Traditionally made with tomato sauce with garlic, onions, and herbs, Marinara is a mother sauce within the culinary world. A mother sauce is a basis for which other sauces can be made from or daughter sauces. Marinara is a mother sauce base for the daughter sauces: Allemande, Normandy, Ravigote, Poulette, Supreme Sauce, and Bercy. It is also used to dress pastas, slather on pizza, and to dunk deep-fried calamari in. Marinara sauce has become a pantry staple, but is it gluten-free?
Yes, marinara sauce is gluten free. Most jarred marinara sauces contain tomatoes, onions, garlic, oil, seasoning, and some contain preservatives. None of these are gluten-derived ingredients. The best healthier gluten-free marinara sauce brands are Raos Homemade Marina Sauce, Vero Gusto by Barilla, Primal Kitchen Tomato Basil Marinara, Paesana Traditional Marinara Sauce, and Fody Premium Marinara Sauce.
In this article, we will discuss the nutritional value of several marinara sauces, as well as healthier alternatives that are gluten-free. Get ready from your head to your tomatoes as we get saucy with marinara!
Marinara Sauces
Ragu Old World Style® Marinara Sauce
Ragu marinara is a savory tomato-based sauce that comes in jar and shelf stable. Three layers of tomato are used in this marinara sauce. The addition of unknown natural flavor and GMO soybean oil are not great ingredients. Calcium chloride is also known to induce excessive thirst and low blood pressure in large quantities if ingested. Highlighted below are the concerning ingredients. Ragu Old World Style® Marinara Sauce does not have any gluten ingredients but is not certified gluten-free.
Here are the ingredients for Ragu Old World Style® Marinara Sauce:
- Tomato Puree
- Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste
- Calcium Chloride
- Citric Acid
- Soybean Oil
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Sugar
- Dehydrated Onions
- Spices
- Natural Flavor
Nutrition Facts (per 125g or ½ cup):
- Calories 80
- Fat 5g
- Carbs 11g
- Sugars 7g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 480mg
Prego Marinara Italian Sauce
Prego Marinara Italian Sauce is a product of Campbell’s. Campbells has been making canned and jarred tomato products for 150 years. This iconic brand acquired Prego in 1981. This sauce is their only marinara sauce, although they have a line of 20 “Italian” sauces to choose from. They consider their vine-ripened tomato marinara a zesty choice for an Italian tomato sauce. Prego Marinara Italian Sauce is does not have any gluten ingredients but is not certified gluten-free.
Here is the list of ingredients for Prego Marinara Italian Sauce:
- Tomato Puree
- Water
- Tomato Paste
- Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Juice
- Canola Oil
- Salt
- Dehydrated Onions
- Dehydrated Garlic
- Spices
- Citric Acid
Nutrition Facts (per 120 ml or ½ cup):
- Calories 70
- Fat 5g
- Carbs 10g
- Sugars 6g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 480mg
Francesco Rinaldi Marinara
This marinara sauce by Francesco Rinaldi is certified gluten free. This marinara sauce has no saturated fat and is also lactose free. Francesco Rinaldi Marinara includes sugar in their recipe as the only unneeded or nutritionally questionable ingredient. Francesco Rinaldi Marinara is a chunky style marinara with four levels of tomato ingredients.
Here is the list of ingredients for Francesco Rinaldi Marinara:
- Tomato Puree
- Water
- Tomato Paste
- Citric Acid
- Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Juice
- Sugar
- Salt
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Dried Onions
- Spices
- Dried Garlic
Nutrition Facts (per 124g or ½ cup):
- Calories 60
- Fat 1g
- Carbs 12g
- Sugars 7g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 430mg
Healthier Marinara Sauces
All of the following marinara sauces are certified gluten free. These marinara sauces also have no sugar added or artificial ingredients. These marinara all use non-GMO sourced ingredients. We will cover all the marinara varieties each of these brands have available.
- Raos
- Vero Gusto by Barilla
- Primal Kitchen
- Paesana
- Fody
Rao’s Homemade® Marinara Sauce
This marinara is made with whole foods. Rao’s Homemade® Marinara Sauce is a slow cooked sweet sauce made with plum tomatoes known for their natural sweetness. Nutritionally Rao’s Homemade® Marinara Sauce has higher calories than the basic brands listed above. However, Rao’s Marinara is low in carbohydrates and sugar.
The ingredients for Rao’s Homemade® Marinara Sauce are:
- Plum Tomatoes
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Basil
- Oregano
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Nutrition Facts (per 125g or ½ cup):
- Calories 100
- Fat 7g
- Carbs 6g
- Sugars 4g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 420mg
Primal Kitchen Arrabbiata Marinara Sauce
Primal Kitchen has three varieties of marinara sauces: Arrabbiata, Roasted Garlic, and Tomato Basil. This Arrabbiata Marinara Sauce is a spicy marinara version made with crushed red chiles for that extra kick. Organic and non-GMO, this recipe for marinara is also gluten free, vegan, paleo, keto, and whole 30 approved.
The ingredients in Primal Kitchen Arrabbiata Marinara Sauce are:
- Organic Tomato Puree
- Water
- Organic Tomato Paste
- Organic Diced Tomatoes
- Sea Salt
- Avocado Oil
- Organic Garlic
- Organic Onions
- Organic Crushed Red Chiles
- Organic Black Pepper
- Citric Acid
- Organic Basil
- Organic Oregano
Nutrition Facts (per 125g or ½ cup):
- Calories 50
- Fat 1g
- Carbs 8g
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 410mg
Primal Kitchen Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce
Primal Kitchen Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce is a plant-based savory sauce that is soy and canola free. This Primal Kitchen marinara has extra garlic punch and is gluten free, paleo, and whole 30 approved. The roasted garlic marinara is slightly higher in carbohydrates than the spicy Arrabbiata variety of marinara. Primal Kitchen Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce surprisingly has the highest sodium content of all listed sauces.
