Tomato sauce is a staple in Italian and American cuisine as it has been for years. The sauce goes well with oven-baked chicken, beef roast, and pasta. Some may even eat it on its own, right out of the jar! But is Hunt’s Tomato Sauce gluten-free?
Yes, Hunt’s Tomato Sauce is considered gluten-free, as none of the ingredients contain gluten. This applies to all Hunt’s Tomato Sauce varieties. If you are looking for other healthy gluten-free alternatives, try Muir Glen Organic Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes, Thrive Market Organic Tomato Paste, Primal Kitchen Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce, and Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce.
Tomato sauce is an excellent addition to lots of dishes and also makes a great dipping sauce. Keep reading for more info on tomato sauce, its ingredients, and healthier alternatives to the more popular brands. Let’s dig in!
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Is Tomato Sauce Healthy?
One of the best health advantages of tomato sauce is that it’s high in vitamin C, A, and K, all of which are essential to your body’s functioning. Vitamin A aids in the maintenance of your immune system while also aiding in eye and skin health. Vitamin C is needed for brain and heart health, bone-building, healing wounds, and tissue repair. Vitamin K is required for blood coagulation prevention as well as bone mineralization.
The levels of antioxidants found in tomato sauce are also beneficial to your body. Antioxidants help fight diseases like cancer by reducing free radicals that could otherwise cause damage to your cells.
Tomatoes contain an antioxidant called lycopene, which gives them both their red color and makes up about half the weight of the fruit, but it can be difficult for your body to absorb unless cooked or processed due to its structure. Lycopene has been shown in studies to reduce your risk of heart disease (the biggest killer in America) as well as protect you from some cancers including the types of skin, prostate gland, and lung.
Hunt’s Tomato Sauce Nutritional Information
Hunt’s is made by ConAgra Foods, making it a point to disclose any gluten-related ingredients. They offer many other gluten-free sauces and tomato variations like No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes, San Marzano Style Whole Peeled Tomatoes, and Tomato Sauce With Basil, Garlic, and Oregano.
Hunt’s Tomato Sauce
Hunt’s tomato sauces are made with 100% natural ingredients. Hunt’s is also gluten-free and a good choice from the more popular sauce brands.
Ingredients:
- Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)
- Water
- Salt
- Citric Acid
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Red Pepper
Nutrition Facts (per 1/4 cup or 62g):
- 20 Calories
- 0 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 380 mg Sodium
- 4 g Total Carbohydrates
- 2 g Dietary Fiber
- 2 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Hunt’s 100% Natural Tomato Sauce, Basil, Garlic, & Oregano
This is another gluten-free option that Hunt’s makes.
Ingredients:
- Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)
- Water
- Salt
- Citric Acid
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Red Pepper
- Dried Basil
- Dried Oregano
Nutrition Facts (per 1/4 cup or 62g):
- 20 Calories
- 0 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 370 mg Sodium
- 4 g Total Carbohydrates
- 2 g Dietary Fiber
- 2 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Hunts Seasoned Tomato Sauce For Meatloaf
Here is another offering from Hunt’s. This is also gluten-free but does have a lot more additives like high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup.
Ingredients:
- Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)
- Water
- Distilled Vinegar
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Salt
- Dried Onion
- Corn Syrup
- Spices Including Paprika
- Carrot Fiber
- Sugar
- Green Bell Pepper Powder
- Guar Gum
- Locust Bean Gum
- Natural Flavor
- Xanthan Gum
- Garlic Powder
Nutrition Facts (per 1/4 cup or 62g):
- 30 Calories
- 0 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 470 mg Sodium
- 7 g Total Carbohydrates
- 2 g Dietary Fiber
- 4 g Sugars
- <1 g Protein
Hunt’s No Salt Added Tomato Sauce
For a tomato sauce with less salt, Hunt’s makes a no salt added variety that is also gluten-free.
Ingredients:
- Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)
- Water
- Citric Acid
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Red Pepper
Nutrition Facts (per 1/4 cup or 62g):
- 20 Calories
- 0 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 15 mg Sodium
- 5 g Total Carbohydrates
- 2 g Dietary Fiber
- 2 g Sugars
- <1 g Protein
Popular Tomato Sauce Brands
There are many tomato sauce brands on the market. Not all are created equal. Some contain salt, sugar, and other additives. Here are some of the most popular brands of tomato sauce you can find on any store shelf.
Del Monte Tomato Sauce
Del Monte tomato sauce is another good choice for a basic canned sauce. It is also gluten-free, and they only add sea salt and spices to the sauce, making it fat-free and lower in calories than some other brands.
Ingredients:
- Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)
- Water
- Sea Salt
- Citric Acid
- Spice
Nutrition Facts (per 1/4 cup or 61g):
- 15 Calories
- 0 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 340 mg Sodium
- 3 g Total Carbohydrates
- 1 g Dietary Fiber
- 2 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Contadina Tomato Sauce
Contadina’s tomato sauce is also gluten-free. The only downside is that they list sugar on one of the ingredients. While it only accounts for 1 gram, other sauces don’t add any sugar.
