- Manwich is generally considered gluten free.
- However, there is no label or certification.
- Also, preservatives may create an issue.
- But some of the brands do produce gluten free sloppy joe sauce.
Is Manwich gluten free? Who does not like sloppy joe? I am sure almost every foodie out there loves to enjoy it. Ground beef, onion, ketchup, and other seasonings stuffed inside hamburger buns – doesn’t it sound good?
However, everything tasty isn’t edible for specific groups. For example, celiac patients or gluten-sensitive people like us cannot go and eat everything that they find delicious. So there’s always this anxiety of gluten hovering around.
A sloppy joe isn’t exceptional. And as we all know, sloppy joes cannot be prepared without that sauce. And speaking of sauce, Manwich rules the world. But is it the same for gluten-sensitive people like us?
That is precisely what we are going to find out in this article. We will let you know the truth about the gluten status of Manwich and whether you can enjoy it or not.
Hold on!
What is Manwich? Is Manwich Gluten free?
Sloppy joes are one of the most enjoyed dishes in the world. However, the western world, especially Americans, are more familiar with it. But as we have already stated, sloppy joes cannot be made without the authentic sauce. Many brands make the sauce for a sloppy joe. But the leading brand is Manwich.
The name Manwich came from two words: man and sandwich. ConAgra Foods and Hunt’s are sloppy joe sauces brought to the market. The debut of this particular item was in 1969.
The can is filled with tomato ketchup (that is seasoned) and added to ground beef while cooking it on a skillet. In 2004, the company brought a significant shift to its products. The market saw the rise of Manwich Heat & Serve. It was seasoned tomato sauce and ground beef in a microwaveable bowl. In a way, it was an easy one-pot meal.
The brand currently has four different flavors: Original, Bold, Thick and Chunky, and Bourbon BBQ.
Is it Gluten free?
Gluten is a protein composed primarily of two particles, gliadin and glutenin. The predominant source of gluten is wheat, barley, rye, and their derivatives.
People avoid gluten mainly for two reasons: Simply being health conscious. So a gluten-free diet is super helpful. Another reason, and probably the most vital one, is being affected by some health condition like celiac disease. This leads to a strict gluten-free diet.
In this case, people should be aware of what they are consuming. A sloppy joe is no doubt a mouthwatering appetizer. But before enjoying it, we should know its gluten status. Speaking of which, we may consider Manwich’s sauce gluten free.
It mainly contains tomato puree, preservatives, High fructose corn syrup, and no ingredient produced from wheat, barley, or rye. That means it is safe to consume. However, there is one more thing that you should be aware of.
Generally, tested gluten free products do come with a certificate. However, the certificate is stuck on the label. From there, people confirm the gluten status. In Manwich’s case, there is no such certification. The ingredients do not point to gluten presence. But, the product is not a certified one.
Is Manwich Healthy?
Manwich is traditional comfort food and a required item in your kitchen while you need to cut down on cook time. It was intended to make sloppy joes a speedy and super simple supper formula that the entire family could participate in.
The Manwich Motto “A sandwich is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal” is true as you will feel better and stuffed after scooping down a Manwich-filled feast.
But before going on with the fancy eating habits, let us first look at their nutritional value. You do not want to munch on everything tasty but not healthy.
Manwich has four distinctive flavors. Each comes with some notable additions or deductions.
Let us now look at each flavor closely.
#1 Original
The Original Manwich is something that will make both your tastebuds and tummy happy. The strong citrus flavor is something that you can never resist. Just scoop up some ground beef, add the sauce, and serve it in a lettuce wrap or a gluten-free bun. Does that sound good?
But before that, you should be aware of the ingredients and nutritional value so that you can measure the portion accordingly.
Ingredients
- Tomato puree ( tomato paste and water)
- Distilled Vinegar
- Corn syrup
- High fructose Corn syrup
- Carrot fiber
- Salt
- Sugar
- Dried red and green bell pepper
- Xanthan gum
- Guar gum
- Spices
- Garlic
- Natural flavor
- Citric acid
Nutritional value ( Per 64 g)
- Calories: 35
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Trans fat: 0
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Added Sugars: 6 g
- Total Sugars: 6 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Potassium: 150 mg
- Calcium: 0 mg
- Iron: 0.4 mg
- Vitamin D: 0
- Protein: Less than 1 g
#2 Bourbon BBQ
Bourbon BBQ is the next Manwich flavor we have up our list. It tastes somewhat zesty. Let us have a closer look at the ingredients and nutritional value.
