Fancy Ketchup (Heinz Copycat) Lectin-free recipes — Lectin-free and Gluten-free Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Fancy Ketchup (Heinz Copycat) Lectin-free recipes — Lectin-free and Gluten-free Recipes? ›

Most store-bought tomato sauce has lectins and sugar, but you can find options that use strained tomatoes and just a few basic ingredients.

Most store-bought tomato sauce has lectins and sugar, but you can find options that use strained tomatoes and just a few basic ingredients.

Tomato seeds and skins contain lectins, and the Pomì brand Strained Tomatoes is the only brand that has the lectin-laced parts of the tomato strained out. *Pomì Strained and tomato Sauce is lectin-free.

Tomatoes also contain lectins, though there is currently no evidence that they have any negative effects in humans.

We all know ketchup as a tomato-based product, but it's certainly not tomato sauce or tomato paste. The tangy-sweet sauce contains vinegar, onions, garlic, some kind of sweetener, and seasonings like mustard powder, cumin, allspice and cinnamon.

Active lectins are what's found in raw plants. But boiling, baking, pressure-cooking and soaking can deactivate those lectins, so they're not going to have the same effect as they would if you ate them raw. Fermentation, sprouting and removing peels and seeds can also reduce the amount of active lectin in plant foods.

Some foods that contain higher amounts of lectins include beans, peanuts, lentils, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, fruits, and wheat and other grains.

The Problem With Lectins

The most publicized accounts report severe reactions in people eating even small amounts of raw or undercooked kidney beans. They contain phytohaemagglutinin, a type of lectin that can cause red blood cells to clump together. It can also produce nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, and diarrhea.

Eggs are not full of lectins. Chickens raised on pasture and not fed grains or soy produce eggs that contain little to no lectins. How do lectins work? Lectins are proteins found in plants that can bind to carbohydrates.

Lectins play a role in regulating the immune system, and making sure cells function normally. Many lectin-rich foods are also good sources of B vitamins, mineral, protein, fiber, and healthy fats. So, as long as you don't have a sensitivity, the benefits of eating lectin-rich food likely outweigh the potential harm.

How to eat tomatoes without lectins? ›

Lower tomatoes into boiling water and boil for 45-60 seconds, until skins wrinkle and start to peel. Immediately place tomatoes into bowl of ice water to cool for about 1 minute. Remove tomatoes from ice water and peel skins away from X-shape. Cut each tomato in half, then into 3 equal-sized wedges per half.

Only the "strained" tomatoes product is Plant Paradox compliant. So don't make the mistake of buying the other products like chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce. The others have skins and seeds. Only Pomi strained tomatoes have the skins and seeds strained out.

Lectin is a carbohydrate-binding protein that can be found in varying amounts in most plants, including beans, pulses, grains, fruits and vegetables (eg, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, berries, watermelon), nuts, coffee, chocolate, and some herbs and spices (eg, peppermint, marjoram, nutmeg).

The company may have a surprisingly tasty collection of dipping sauces, but their ketchup has a compelling quality of its own, too. In particular, McDonald's ketchup isn't a commercially-available brand like Heinz or Hunt's, it's their own proprietary blend -- and that makes all the difference.

According to the McDonald's website, its ketchup is made from "Tomato Concentrate From Red Ripe Tomatoes, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Salt, and Natural Flavors." Meanwhile, the recipe on the back of the Heinz bottle includes all of the above, plus onion powder and an unnamed spice.

Heinz's recipe also included a greater concentration of vinegar, which increased the acidity, making it more sour than its competitors. He also doubled the sugar, hitting the tongue's sweet spot.

Research suggests any of ketchup's health benefits likely come from the carotenoid lycopene in the tomatoes. Lycopene itself is believed to have anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic properties, yet there's little research to suggest that eating ketchup itself will have the same effects ( 1 , 4 ).

Other compounds in tomato ketchup such as α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid appeared to strengthen the anti-inflammatory effect of lycopene. The tomato ketchup extracts subtly interfered with several inflammatory phases that inhibit chemotaxis.

The foods highest in lectins include: nightshade vegetables, such as tomatoes, potatoes, goji berries, peppers, and eggplant. all legumes, such as lentils, beans, peanuts, and chickpeas.