Dietitian ranks stir fry sauces and more by calories from highest to lowest

Author Susie Burrell is a leading Australian dietitian and nutritionist, founder of Shape Me, co-host of The Nutrition Couch podcast and prominent media spokesperson, with regular appearances in both print and television media commenting on all areas of diet, weight loss and nutrition.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying a little sauce with a meal – indeed there are literally hundreds to choose from in supermarkets with close to entire aisle dedicated to a range of gravies, seasonings and mixed sauces to create your own delicious meals at home.

There is also big differences in the nutritional make up of these sauces, with marinades and sauces differing widely when it comes to fat, sugar, calorie and salt content.

In an attempt to make healthier choices, without needed your reading glasses to inspect tiny jars and their ingredient lists, here are some of the most common meal sauces, and what you can find in them.

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With more than your entire daily recommended intake of salt in a relatively small portion and the first ingredient listed as sugar, this is one to leave on the shelf.

Energy: 977 kj / 234 kcal

Protein: 1.7 g

Fat: 2.2 g

Sat: 1 g

CHO: 50.6 g

Sugars: 46 g

Fibre: 4.7 g

Sodium: 2560 mg

With more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per 100g, and loads of salt to boost, this sauce is more like a dessert than a healthy meal seasoning.

Energy: 935 kj / 223 kcal

Protein: 1.3 g

Fat: 7.8 g

Sat: 1 g

CHO: 36.2 g

Sugars: 31.2 g

Fibre: 1 g

Sodium: 1570 mg

With more than double your daily recommended intake of sodium per 100g, a sugar based and added flavour enhancers, there is nothing positive nutritionally that can be said about this sauce.

Energy: 924 kj / 221 kcal

Protein: 3.2 g

Fat: 7.7 g

Sat: 1.4 g

CHO: 31.2 g

Sugars: 30.2 g

Fibre: 4.7 g

Sodium: 4130 mg

Another supermarket option which has a base of sugar, adding more than 5 tsp. of the white stuff per serve plus a big whack of sodium, or more than half your recommended daily intake per 100g. 

Energy: 748 kj / 179 kcal

Protein: 2.9 g

Fat: 4.1 g

Sat: 0.5 g

CHO: 31.6 g

Sugars: 26.7 g

Fibre: - 

Sodium: 1405 mg

Reasonable from a sugar and salt perspective and with a relatively clean ingredient list, the only downside is that the cream, milk and butter base bumps up the calorie and fat content of this curry sauce.

Energy: 711 kj / 170 kcal

Protein: 2 g

Fat: 14 g

Sat: 4.5 g

CHO: 11 g

Sugars: 8 g

Fibre: 1 g

Sodium: 580 mg

There is not a whole lot in this sauce other than flour, and a bit of added sugar and salt.

Energy: 671 kj / 160 kcal

Protein: 6.9 g

Fat: 4.2 g

Sat: 1.7 g

CHO: 23.5 g

Sugars: 3 g

Fibre: -

Sodium: 458 mg

Another sauce packed full of sodium courtesy of its soy sauce base, along with 3 teaspoons of sugar per 100g serve. 

Energy: 616 kj / 147 kcal

Protein: 4.5 g

Fat: 5.5 g

Sat: 1.3 g

CHO: 19.5 g

Sugars: 12.7 g

Fibre: -

Sodium: 2800 mg

While the sugars and salts are relatively low, the fat content is relatively high thanks to the base of cream, coconut and vegetable oil. 

Energy: 606 kj / 145 kcal

Protein: 1.2 g

Fat: 10.5 g

Sat: 5.7 g

CHO: 10.8 g

Sugars: 6.7 g

Fibre: 2.3 g

Sodium: 281 mg

Another product that is extremely high in salt, sugars and contains added flavour enhancers – one to leave on the shelf. 

Energy: 572 kj / 137 kcal

Protein: 2.3 g

Fat: <1 g

Sat: <1 g

CHO: 30.9 g

Sugars: 24.3 g

Fibre: 4.7 g

Sodium: 3360 mg

The mix of liquid sugar and soy sauce means you have a stir fry sauce that offers more than half your daily recommended intake of sodium and more than 4 tsp. of sugar per 100g. 

Energy: 572 kj / 137 kcal

Protein: 3.5 g

Fat: 1.1 g

Sat: 0.2 g

CHO: 26.6 g

Sugars: 21.8 g

Fibre: - 

Sodium: 1545 mg

Surprisingly low in fat and calories for a creamy sauce. Does contain some added sugars but nutritionally relatively well balanced. 

Energy: 520 kj / 124 kcal

Protein: 3.1 g

Fat: 6 g

Sat: 2 g

CHO: 13.9 g

Sugars: 9.2 g

Fibre: 3.1 g

Sodium: 411 mg

Relatively clean ingredient list creates a product that is calorie controlled with reasonable amounts of fat, and much lower in sodium than many pre-made sauces. 

Energy: 510 kj / 122 kcal

Protein: 3.1 g

Fat: 5.7 g

Sat: 1.7 g

CHO: 16.3 g

Sugars: 10.9 g

Fibre: -

Sodium: 768 mg

With a base of sugar and soy sauce, the result is an Asian stir fry sauce that is high in sodium and sugar, with more than 3 tsp per 100g. 

Energy: 510 kj / 122 kcal

Protein: 1.8 g

Fat: 2.2 g

Sat: 0.3 g

CHO: 23 g

Sugars: 16.5 g

Fibre: -

Sodium: 1510 mg

One of the very few pre-made options with a vegetable base, this sauce is relatively low in calories and fat and has a low sodium content for a pre-made sauce. 

Energy: 508 kj / 121 kcal

Protein: 0.9 g

Fat: 8.6 g

Sat: 1.3 g

CHO: 9.8 g

Sugars: 6.7 g

Fibre: 0.8 g

Sodium: 350 mg

Despite the ingredient list which includes ghee and cream, this Indian sauce contains reasonable amounts of fats, added sugars and sodium overall.

Energy: 497 kj / 119 kcal

Protein: 0.9 g

Fat: 7.9 g

Sat: 3.6 g

CHO: 10.5 g

Sugars: 7.4 g

Fibre: 2.3 g

Sodium: 368 mg

Another mix of salt and sugar that results in a marinade that contains more than ½ your daily sodium intake and more than 4 tsp of sugar per 100ml.

Energy: 486 kj / 116 kcal

Protein: 2 g

Fat: <0.1 g

Sat: <0.1 g

CHO: 26.4 g

Sugars: 19.9 g

Fibre: 1.7 g

Sodium: 1168 mg

One of the best Indian sauces you can find in supermarkets, low in sodium, added sugars and calories thanks to its tomato base. 

Energy: 463 kj / 111 kcal

Protein: 1.6 g

Fat: 7 g

Sat: 3.3 g

CHO: 9.6 g

Sugars: 6.5 g

Fibre: -

Sodium: 280 mg

Whilst lower in sodium than most Asian sauces, the sugars remain high at 17%.

Energy: 431 kj / 103 kcal

Protein: 1.7 g

Fat: 0.2 g

Sat: <0.1 g

CHO: 23.2 g

Sugars: 17.1 g

Fibre: - 

Sodium: 579 mg

A base of sugar results in a sauce that contains close to 4 tsp of sugars per 100ml. 

Energy: 424 kj / 101 kcal

Protein: 1.2 g

Fat: 0.2 g

Sat: 0.1 g

CHO: 23.3 g

Sugars: 18.1 g

Fibre: -

Sodium: 588 mg