To say it can be mystifying to weed out the good from the bad when we’re all so spoiled for choice in the modern world is an understatement. While there may have been only a handful of varieties of ketchup available once upon a time, today the shelves run rampant with different flavors and ingredient profiles. There are natural varieties, organic varieties, flavored varieties, and so many more. What’s the right choice when all you really want to do is live your life and eat ketchup?

Depending on the type of diet that you follow, you might be confused about the best type of variety for your purposes — and that can be frustrating. The founder of Hispanic Food Communications, Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, MS, RD, tells Eat This, Not That!, that it’s important to select a brand that meets the right criteria. It should contain minimal sugar, no added salt, and no corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup. 

It’s just as important not to be fooled by so-called claims of “healthy” recipes. An organic ketchup could easily contain far more sodium than another type of ketchup, for example. Some types have lower sodium content but more sugar, and vice versa. Even those ketchups considered truly healthy might contain more sodium to compensate for their lack of flavor. It can be frustrating, but it can also be rewarding if you’re a big ketchup enthusiast.