Is Bangkok Peanut Sauce Keto?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I look beyond the marketing claims and straight at the formulation. The primary issue with peanut butter in this product isn't the peanuts, but the additives. The label lists sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oils right within the peanut butter base itself, adding unnecessary non-keto ingredients before we even get to the sauce proper.

The second major red flag is the presence of soy sauce. While traditional soy sauce is low in carbs, this formulation includes rice. Rice is a high-glycemic carbohydrate that acts as a sugar source, directly spiking insulin levels and disrupting the metabolic state of ketosis.

Finally, the inclusion of rice starch is a dealbreaker for keto dieters. Starches are complex carbohydrates used as thickeners, but they digest into glucose. Combined with the added sugar listed further down the ingredients, the total carbohydrate count is simply too high for a ketogenic macro profile.

Nutritional Value

While peanut sauce is traditionally high in fat—which fits the keto macro profile—the fat-to-carb ratio in Bangkok Peanut Sauce is skewed by the added sugars. Keto requires keeping net carbs typically under 20g per day. A standard serving of this sauce contributes a significant portion of that limit without providing the satiety of whole foods.

The calorie density comes largely from the peanut butter and sesame oil, but these are accompanied by 'empty' calories from the sugar and starch additives. For a diet focused on metabolic health and stable blood sugar, the ingredients in this sauce promote the exact opposite response.