Dinner is so easy when you can just add a store bought jar of sauce to chicken or pasta, or to any meat, potatoes etc. Nothing I like more than a quick curry and some boiled rice. But why is a premade sauce 200-500% more in calories than one you make yourself? It's just spices, seasonings and water.

Same goes for chicken sauces most of these sauces can be made syn free (on slimming world) or lower calorie when done at home. Just wondered why the makers of these sauces don't make healthy as standard :?

I guess it's extra ingredients or oils when they are preparing bigger batches ... clueless but it is frustrating

I recently saw an episode of Bones and they had a case about a food processing plant. The food scientists said during the show that processing of any kind will remove the natural flavor. So then, they must add other ingredients like fake and synthetic flavor enhancing chemicals, to make up for what is lost. These things will all add calories and other health consequences.

Most healthy things cost more, I doubt many of the places want to spend that much on the healthier stuff as it would drive up the cost to make and maybe to ship the products from place to place. I love pasta myself but my husband does not love it as much as I do so we do not eat it as often as I would like.

Avocado is right--a lot of it is due to preservatives. I've pretty much stopped buying pre-made sauces and just make my own. Canned tomato puree is easy for a base. I usually add minced garlic and herbs. If I feel fancy, I'll add in some veggies or meat.

So it's just to make it last longer? Bummer. There has to be a business opportunity there for someone