Ingredients
- Tomato Puree ( Tomato Pest and water)
- Corn syrup
- Molasses
- Vinegar
- High fructose corn syrup
- Bourbon
- Honey
- Spices
- Salt
- Locust Bean Gum
- Natural flavor
- Guar gum
- Paprika
- Natural Mesquite Smoke Flavor
- Mustard Bran
Nutritional Value
- Calories: 60
- Saturated fat: 0
- Trans fat: 0
- Cholesterol: 0
- Total Sugars: 11 g
- Added Sugar: 9 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 14 g
- Sodium: 300 m
- Calcium: 0
- Iron: 0.8 mg
- Potassium: 220 mg
#3 Bold
Bold Manwich is assuredly extra tasty, however, at an expense. It is higher in sodium, added sugars, carbs, and calories. But the highlight here is that if you want to hit a healthy road, stay away from this one.
Let’s look at the ingredients here.
Ingredients
- Tomato puree
- High fructose corn syrup
- Corn syrup
- sugar
- Vinegar
- Sale
- Mustard seed
- Molasses
- Worcestershire sauce powder
- Garlic
- spices
- sucrose
- Caramel
- Natural Flavor
- Tamarind
- Maltodextrin
- White wine
- Mustard Bran
- Dried bell pepper
- Carrot Fiber
- Turmeric
- Tartaric acid
- Citric Acid
- Xanthan Gum
- Guar gum
- Natural Mesquite Smoke Flavor
Nutritional Value
- Calorie: 70
- Saturated fat: 0
- Trans fat: 0
- Cholesterol : 0
- Protein: 1 g
- Total Sugars: 13 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1 g
- Added Sugars: 13 g
- Sodium: 490 mg
- Potassium: 170 mg
- Calcium: 0
- Iron: 0.5 mg
#4 Thick and Chunky
The last alternative is the thick and chunky Manwich. Like the others, it also has a different unique taste. Let’s know the ingredients and nutritional value.
Ingredients
- Tomato puree
- Distilled Vinegar
- Corn syrup
- High fructose corn syrup
- Salt
- sugar
- dried onion
- garlic
- chili pepper
- Dried bell pepper
- Spices
- Guar Gum
- Locust Bean gum
- Xanthan gum
- Natural flavor
Nutritional value
- Calorie: 45
- Trans fat: 0
- Saturated fat: 0
- Total Sugars: 6 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1 g
- Added Sugars: 6 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Potassium: 180 mg
- Calcium 0 mg
- Iron: 0.5 mg
More gluten free sloppy joe sauce brands
Manwich is safe for gluten-sensitive people. However, the lack of certification might make some people anxious. Hence, we provide you with a list of gluten-free brands that you may try.
Stonewall kitchen sloppy joe sauce
The stonewall kitchen sloppy joe sauce is one of the most popular gluten free alternatives. Let us look at the ingredients closely.
Ingredients
- Tomato
- onion
- garlic
- green pepper
- red bell pepper
- White wine
- vinegar
- salt
- mustard seeds
- turmeric
- tartaric acid
- citric acid
- Worcestershire sauce
- sugar
- salt
- cloves
- balsamic vinegar
- cider vinegar
- beef broth
- chipotle pepper
- Anchovies
- molasses
The official website has confirmed the gluten status. However, according to them, no gluten product has been used.
Pumfu sloppy joe
Another gluten-free alternative you might need in your kitchen is the Pumfu sloppy joe by Foodies vegan. It is a certified gluten-free product.
Ingredients
- pumpkin seeds
- water
- tomato paste
- onion
- bell pepper
- mustard seeds
- turmeric
- spices
- Apple cider vinegar
- sea salt
- citric acid
- Distilled vinegar.
The official website confirms the status along with the gluten-free certification. So you may enjoy this one comfortably.
Conclusion
We have had a long enough discussion over Manwich. Looking at the ingredients used in it, we find it to be gluten free. However, the certification might create an issue for many people.
Hence, we have also provided a list of gluten free sloppy joe sauces for super-sensitive people. This way, they will be able to avoid any chance of gluten contamination.
We hope the article ‘Is Manwich Gluten free’ has helped you with your health-based food decisions.
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