Sauce, steak, tomato based
Whole food · Soups, Sauces, and Gravies
Photo: Wikipedia
This is a smooth, pourable sauce with a deep red color, offering a tangy, slightly sweet tomato flavor with a savory backbone. It's a light condiment, low in calories and fat, but its carbohydrate content comes primarily from added sugars. It provides a quick flavor boost without adding significant protein or fat to a meal.
Calorie split: 5% protein · 93% carbs · 2% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People love it for its ability to instantly add a familiar, savory-sweet tomato depth to simple dishes like grilled meats or burgers. It's a versatile pantry staple that bridges many cuisines, from American cookouts to quick weeknight stir-fries.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
The high sugar content (nearly 10g per 100g) can contribute to blood sugar spikes if used liberally. To counteract this, use it sparingly, pair it with protein (like a steak) or healthy fats to slow sugar absorption, or look for low-sugar versions.
Key benefits
- Low in fat and calories
- Source of dietary fiber from tomato
- Adds flavor without significant fat
- Convenient flavor enhancer for meals
- Contains lycopene from tomatoes
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
Many commercial steak sauces are not just tomato-based but are complex blends that can include raisins, tamarind, and vinegar, creating a flavor profile sometimes called 'brown sauce' in the UK.
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 71.0 g |
| Energy | 95.0 kcal |
| Energy | 398 kj |
| Protein | 1.3 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.23 g |
| Ash | 5.1 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 22.0 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.5 g |
| Total Sugars | 9.8 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 19.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 1.4 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 17.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 33.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 312 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 1647 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.34 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.19 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.17 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 0.80 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 6.8 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.03 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.05 mg |
| Niacin | 0.91 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.10 mg |
| Folate, total | 8.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 0.00 ug |
| Folate, food | 8.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 8.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 11.5 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 15.0 ug |
| Retinol | 0.00 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 177 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 0.00 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 295 iu |
| Lycopene | 12564 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.2 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0.00 iu |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 2.2 ug |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.00 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.00 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
Estimated from Sauce, homemade, white, medium — USDA does not publish this profile for Sauce.
| Tryptophan | 0.04 g |
| Threonine | 0.14 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.19 g |
| Leucine | 0.30 g |
| Lysine | 0.24 g |
| Methionine | 0.08 g |
| Cystine | 0.03 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.15 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.15 g |
| Valine | 0.20 g |
| Arginine | 0.11 g |
| Histidine | 0.08 g |
| Alanine | 0.10 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.23 g |
| Glutamic acid | 0.64 g |
| Glycine | 0.07 g |
| Proline | 0.30 g |
| Serine | 0.17 g |
FAQ
Is steak sauce the same as ketchup?
No. While both are tomato-based, steak sauce is typically thinner, less sweet, and has a more complex, tangy, and savory flavor profile often including vinegar, spices, and sometimes fruit. Ketchup is sweeter and smoother.
Can I use this sauce for cooking, not just as a condiment?
Absolutely. It works well as a glaze for meatballs or ribs, a base for a quick barbecue-style sauce, or stirred into ground meat for a flavor boost. Its high sugar content means it can burn at high heat, so add it towards the end of cooking.
Why is the fat content so low if it's a sauce?
Many tomato-based steak sauces are emulsions where the primary ingredients are tomato concentrate, vinegar, sugar, and spices, with little to no added oil or animal fat, making them a naturally low-fat condiment.
Nutrient density (calculated · NRF9.3)
Nutrient Rich Foods index: beneficial nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals) minus saturated fat, added sugar & sodium, per 100 kcal.
NRF9.3 index — Fulgoni, Keast & Drewnowski, 2009. Computed from USDA nutrients.
Weight-loss friendliness (composite index)
Energy density 0.95 kcal/g · 5% calories from protein · 1.5 g fiber · 9.8 g sugar per 100 g.
Composite of energy density (Rolls et al., 1999), protein & fiber satiety, minus sugar. A calculated heuristic — ranks satiety-per-calorie, not a clinical measure.
Dietary load (calculated from USDA values)
Potential renal acid load. Positive = acid-forming, negative = alkaline-forming.
Sodium-to-potassium ratio: 5.28 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.