Is Original Gourmet Keto?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I look past the marketing claims and straight at the formulation. The keto diet relies on keeping carbohydrate intake low—typically under 20-50 grams per day—and avoiding ingredients that spike insulin. Unfortunately, Original Gourmet is formulated with a heavy hand when it comes to sweeteners and fillers.

The primary issue is the sugar content. The label lists Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup right in the middle of the ingredient deck. These are pure carbohydrates that will immediately impact your blood glucose levels, effectively kicking you out of a fat-burning state. To make matters worse, it contains Mirin, a Japanese sweet rice wine. While traditional Mirin adds depth to sauces, the rice-derived sugars here add to the total net carb count significantly.

There are also hidden starches at play. Modified Food Starch is often used as a thickener, but it is derived from corn or wheat and acts as a carbohydrate filler. Additionally, the presence of Dextrose (a form of sugar derived from starch) and Wheat in the soy sauce base makes this product a minefield for anyone avoiding grains or sugars. Even the Soy Sauce itself contains wheat, which is a common gluten source and adds to the carb tally.

Nutritional Value

When evaluating a product for keto, we don't just look at calories; we look at the source of those calories. In a standard serving of Original Gourmet, the carbohydrate count is driven almost entirely by added sugars. There is very little fiber or healthy fat to offset the glycemic impact.

For a diet that limits carbohydrates to a strict threshold, a sauce like this is a 'budget buster.' You might be able to fit a teaspoon into your daily limit, but the serving size required to make a meal palatable usually pushes the net carb count too high. It lacks the healthy fats (like MCT oil or avocado oil) that make a sauce truly 'keto,' and instead relies on cheap fillers like corn syrup and starch.