As an ultimate foodie, one of my biggest dreads when starting my keto diet was giving up on my favorite food items. This included Japanese cuisine. I wondered, Is hibachi sauce keto friendly?
Let’s rewind for a second. Over the past few years, I have developed an obsession with hibachi sauce. You will find me dipping it in anything and everything, whether it be chicken or sushi.
And while I somehow convinced myself to let go of my other staple food items, I struggled with the idea of leaving the sauce behind. This was when my friend told me that a lot of things that are prohibited in other diets are, in fact, allowed in keto.
This brings me back to my question – Is Hibachi sauce keto? Yes, it is! Since Hibachi sauce is mainly made of soy sauce, which has a very low carb content, hibachi sauce is a suitable addition to your keto diet.
What is Hibachi Sauce?
To all those of you who are new to the world of Japanese food, I will start with the basics. Let’s talk about what hibachi is, to begin with. Well, this is an all-encompassing word that is used to describe any style of Japanese grilling.
Hibachi dishes have a special type of sauce added to them that help elevate the flavor profile. And this sauce is the point of discussion today – hibachi sauce.
Hibachi sauce is basically soy sauce with three types of dry spices added to it. This includes sesame, ginger and garlic. While the sauce tends to have a strong smell of garlic, its flavor is quite mild, making it an excellent complementary sauce for a wide variety of food items, be it meat, sushi, or potatoes!
The Number Game: Nutritional Profile
As hibachi sauce is mainly made of soy sauce, to understand how and why the sauce is keto-friendly, it is imperative to look at the nutritional profile of the primary ingredient. As per USDA, 16 grams of soy sauce (i.e., one tablespoon) has:
- 8.5 calories
- 0.8 grams of carbohydrates
- 0.1 grams of fiber
- 0.1 grams of fat
- 0.06 grams of sugar
- 1.3 grams of protein
- 876 milligrams of sodium
Let’s Reassess: Is Hibachi Sauce Keto Friendly?
Now that you can visually see the nutritional profile of soy sauce, the main ingredient of hibachi sauce, let’s revisit the question at hand: is hibachi sauce keto friendly and why?
The Science of Keto
By definition, a keto diet refers to a low-carb diet. The science behind this diet is that you reduce your intake of carbs to encourage your body to use protein and fat for calories.
What benefit does this have? Well, when you limit your carb intake, slowly your blood sugar level decreases. And when this happens, in the absence of carbs, your body starts breaking down fat and protein for energy, thereby aiding weight loss.
To achieve ketosis, it is recommended that 80 percent of your calories come from fat, 10 percent from carbs and 20 percent from protein.
What makes Hibachi Sauce Keto Friendly?
With the data and the science in front of you, can you guess why hibachi sauce is keto-friendly? Hint: check the carbs!
As you can see, soy sauce has a very low amount of carbs in it. Hence, it does not add to the carb intake when the sauce is used to complement the main dish, which is usually some form of protein. This low-carb content makes it a harmless addition to a keto diet.
However, this doesn’t mean you should increase your intake of hibachi sauce without any bounds. You should also notice the high sodium content in soy sauce. This can prove to be detrimental to health if taken in excess. So, even if you love hibachi sauce, use it in moderation. I do too!
The Calorie Count: How many Calories are in a serving of Hibachi Sauce?
Would you rather know the data on readymade hibachi sauce? Well, in a serving size of 1 oz of hibachi sauce, there are 45 calories. This accounts for 10 grams of carbohydrates and 730 milligrams of sodium. So, our discussion from above still stands true – the carb content of the sauce is quite low.
And considering that, on average, the daily calorie intake in a keto diet should be around 1800 (it varies for men and women, though), the 45 calories that you get from your hibachi sauce won’t amount to much in the large scheme of things.
Can you Enjoy Hibachi on a Keto Diet?
What is the fun of eating hibachi sauce without the hibachi (novice foodies, read: Japanese cuisine)?
So, apart from understanding whether or not is hibachi sauce keto friendly, you should also be wondering if you could enjoy a full hibachi meal on a keto diet. Luckily, you can! All you need to do is stay away from the rice. But, you can definitely take seconds off their delicious ginger salad.
Here are some of the hibachi foods you can enjoy:
- Miso soup is a broth-based thin soup made out of soybean paste.
- Oshinko vegetables contain pickles, lotus root, daikon, and burdock.
- Grilled vegetables with hibachi sauce.
All in all, while you should stay away from some of the fried items, you can definitely enjoy a handful of starters and sauces in a hibachi restaurant.
Wrapping Up
Just talking about hibachi makes me crave some grilled chicken dipped in the sauce! Ah, the obsession is real. And if you are a hibachi enthusiast like me, this is my gift to you – the knowledge that your favorite hibachi sauce can still be an integral part of your diet.
As you enjoy it, don’t forget to occasionally mix things up and try other keto-friendly food too. You will be pleasantly surprised when you see just how many food options are allowed on keto! If you are unaware or new to the diet, check out some of my other guides.
Whenever I crave a given food, I research and find if it is keto or not. And as a public service, I share it with all of you. Read them and improve your keto diet today! Till then, Ja ne (translation: see you!).
If you want to learn more about keto friendly foods, please click on one of the links below: