Sugar Free BBQ Sauce

I know how you feel. Your doctor told you to use sugar free bbq sauce because your blood sugar is high or you already have diabetes.

I know because I am in the same boat. So you don’t have to give up bbq sauce just because of the diabetes or being at risk for diabetes.

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Why diabetes is bad for you

Its basically like this once your blood sugar goes over 140 on a chemistry test your body’s defense against infections,complications from vascular disease goes up. insulin is the hormone our pancreas makes to keep blood sugar under control.

When the pancreas can’t make enough insulin to keep up with the sugar in your body the blood sugar goes up causing all kind of problems. How can you help-avoid sugar in your foods when possible. there is sugar in enough foods that its hard to stay away from it.

If your like me you love barbecue sauce. Now you have to use a sugar free barbecue sauce just to stay healthy but the bbq sauce can still be pleasant. The less sugar you eat in your diet the sweeter things will taste to you over time.

Understanding Carbohydrates

Made simple carbohydrates are starches but when broken down in our body they break down into sugars and for diabetics that means we need more insulin to keep our bodies blood sugar normal. Why is this ? Our body is more complicated then a

car,think of running your car with not enough oil in the oil tank. What will happen thinks wear out and fail.

Think of insulin as your bodies oil,not enough insulin and thinks start to go bad-you develop overtimes problems with your kidneys,eyes,and other complications with you cardiovascular system making you at risk for heart attacks and strokes.

The good news is that cutting back carbohydrates can be done which will be part of the treatment of diabetes. Your doctor will give you medication such as more insulin or pills to try to raise the insulin level in the blood.

Barbecue is a good ingredient in you diet as its rich in protein and if you cook without sugar it will be even better for your health. You need to let your doctor know what your diet is and monitor your blood sugar with him. When I cut down on my carbohydrates and sugar my blood sugars went down.

Sugar free barbecue sauce you can make at home

Diabetes changes your life and you want to remain healthy so you have to take matters into your ow hands what I say is to take the bull by the horns-how?

Do it yourself?

Image from healthfulpursuit.com

Make sauces that have no sugar in them-yes there may be some carbohydrates from the tomato you know that a tomato is a fruit?

Well there will still be a lot less sugar in your sauce then in one room the store. Check the labels on most bbq sauce in the US they are high in carbohydrates.

And you need to look at how much carbohydrates are in a tablespoon of sauce-its scary to think that one tablespoon of sauce has 10 g of sugar!

And who uses only one or two tablespoons of bbq sauce? Not me ! But then again with diabetes you have to change how you eat and I have begun to eat less bbq sauce in general because I enjoy the taste of the bbq meat much more. Read: Gluten free bbq sauce.

Well if you use a vinegar based bbq sauce with our sugar or use a little splendid in your diabetic barbecue sauce then you can enjoy barbecue more. There is also mustard based bbq sauce that is great as well.

10 Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce Recipes

1. Hickory BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

6 roma tomatoes, diced
1 large yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs smoked paprika
1 can tomato paste
2 tbs raw honey
1 tbs liquid smoke
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tbs coconut aminos
1 tbs lard
salt and pepper to taste

2. Better Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or unrefined coconut oil
1 cup minced fresh onion or 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt or 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
3 cloves minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin (preferably ground fresh)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/3 teaspoon ground chipotle (smoked dried jalapeno pepper)
1 teaspoon dried crumbed basil
1 teaspoon dried, crumbled oregano, optional
1 (6-ounce) can salt-free, sugar-free tomato paste
1 1/4 cups water, preservative-free chicken broth or diluted or full-strength chicken stock
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar or 3 tablespoons of lime juice
1/4 teaspoon stevia extract powder
1 tablespoon honey, optional

3. Brian’s Barbecue Sauce

Image from thatpaleocouple.com

Ingredients:

1/2 C homemade ketchup
2 Tbsp Blackstrap molasses
1 Tbsp Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Horseradish Dijon mustard
2 tsp coconut aminos
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

4. Cherry BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups dark sweet cherries (fresh or frozen & defrosted, pits removed)
2 Tablespoons Hoskins Raw Blackberry Vinegar (or use apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar)
1 Tablespoon coconut aminos (or tamari)
1 Tablespoon minced dried onion (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
1 to 2 Tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
1 Tablespoon black strap molasses (not raw, but adds great BBQ flavor)
½ teaspoon raw mustard
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (or 1/4 teaspoon ginger extract)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt