Ignorance is bliss, apparently not in the case of the keto diet. It is essential to know what you are consuming and if it is in the right amount. The Keto diet is recently a popular way to reduce your weight along with some other health benefits.
It depends on the condition of a person; however, you need to restrict your carb intake to up to 50 grams per day. Is it safe to add the oyster sauce to it? I have been following the keto plan for some time and exploring new things, and I have also tried to find the answer to this question, is oyster sauce keto friendly or not.
Two primary ingredients in ouster sauce are salt and sugar. It leaves us with doubt if it is high in carbs and kicks you out of the ketosis process. In the process, your body looks for a source of energy and use the fat in the absence of carbohydrate. To know more about the oyster sauce, read the article.
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Facts About Oyster Sauce
Oyster sauce is a popular sauce in Chinese cooking. This sauce is named as it is obtained through cooking oysters. It gives a unique test to the noodles, fries, and meat-based cuisine.
You can make this sauce at home. You have to boil the oyster in the water to get the liquids. They get darker and thick with intense flavor. Add sugar salt and any thickening agent such as cornstarch to make it more stable.
This sauce has a distinct flavor and aroma because of the chemical compounds. Among the other compounds, alcohols, aldehydes, furans, pyrazines, and amino acids such as threonine, serine, glycine, and alanine are present in it. Amino acid adds a sweet flavor, while phosphate and potassium provide a salty taste.
Nutritions Value Of Oyster Sauce
Most people exclude the oyster sauce because of the carbs. The content of calories in it is very low. However, merely a spoon of oyster sauce can hamper your keto because of the carbohydrates.
The generic readymade oyster sauce in one tablespoon contains,
- 9.2 calories
- 0.1 grams of fat
- 0.1 grams of fiber
- 2 grams of carbohydrates
- 1.9 grams of net carbs
- 0.2 grams of protein
There is a red flag for the sauce to take place in keto dishes as for its high carb contains. There are 10.7 grams of net carbs in this sauce per 100 grams of serving. Moreover, the high glycemic compound is another reason you should exclude oyster sauce from your keto plan.
Health Benefits Of Oyster Sauce
Despite being a non-fit for keto, the oyster has some suitable components beneficial for your health. As some of them are beneficial for weight loss, the question remains:Â Is oyster sauce keto friendly or not. The oyster sauce has added sugar and salt makes it unfit.
Talking of benefits, if we look at the list below, one-hundred grams of serving of the oyster can provide you,
- 40 mg of zinc
- 2.86 mg of copper
- 9 µg of vitamin B12
- 20 µg of selenium
Additionally, it contains a unique antioxidant called 3,5- dihydroxy-4 methoxybenzyl alcohol. This antioxidant is able to reduce insulin resistance as well as prevent obesity. Moreover, it improves your liver’s health as well.
If you can make this sauce at home without adding the extra sugar, you can benefit from the oyster. It would be lower in calories and contains high omega fatty acids and tons of different vitamins and minerals.
Overall consumption of the oyster benefits your blood pressure, nerve transmission, body temperature, immune response to allergies, and normal kidney function with the balanced fluid transmission.
Whether Oyster Sauce Is Keto Approved Or Not
There are several ingredients in oyster sauce that are unfit for keto. The list includes sugar, preservatives, thickening agents, and sometimes the artificial added color.
The ingredients such as the oyster extractives, wheat flour, salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, cornstarch, and caramel coloring are the significant source of the carbs in the sauce. Even one tablespoon of oyster sauce contains so many carbs, sugar, and zero-value calories that it can hamper your keto routine.
To pick an ingredient for the keto diet, you better keep in mind that your meal does not exceed the amount of 20-50 grams of carbs, and also it contains calories, fiber, minerals, and vitamins to compensate for your losses. So, if you are still confused about the question, is oyster sauce keto friendly or not, the answer is no. Therefore, you should consider more keto friendly, low carbs sauces as alternatives.
The Problem With Oyster Sauce From The Store
Oyster and oyster sauce are not the same thing, as well as the sauce misses out on the beneficial ingredient and has questionable elements. You can get lots of nutrients from the boing water with the oyster.
On the contrary, the sauce is totally opposite to the raw oyster as it contains added preservatives, sugar, and many more additives. Therefore, the sauce out on the market is not a good choice. They are not only unfit for keto but also have nothing to offer for your health benefit.
Alternative Options For Oyster Sauce
As there are a ton of other low carbs sauces and oyster sauce is not good for keto, in this section, I am going to discuss several other alternatives. Oyster sauce has a unique taste; however, there are many different ways to add flavor to the food.
Firstly, the coconut aminos will be a priority. It contains organic coconut sap with sun-dried salt. You will get 5 calories, 1 gram of carbs, 1 gram of protein, and zero fat from one tablespoon, making it a suitable replacement for oyster sauce.
Secondly, the fish sauce, which is not with any extra sugar, can be a good alternative. It has a similar taste as the oyster sauce and keeps you stay on the keto track with zero carbs.
