Soy sauce nutrition, glycemic index, calories, net carbs & more

Carbohydrates in Soy Sauce
Soy sauce, also known as shoyu or soya sauce, is a condiment made from soybeans and wheat. It is low in carbohydrates while being relatively rich in protein.
Soy sauce consists of 5% carbohydrates, 8% protein, 1% fat, 71% water, and 15% micronutrients, such as sodium.
Carbohydrates per 100g
A 100g serving of soy sauce, equalling 3.5 oz (103ml) or a little less than half a cup, contains 4.93g of carbohydrates.
Macronutrients chart
Soy sauce made from soybeans without wheat, known as tamari, is higher in carbohydrates, containing 5.57g in a 100g serving (1).
Carbohydrates per Serving Size
Soy sauce is more often used in smaller amounts. One average serving size of soy sauce per person is 1 tbsp, equal to 16g or ½ fl oz (15ml).
One tablespoon of soy sauce contains only 0.78g of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate Breakdown
The carbohydrate content of soy sauce consists of 84% net carbs and only 16% dietary fiber.
Sugar Breakdown
Despite the net carb content, soy sauce contains only 0.4g of sugars, namely 0.1g of sucrose and 0.3g of glucose.
Carbohydrate type breakdown
As a result of fermentation during production, soy sauce may instead contain sugar alcohols, also known as polyols (2). Sugar alcohol is a carbohydrate that adds a sweet flavor but provides fewer calories compared to sugar.
Comparison to Other Foods
Looking at the table below, you can see how the carbohydrate content of soy sauce compares to those of other foods.
Food |
Carbohydrates, per serving |
Carbohydrates, per 100g |
Soy Sauce |
1g (1tbsp or 16g) |
5g |
56g (1 cup or 186g) |
30g |
|
7g (1tbsp or 16g) |
44g |
|
3g (1tbsp or 16g) |
19g |
|
3g (1tbsp or 16g) |
16g |
|
2g (1tbsp or 16g) |
11g |
Soy Sauce glycemic index
Soy sauce, also known as shoyu or soya sauce, is made from a fermented paste of soybeans, along with wheat, salt, and a fermenting agent.
Soy sauce is low in carbohydrates, containing 5g of carbs in a 100g serving. Of these carbohydrates, nearly 1g is made up of dietary fiber,
However, as a condiment, soy sauce is used in much smaller amounts. One average serving size of soy sauce is one tablespoon or 16g, which provides only 0.8g of carbohydrates.
Due to the low level of carbohydrates and the small serving size, an exact number for the glycemic index of soy sauce has not been researched. Nevertheless, it can be considered to be low.
Research has suggested that soy foods may be an appropriate part of diets intended to improve control of blood glucose and insulin levels, as most tested soy foods demonstrated a low glycemic index (3).
Consumption of unsweetened soy foods has also been found to play a protective role against type 2 diabetes mellitus (4).
References
Important nutritional characteristics for Soy sauce

Soy sauce Glycemic index (GI)
Mineral coverage chart
Mineral chart - relative view
Vitamin coverage chart
Vitamin chart - relative view
Protein quality breakdown
Fat type information
Fiber content ratio for Soy sauce
All nutrients for Soy sauce per 100g
Nutrient | DV% | In TOP % of foods | Value | Comparison |
Net carbs | N/A | 59% | 4.13g |
13.1 times less than Chocolate
![]() |
Protein | 19% | 50% | 8.14g |
2.9 times more than Broccoli
![]() |
Fats | 1% | 79% | 0.57g |
58.4 times less than Cheese
![]() |
Carbs | 2% | 60% | 4.93g |
5.7 times less than Rice
![]() |
Calories | 3% | 86% | 53kcal |
1.1 times more than Orange
![]() |
Fructose | 0% | 100% | 0g |
N/A
![]() |
Sugar | N/A | 72% | 0.4g |
22.4 times less than Coca-Cola
![]() |
Fiber | 3% | 53% | 0.8g |
3 times less than Orange
![]() |
Calcium | 3% | 42% | 33mg |
3.8 times less than Milk
![]() |
Iron | 18% | 49% | 1.45mg |
1.8 times less than Beef
![]() |
Magnesium | 18% | 17% | 74mg |
1.9 times less than Almond
![]() |
Phosphorus | 24% | 48% | 166mg |
1.1 times less than Chicken meat
![]() |
Potassium | 13% | 15% | 435mg |
3 times more than Cucumber
![]() |
Sodium | 239% | 1% | 5493mg |
11.2 times more than White Bread
![]() |
Zinc | 8% | 57% | 0.87mg |
7.3 times less than Beef
![]() |
Copper | 5% | 83% | 0.04mg |
3.3 times less than Shiitake
![]() |
Vitamin E | 0% | 100% | 0mg |
N/A
![]() |
Vitamin D | 0% | 100% | 0µg |
N/A
![]() |
Vitamin C | 0% | 100% | 0mg |
N/A
![]() |
Vitamin B1 | 3% | 80% | 0.03mg |
8.1 times less than Pea
![]() |
Vitamin B2 | 13% | 55% | 0.17mg |
1.3 times more than Avocado
![]() |
Vitamin B3 | 14% | 57% | 2.2mg |
4.4 times less than Turkey meat
![]() |
Vitamin B5 | 6% | 74% | 0.3mg |
3.8 times less than Sunflower seed
![]() |
Vitamin B6 | 11% | 56% | 0.15mg |
1.2 times more than Oat
![]() |
Folate | 4% | 54% | 14µg |
4.4 times less than Brussels sprout
![]() |
Vitamin B12 | 0% | 100% | 0µg |
N/A
![]() |
Vitamin K | 0% | 100% | 0µg |
N/A
![]() |
Tryptophan | 0% | 79% | 0.1mg |
3.2 times less than Chicken meat
![]() |
Threonine | 0% | 80% | 0.27mg |
2.7 times less than Beef
![]() |
Isoleucine | 0% | 80% | 0.32mg |
2.9 times less than Salmon
![]() |
Leucine | 0% | 81% | 0.54mg |
4.5 times less than Tuna
![]() |
Lysine | 0% | 78% | 0.38mg |
1.2 times less than Tofu
![]() |
Methionine | 0% | 83% | 0.1mg |
Equal to Quinoa
![]() |
Phenylalanine | 0% | 80% | 0.35mg |
1.9 times less than Egg
![]() |
Valine | 0% | 82% | 0.33mg |
6.1 times less than Soybean
![]() |
Histidine | 0% | 81% | 0.17mg |
4.3 times less than Turkey meat
![]() |
Cholesterol | 0% | 100% | 0mg |
N/A
![]() |
Trans Fat | N/A | 100% | 0g |
N/A
![]() |
Saturated Fat | 0% | 83% | 0.07g |
80.8 times less than Beef
![]() |
Monounsaturated Fat | N/A | 82% | 0.09g |
111.4 times less than Avocado
![]() |
Polyunsaturated fat | N/A | 74% | 0.26g |
179.4 times less than Walnut
![]() |
Check out similar food or compare with current
NUTRITION FACTS LABEL
Serving Size ______________
Health checks




Soy sauce nutrition infographic

References
The source of all the nutrient values on the page (excluding the main article and glycemic index text the sources for which are presented separately if present) is the USDA's FoodCentral. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.