Low Calorie Sauces To Spice Up Your Meals

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:

• • 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:

• • 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:

• • 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.

Honey Sriracha Sauce

This is another dipping sauce with just the right amount of spice to be flavorful without overpowering. It’s sweet, spicy, creamy, and perfect for dipping vegetables, wings, or anything else you want to dunk in it. To make this low-calorie sauce, you’ll need:

• • 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp. of Sriracha
  • 2 tsp. of honey

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Makes around 1 cup of low-calorie sauce.

Add all ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want your sauce thicker, let it simmer for longer or mix in some corn starch before serving. You should have around 1 cup of this low-calorie sauce.

Olive Tapenade Sauce

This sauce is great for pasta dishes or as a spread on sandwiches. It’s also very low-calorie so that you can enjoy it guilt-free! To make this low-calorie sauce, you’ll need:

• • 1/2 cup of black olives (drained)
  • 2 tbsp. of capers (drained)
  • Juice from one lemon
  • 1 tbsp. of parsley (chopped)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive Oil (if needed)

Toss all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until mostly smooth but with some small chunks remaining. If needed, add olive oil to get the right consistency. You can also store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week. 

Avocado Sauce

This sauce is perfect for any Mexican dish like enchiladas, tacos, or burritos. Like every other sauce on this list, it’s low-calorie and delicious! Here’s how to make it:

• • 1/2 avocado (peeled and pitted)
  • Juice from one lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 clove of garlic (minced)
  • Water to thin, if needed.

Conclusion

You can make sauces in a variety of ways with limitless combinations, so the options are endless! Low-calorie sauces are great for when you want something flavorful without all the added fat or calories. All of these sauces are quick and easy to make, so there’s no need to worry about spending time in the kitchen! Enjoy!