Next, if your goal is just to change the flavor, you may try adding spice, olive oil, or vinegar to the dish. Garlic, ginger, parsley, pepper, and oregano are a few good examples of spices. Additionally, you may add lemon juice, lime, or other natural flavors to the dish.
Speaking of the vinegar, the apple cider vinegar, red wine, balsamic vinegar, or white vinegar also comes with health benefits. You can pair it with olive oil or avocado oil. It has an anti-glycemic effect, beneficial for heart health, diabetes, and infections.
Among all the keto condiments, the mustard, red tabasco sauce, sugar-free Heinz tomato ketchup, chili paste, marinara sauce, and liquid aminos are better options. Soy sauce is also another flexible option as it has fewer carbs. It contains 9 calories, with 0.7 grams of carbs with no fat.
You can also consume Hidden Valley ranch dressing in the keto diet. It has 2 grams of carbs. Similarly, hoisin sauce, steak sauce, and BBQ sauce can add a bold flavor to your dish.
Oyster Sauce Brand That You Can Use On Keto
As I discussed in this article, the oyster sauce contains added sugar; therefore, it is a considerable barrier to being keto. Nevertheless, if you want to use it anyway, you should look for a brand containing less sugar.
For example, “Maekrua,” an excellent Thai brand with lower sugar and carbs, can successfully give you the flavor. It has only 3 grams of carbs, and you can find it easily on Amazon.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does oyster sauce have a similar taste to fish?
Yes, the oyster has an identical taste as fishes. The sauce is vastly used in Thai dishes, and it adds an oceanic flavor. Moreover, it enhances the flavor in meat-based dishes, just like the soy or the fish sauce.
Therefore, you can say that the salty and sweet taste may remind you of the taste of the fish.
2. What alternatives can I use for oyster sauce?
Apart from using the oyster sauce, there are several good options for its alternatives. Any sauce made from fish with no added sugar is a viable option. Fish sauce is a suitable replacement for the oyster sauce in many dishes.
It may not be a perfect substitute; however, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and Teriyaki sauce can be viable options as a replacement.
3. Do I have to preserve oyster sauce inside the refrigerator?
You have to preserve it inside the refrigerator after opening the original container’s lid. If it comes in a can packaging, you should put that into a plastic or glass jar. The bacteria that grow in a metal can be very problematic and pose health risks.
4. Can you consume oyster sauce during pregnancy?
It is safe to avoid oyster sauce during pregnancy. Raw ingredient creates chances of infection from bacteria. Therefore, the woman may harm her baby and herself with bacterial infection or parasites passing through the body.
5. How long can I preserve oyster sauce?
If you keep the packaging unopened, you can preserve the sauce for 18 to 24 months. On the other hand, if you open the container, it may last approximately three to six months.
6. Are oyster sauce and fish sauce the same?
Caramelized oyster juice, salt, sugar, and soy sauce thickened with corn starch from the oyster sauce. It has a sweet and salty flavor character, whereas fish sauce has a more salty and nutty flavor profile. Fish sauce, which is prepared with fermented fish and salt, is likewise thinner.
Fish sauce may not be a perfect alternative to oyster sauce. However, it might be helpful in meals where the tastes of the other components aren’t overpowered. Furthermore, because they are so similar, fish sauce can be used as a keto substitute for oyster sauce and vice versa.
7. Is gluten-free oyster sauce available?
People with celiac problems or gluten sensitivity cannot consume gluten-containing products. However, because this is a growing problem, several oyster sauce companies have their goods verified as gluten-free for these individuals. Even if a product’s label does not state “gluten-free,” it might be one.
If a product does not include malt, malt flavor, malt extract, malt vinegar, brewer’s yeast, wheat, barley, rye, durum, and wheat protein, someone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance can consume it.
8. Is oyster sauce good for your health?
While the quality of oyster sauce varies, when it is used in moderation, it is not the worst condiment. With only nine calories per serving, you won’t have to worry about the calories rapidly stacking up after using the sauce. Additionally, contains very little fat and no cholesterol, which is beneficial.
On the other side, it contains a lot of sodium. One tablespoon provides around 60 percent of your RDA, and this statistic alone may convince you not to purchase oyster sauce the next time you go grocery shopping. Excessive salt consumption in the diet can cause a risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
Final Thoughts
If you want to taste this sauce, you better make it at home from scratch and keep the goal of the keto limit in mind. You should avoid it in the dishes listed on the restaurant’s menu. You have to be careful about the serving size as well.
So, if you ask me at this end of the article, is oyster sauce keto friendly? The answer will be no. Moreover, if you are on a strict keto plan, you should better use fish sauce or coconut aminos. Like the most generic sauce, the oyster sauce contains a lot of sugar and a pack of carbs.
I would recommend not to use this when you are following a keto plan. There are several other alternative options that are also mentioned in this article that you can follow. You can still enjoy the dynamic tastes of food by adding the ingredients without adding the oyster sauce. And few of the alternatives are capable of delivering the smiler taste.
