Thick & Chunky Salsa Medium — OKAY

Munch or Dump rates Thick & Chunky Salsa Medium by Signature SELECT OKAY — score 62/90.

This is mostly chopped vegetables in a jar — tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, and garlic doing the real work. A little added sugar, citric acid, and a vague natural flavor keep it from being fully clean, but the formula is honest.

Why this verdict

• Vegetable-forward: tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic dominate
• Only a small amount of added sugar
• Naturally low in calories and fat
• Citric acid, calcium chloride, and 'natural flavor' are minor processing tells

Ingredients (8)

• Diced tomatoes in juice (safe) — Real tomatoes — the vegetable base of the salsa.
• jalapeno peppers (safe) — Whole peppers providing the heat; a genuine ingredient, not a flavoring.
• Onions (safe) — Real vegetable.
• Salt (caution) — Condensed soups run high in sodium per serving once prepared.
• vinegar (safe) — Acidic base that carries flavor and preserves the product naturally.
• Sugar (moderate) — A small amount added to enhance sweetness. Unnecessary but minor; drain and rinse to reduce it.
• calcium chloride (safe) — Firming salt that keeps the dice from turning to mush; trace amount, well tolerated.
• Natural flavor (moderate) — Undisclosed flavor blend; minor but not fully transparent.

Healthier alternatives

• H-E-B Fresh Guacamole - Mild
• Tabasco Premium Salsa
• Simply Nature Organic Thick & Chunky Salsa (Medium)
• Simple Truth Organic Medium Salsa
• Salsa