We tend to think of snack foods as being bad for you, and that’s certainly true for a great many of them. But if you’re looking for a summer snack that won’t pack as many pounds around your waistline or otherwise load your body up with heavily processed ingredients, you need look no further than a simple jar of salsa. That’s right, the dip of you dreams has been on your shelf this whole time. Here are three salsa nutritional facts that might surprise you:
- Salsa Is Low in Calories
Salsa is actually quite low in calories, hovering around 20 per 2-tablespoon serving. The exact figure, unsurprisingly, will depend on what kind you’re having. There are many different types of salsa; Southwestern salsa, with its base of sweet corn and black beans, will have more calories than a raw salsa of tomatoes, onions and peppers. But regardless, almost all varieties of salsa have many, many fewer calories than dips including mayo or sour cream.
- Salsa Is Low in Saturated Fats
Of course, it matters not only how many calories you’re eating, but where those calories come from and what other nutrition is coming along with them. Since salsa is essentially chunky cut vegetables and peppers, it’s extremely low in saturated fat — as in so low you could mathematically round the amount in grams to zero for some varieties. The fat associated with salsa more commonly comes from scooping it up with fried tortilla chips, so if you can find a healthier dipper, that’s a good move.
- Salsa Is High in Vitamins C and A
Tomatoes are quite high in Vitamin C, and they pass that characteristic along to the salsa made with them. A single tomato has more than a quarter of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C! Vitamin C supports — among other things — immune health, so that’s nothing to sneeze at. Salsa is also relatively high in Vitamin A, which supports healthy skin and soft tissues.
Have you taken a look at a salsa nutritional label lately? Share your favorite recipes using salsa in the comments.