Ingredients:
- Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)
- Water
- Sea Salt
- Sugar
- Citric Acid
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Spices
Nutrition Facts (per 1/4 cup or 61g):
- 15 Calories
- 0 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 280 mg Sodium
- 3 g Total Carbohydrates
- <1 g Dietary Fiber
- 1 g Sugars
- <1 g Protein
Prego Italian Sauce
Prego’s jarred sauce is made by Campbell’s. The sauce is gluten-free and contains dehydrated vegetables, onion, and garlic.
Ingredients:
- Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)
- Diced Tomatoes In Tomato Juice
- Sugar
- Canola Oil
- Salt
- Dehydrated Onions
- Spices
- Citric Acid
- Dehydrated Garlic
- Onion Extract
- Garlic Extract
Nutrition Facts (per 1/2 cup or 120g):
- 70 Calories
- 5 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 480 mg Sodium
- 13 g Total Carbohydrates
- 2 g Dietary Fiber
- 10 g Sugars
- 2 g Protein
Alternatives to Hunt’s Tomato Sauce
Even though tomato sauce isn’t the worst food in the world, it doesn’t mean there are no alternatives that are healthier and cleaner options when you need a sauce for your zucchini noodles.
Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce
Rao’s created their sauce with slow-cooked sweet plum tomatoes and fresh ingredients. While not the cheapest sauce, it uses olive oil to create a great flavor. Rao’s does have some fat from the olive oil but doesn’t add sugar.
Ingredients:
- Italian Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- Olive Oil
- Onions
- Salt
- Garlic
- Basil
- Black Pepper
- Oregano
Nutrition Facts (per 1/2 cup or 125g):
- 100 Calories
- 7 g Total Fat
- 1 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 420 mg Sodium
- 6 g Total Carbohydrates
- 1 g Dietary Fiber
- 4 g Sugars
- 2 g Protein
Primal Kitchen Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce
Primal Kitchen’s Tomato Basil sauce is made from organic ingredients and uses avocado oil instead of canola. The sauce is gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, and Whole30 approved.
Ingredients:
- Organic Diced Tomatoes
- Organic Tomato Puree (Water, Organic Tomato Paste)
- Organic Basil
- Avocado Oil
- Sea Salt
- Organic Onions
- Organic Garlic Powder
- Organic Oregano
- Citric Acid
- Organic Garlic
Nutrition Facts (per 1/2 cup or 125g):
- 50 Calories
- 2 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 470 mg Sodium
- 8 g Total Carbohydrates
- 1 g Dietary Fiber
- 5 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Muir Glen Organic Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
These fire-roasted tomatoes are organic, gluten-free, BPA-free, and non-GMO making them great for those with celiac disease.
Ingredients:
- Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- Organic Tomato Juice
- Citric Acid
- Sea Salt
- Calcium Chloride
Nutrition Facts (per ½ cup or 130g):
- 30 Calories
- 0 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 200 mg Sodium
- 6 g Total Carbohydrates
- 1 g Dietary Fiber
- 3 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Traditional Savory Oregano & Basil Pasta Sauce By Barilla
Barilla makes another great jarred sauce. Their Traditional Savory Oregano and Basil Pasta Sauce is gluten-free, non-GMO, contains no preservatives, and is made with extra virgin and olive oil.
Ingredients:
- Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)
- Diced Tomatoes In Tomato Juice
- Onions
- Garlic
- Sea Salt
- Basil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Oregano
- Citric Acid
Nutrition Facts (per 1/2 cup or 125g):
- 50 Calories
- 5 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 450 mg Sodium
- 10 g Total Carbohydrates
- 3 g Dietary Fiber
- 5 g Sugars
- 2 g Protein
Thrive Market Organic Tomato Paste
This sauce is created from non-GMO and sustainably farmed tomatoes. It is gluten-free, but it contains only tomatoes and citric acid, making it a clean option when in need of a tomato sauce.
Ingredients:
- Organic Tomato Pulp
- Citric Acid
Nutrition Facts (per 2 Tbsp or 33g):
- 25 Calories
- 0 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 20 mg Sodium
- 6 g Total Carbohydrates
- 1 g Dietary Fiber
- 4 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Bionaturae Organic Tomato Paste
This is the cleanest sauce on the list. It is only made from organic tomato paste, making it gluten-free and a great choice.
Ingredients:
- Organic Tomato Paste
Nutrition Facts (per 2 Tbsp or 28g):
- 20 Calories
- 0 g Total Fat
- 0 g Saturated Fat
- 0 g Trans Fat
- 0 mg Cholesterol
- 0 mg Sodium
- 4 g Total Carbohydrates
- 1 g Dietary Fiber
- 3 g Sugars
- 1 g Protein
Final Thoughts
Most tomato sauces that you can grab at the store will be gluten-free. Make sure you check the ingredients before you buy to be sure, but there are very few, if any, that will have anything containing gluten.
Related Questions
Is Tomato Sauce Vegan?
Yes, tomato sauce, in the traditional sense, is vegan-friendly. Ensure you keep an eye out for any sauces labeled as having meat flavor as these may contain animal products.
Is Tomato Sauce Keto?
Yes, sauces that don’t contain added sugar are fine to have on a keto diet as they don’t contain many carbs. Keep an eye on the label, though; many sauces have added sugars and carbs from the added ingredients.
Is Tomato Sauce Paleo?
Like the keto diet, tomato sauce is OK to eat as long as it isn’t full of additives, salt, and sugar.