yogurt, the whole bunch of cilantro (including the stems), jalapeño, the zest of one lime, the juice of both limes, olive oil, and salt.

  2. Blend Until Smooth: The cilantro stems blend up nicely, so you won’t get a fibrous texture, and they actually have as much, if not more, flavor than the leaves.

  3. Store the Sauce: I cleaned out an old bottle and put my sauce in there for easy use.

Now you are ready to zhuzh any dish!

Angela Ferry