Making your food spicier doesn’t have to mean adding unhealthy, high-calorie sauces. There are plenty of low-calorie sauces you can make that will add flavor and spice to your meals without packing on the pounds. In this article, we’ll give you recipes for a few different low-calorie sauces that will help turn bland food into a culinary masterpiece. So fire up the stove and get cooking!
Sweet Chili Sauce
This simple sauce adds a lot of flavor and spice to chicken, fish, or rice. It has a nice little kick without being too spicy. To make it, you’ll need:
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- 1/2 cup of honey
- 4 tbsp. of lime juice
- 2 tsp. of crushed red pepper
Add all ingredients to a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until well mixed. Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Makes around 1 cup of low-calorie sauce.
Parsley Pesto Sauce
This pesto-like sauce is great on fish or chicken pasta dishes, but it can also be used as a dip or spread if you make it thicker by adding less water when making the recipe below. To make this spicy sauce, you’ll need:
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- 1 tbsp. of parsley
- 3 tbsp. of pine nuts (or whatever nut you have on hand)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Juice from one lemon
- 1/2 cup of water, plus more to thin out the sauce if needed after it’s finished cooking
- Salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients except water into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If you want your sauce thinner, add in some water and blend again until it reaches the desired consistency.
Honey Mustard Sauce
This is another dipping sauce that pairs well with vegetables. It also doubles as a spread for sandwiches and burgers if you make it thicker by adding less water. To make this low-calorie sauce, you’ll need:
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- 1/2 cup of mustard (yellow or Dijon)
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 tbsp. of water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well-combined. Serve right away or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week. Makes around 1 cup of low-calorie sauce.
