Condiment crazy

Ah, condiments. Our refrigerator doors are weighed down at the hinges due to rows of mustards, dressings, sauces, mayonnaise, jellies, relishes, and marinades. We dip, we spread, we squeeze, we squirt, shake, and spoon these flavorful many times high-fat, high-sodium content additions onto our food. Long ago before the days of refrigeration, sauces and gravies were used to mask the flavor of spoiled meat. Today, they are many times used to add flavor (fat) and enhance lack of flavor (sodium) in food that is neither nutritious nor fresh. Americans are obsessed with condiments. We encourage kids to dip their veggies in ranch dressing so they will get their daily recommended amount of vegetables. According to Better Homes & Gardens, "If you have picky eaters in your home, you already know the magic a bit of ranch dressing can work on a turned-up nose." We love to dip our chicken nuggets into various little tubs of salty, corn syrup concoctions. Sometimes the food itself is nothing but an answer to the question "what can I spread this on?" Do you know anyone who eats plain celery without dipping it into dressing or slathering it with peanut butter?