This may be due to added sugar in the sauce or something else unique to tomato sauce. Of course one big reason may be that we tend to eat large portions of Italian food. Cooking at Home. You have more control when you prepare Italian food at home. First, make the sauce from scratch using unsalted canned tomatoes, tomato paste and lots of fresh vegetables like mushrooms, onions, garlic, zucchini and bell peppers.
Some people even add shredded carrots, peas or yellow squash.
Watch out for canned sauces. Many are high in sodium, so read the label carefully before you buy. To add flavor and not fat, season the sauce with plenty of Italian spices like oregano and basil. Use half the meat, fish or poultry a recipe calls for and double the low-calorie vegetables. Stay away from the heavy cream sauces like alfredo sauce or the recipes that add bacon or other high-fat sausage or meat.