The ingredients in Primal Kitchen Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce are:
- Organic Tomato Puree
- Water
- Organic Tomato Paste
- Organic Diced Tomatoes
- Sea Salt
- Avocado Oil
- Organic Garlic
- Organic Roasted Garlic
- Organic Onions
- Organic Black Pepper
- Citric Acid
- Organic Basil
Nutrition Facts (per 125g or ½ cup):
- Calories 70
- Fat 2g
- Carbs 11g
- Sugars 6g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 530mg
Primal Kitchen Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce
This Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce by Primal Kitchen is certified gluten-free. The heavy licorice undertones of the fresh basil and the tartness of the tomatoes will liven up any Italian inspired dish. Primal Kitchen goes the extra mile to source ethically and organically grown foods. Primal Kitchen also prefers to use avocado oil over other oils because of the healthy fats and nutritional benefits. Let’s take a look at the last marinara sauce by Primal Kitchen.
The ingredients for Primal Kitchen Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce are:
- Organic Diced Tomatoes
- Organic Tomato Puree
- Water
- Organic Tomato Paste
- Sea Salt
- Avocado Oil
- Organic Garlic
- Oregano
- Organic Onions
- Organic Black Pepper
- Citric Acid
- Organic Basil
Nutrition Facts (per 125g or ½ cup):
- Calories 50
- Fat 2g
- Carbs 8g
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 1g
- Sodium 480mg
Vero Gusto Heritage Marinara Sauce by Barilla
Vero Gusto Heritage Marinara Sauce by Barilla is certified gluten-free. The Vero Gusto Heritage Marinara uses San Marzano tomatoes that are known for their thick skin and rich flavored juice. This Barilla marinara has no preservatives, no additives, no added sugar, no high sodium tomato paste, is non-GMO, Kosher, and gluten-free. This recipe of marinara uses carrots for added sweetness and deeper color.
The ingredients for Vero Gusto Heritage Marinara Sauce by Barilla are:
- Italian Tomato Pulp
- Onions
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Sea Salt
- Oregano
- Basil
- Black Pepper
Nutrition Facts (per 125g or ½ cup):
- Calories 130
- Fat 8g
- Carbs 12g
- Sugars 6g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 440mg
Paesana Traditional Pasta Marinara Sauce
This Paesana Traditional Pasta Marinara Sauce is certified gluten-free, kosher, and vegan. Paesana’s recipe uses 100% extra virgin olive oil. This Traditional Pasta Marinara Sauce is designed from a homemade recipe from the founder’s grandmother from 1902. Made in the USA from all natural ingredients. Low in sodium, sugars, fat, and calories this pasta sauce has old world taste and real world nutrition.
The ingredients for Paesana Traditional Pasta Marinara Sauce are:
- Italian Plum Tomatoes
- Fresh Onion
- 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Fresh Garlic
- Sea Salt
- Fresh Basil
- Black Pepper
- Spices
Nutrition Facts (per 125g or ½ cup):
- Calories 70
- Fat 5g
- Carbs 5g
- Sugars 3g
- Protein 1g
- Sodium 340mg
Fody Premium Marinara Pasta Sauce
Fody Premium Marinara Pasta Sauce is certified gluten-free, onion free, and garlic free. This low FODMAP marinara is made for those with food sensitives. The Fody Marinara is low in sugars, moderate for sodium, but very high in fat content and caloric value.
The ingredients for Fody Premium Marinara Pasta Sauce are:
- Chopped Tomatoes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Carrots Puree
- Celery Puree
- Sea Salt
- Basil
Nutrition Facts (per 125g or ½ cup):
- Calories 150
- Fat 13g
- Carbs 8g
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 470mg
Final Thoughts
Let’s break down what we know about Marinara. Marinara is gluten free, naturally. Additionally, none of the jarred shelf stable marinara we discussed have any gluten additives. The more common and popular brands of marinara have added sugars, additives, and preservatives than the healthier options for gluten free marinara.
We have listed seven healthier marinara alternatives made by Raos, Vero Gusto by Barilla, Primal Kitchen, Paesana, and Fody. There is a clear winner out of all the healthy marinara sauces that may surprise you. Paesana Traditional Pasta Marinara Sauce has the lowest sodium, carbs, and sugars making it our top healthy gluten free marinara choice. If low calories are your goal as well as being gluten free then any of the three Primal Kitchen flavors of marinara are good options. We hope this deep dive into marinara sauce has you thinking of great new dishes to test these sauces out with. Buon Appetito!
Related Questions
Is Marinara Sauce Keto?
Not all marinara sauces are keto. However, the Primal Kitchen Arrabbiata Marinara Sauce is keto approved. The Paesana Traditional Pasta Marinara Sauce would also be keto approved seeing as it is even lower in sugar and carbs than the Primal Kitchen sauce.
Is Tomato Sauce Whole30 Approved?
Yes, tomatoes make the cut for being Whole30 approved. The Fody Premium Marinara Pasta Sauce and Primal Kitchen Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce are both Whole30 approved. To find out more about tomato sauce and Whole30 read more here.
Is Tomato Paste Gluten Free?
Safe to say that if Marinara sauce is gluten free then tomato paste should also be gluten free. There is a closer look at tomato paste in our article here.