Wolf In Sheep's Clothing: Pasta Sauce

There you are on a weekday night, prepping what appears to be a very healthy -- and quick -- dinner: whole wheat fussili topped with half a cup of marinara sauce and a medley of steamed broccoli, spinach, and sauteed onions and peppers.



Fiber? Check.



Protein? Check.



Lycopene? Check.



Vitamin C? Check.



Four teaspoons of sugar? Check.



A third of a day's maximum sodium recommendation? Check.



(Insert sound of record coming to a screeching halt here).



Tomato-based pasta sauces are, in theory, nutritionally superior to cream-based ones.



Unfortunately, many popular brands provide as much sugar as half a can of Coke -- and as much salt as four strips of bacon -- in a mere half cup serving.



Some of the worst offenders are listed below (remember, these values are for just a half cup)!



Ragu Old World Style Marinara Sauce: 780 milligrams of sodium

Ragu Old World Style Traditional sauce: 780 milligrams of sodium

Prego "With meat" Sauce: 12 grams (1 tablespoon) of added sugar

Ragu Chunky Garden Style sauce: 13 grams (1 tablespoon) of added sugar

Prego Traditional Sauce: 15 grams (1.3 tablespoons) of added sugar



Did I mention they all contain high fructose corn syrup ?



To make sure your healthy pasta dishes aren't tainted by sauces, take a look at the label.



Choose ones offering no more than 4 grams of sugar and 350 milligrams of sodium per half cup serving.



Some recommendations? Colavita, Rao's, and Muir Glen Organic.