The pros and cons of condiments

Ketchup

What's Good: A tablespoon of Heinz ketchup has just 15 calories and no fat. Its main ingredient is tomato concentrate made from actual tomatoes, which contain Vitamin C, folate and potassium. Processing tomatoes to create products such as ketchup actually concentrates the lycopene therein; studies have found a correlation between lycopene, an antioxidant, and a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, some cancers and macular degeneration.

What's Bad: Though it doesn't taste all that salty, ketchup has lots of sodium: That single tablespoon delivers 190 milligrams (mg). Yes, Heinz contains high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, as do many processed foods.

Want an Alternative? Salsa, which recently bypassed ketchup as the nation's top-selling condiment, can be a more healthful choice, particularly if you buy a refrigerated version rather than one sold in room-temperature jars; the latter are more likely to contain added sweeteners and sodium.

Mayonnaise

What's Good: Mayonnaise is made mostly of eggs and oil; eggs are a good source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that appears to promote cardiovascular health. Look for mayo made with olive or canola oil, both of which are also good for your heart.

What's Bad: Full-fat mayonnaise has about 90 calories per tablespoon and 10 grams of fat; the same amount of a reduced-fat variety has 35 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. And watch out for the sodium: 130 mg per tablespoon.

Want an Alternative? Why not mash up a ripe avocado and spread it on your burger bun? Avocado, like mayonnaise, is pretty much pure fat (about five grams per tablespoon) -- but most of it is oleic acid, the kind that's good for your cardiovascular system.

Mustard

What's Good: Dijon (such as Grey Poupon) and plain yellow (such as French's) mustards both contain mustard seed, which is full of selenium, a nutrient thought to protect against some cancers, and omega-3 fatty acids. The little seeds are also surprisingly good sources of iron, calcium, zinc, manganese, magnesium, protein, niacin and even fiber.

What's Bad: Dijon has lots of sodium: 360 mg per tablespoon. Yellow has 165 mg.

Want an Alternative? Since mustard is already so healthful, why bother?

Pickle Relish

What's Good: Despite being sweetened with HFCS, pickle relish is low in calories: just 10 per tablespoon. It's also low in sodium, with just 85 mg in that tablespoon.

What's Bad: Sodium benzoate, to which some people have allergic reactions.

Want an Alternative? Try sauerkraut. This pungent pickled cabbage provides a bit of fiber and a little bit of Vitamin C for just 2.5 calories per tablespoon; its sodium content, at 90 mg per tablespoon, is comparable to relish's.