Yum Yum Sauce: Calories, Nutrition and Health Benefits

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Two tablespoons (30 g) of bottled Terry Ho's yum yum sauce have 170 calories, 17 g of fat, 5 g of carbohydrate (4 g sugar), 0 g of protein and 160 mg of sodium. Hibachi restaurants serve it in cups of 2 to 4 tablespoons, so one cup can add 170 to 340 calories.

Quick Nutrition Facts

Per 2 tbsp (30 g)

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	170 kcal
Protein	0g
Carbohydrates	5g
Fiber	0g
Sugars	4g
Fat	17g
Sodium	160 mg

Macronutrient Breakdown

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NUTRITIONIST'S INSIGHT

Yum yum sauce is mayonnaise with sugar and ketchup flavoring, so about 90% of its calories come from fat. The bottled version lists soybean oil first and sits near 170 kcal per 2 tbsp, which is roughly 567 kcal per 100 g. The portion is what matters: a 2 tbsp dab adds flavor for 170 kcal, while the small cup at a hibachi table holds two to four times that. Protein and fiber are both 0 g, so it adds calories without making a meal more filling. Carbohydrate is low at 5 g, so it barely moves blood sugar. Use it as a dip, count the whole cup, and keep the dollop to a tablespoon or two if you are watching calories.

Myth Busters

MYTH #1: Yum yum sauce is a light, low-calorie dipping sauce.

TRUTH: It is mostly oil and egg yolk. A 2 tbsp serving of the bottled sauce has 170 kcal and 17 g of fat, and a restaurant cup of 4 tbsp can reach 340 kcal. Even the lower database entries list 126 kcal for 30 g. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Terry Ho's The Original Yum Yum Sauce Nutrition Facts; Yum Yum Sauce Calories: 126 in 2 tablespoons (30 g)

MYTH #2: It is just ketchup and mayo, so it is the same as plain mayonnaise.

TRUTH: The bottled sauce adds sugar and corn syrup, which is why it has 4 g of sugar per 2 tbsp. That is a little sweeter than plain mayonnaise, with similar fat and calories. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Nutrition Facts for Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce (USDA Branded Food data, 2 tbsp)

MYTH #3: Because it is creamy and sweet, it must spike your blood sugar.

TRUTH: Only 5 g of carbohydrate sits in a 2 tbsp serving, with 17 g of fat. EatBetter lists a glycemic index of 35 and a glycemic load of about 1. The rice and noodles it comes with matter far more. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Yum Yum Sauce Calories: 126 in 2 tablespoons (30 g); International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008

MYTH #4: A small cup of sauce at a hibachi restaurant has the same calories as a spoonful.

TRUTH: The cup is usually 2 to 4 tbsp, so the numbers on the bottle double or quadruple. At 170 kcal per 2 tbsp that is 170 to 340 kcal before the fried rice and meat. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Nutrition Facts for Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce (USDA Branded Food data, 2 tbsp)

MYTH #5: It has no real downside beyond calories.

TRUTH: The sodium is modest at 160 mg per 2 tbsp, but a full restaurant cup adds up, and the World Health Organization advises adults to keep sodium under 2,000 mg a day. The 2.5 g of saturated fat per serving also counts toward the limit. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Sodium reduction fact sheet (World Health Organization); Healthy diet fact sheet (World Health Organization)

NutriScore by Health Goals

Health Goal	NutriScore	Why This Score?
Weight Loss		170 kcal for 2 tbsp, 90% of it from fat, with no protein or fiber to fill you up. A restaurant cup of 4 tbsp is 340 kcal. Measure out one tablespoon and it fits more easily. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Nutrition Facts for Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce (USDA Branded Food data, 2 tbsp)
Blood Sugar Control		Only 5 g of carbohydrate and 4 g of sugar per 2 tbsp, so the sauce itself has little effect on glucose. The fat and sugar still count toward your daily total, and it is usually served with rice. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Yum Yum Sauce Calories: 126 in 2 tablespoons (30 g); International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008
Heart Health		17 g of fat per 2 tbsp with 2.5 g saturated, mostly soybean oil, plus 160 mg of sodium. The World Health Organization advises limiting saturated fat and salt, and a double portion roughly doubles both. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Healthy diet fact sheet (World Health Organization); Sodium reduction fact sheet (World Health Organization)
Muscle Gain		0 g of protein per serving. It adds calories but nothing toward a protein target, so pair it with grilled chicken, steak or shrimp. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record
Digestive Health		0 g of fiber, and the oil-heavy base adds nothing for gut health. It is fine as a small flavoring next to vegetables and other fiber sources. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Nutrition Facts for Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce (USDA Branded Food data, 2 tbsp)

PERSONALIZED NUTRITION

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Blood Sugar Response to Yum Yum Sauce

A 2 tbsp serving has about 5 g of carbohydrate and 4 g of sugar, with 17 g of fat and no fiber. Expect a very small rise of about 5 to 10 mg/dL that peaks around 30 to 45 minutes and fades within 2 hours. This is a modeled estimate from the carbohydrate and fat content, not a measured trace for this sauce. The meal around it, especially hibachi fried rice, sets the real glucose curve. Terry Ho's Yum Yum Sauce, USDA FoodData Central branded food record; Yum Yum Sauce Calories: 126 in 2 tablespoons (30 g); International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values: 2008

Estimated Blood Sugar Response (2 tbsp sauce, 30 g)

Modeled estimate for a person without diabetes, not a measured trace. Individual responses vary with the rest of the meal, the portion and activity.

How to flatten the spike

Count the sauce toward your daily fat and calorie total, since it has almost no effect on glucose by itself.
Spoon out 1 to 2 tbsp instead of dipping from the full restaurant cup, which holds 2 to 4 tbsp.
Eat the vegetables and protein from the plate first, then the rice, to slow the rise from the starch.
Skip the rice or halve it if you are tracking carbohydrates, because it adds far more carbohydrate than the sauce.
Take a 10 to 15 minute walk after the meal to blunt the peak.

Cultural Significance

Yum yum sauce, also sold as Japanese white sauce, shrimp sauce or hibachi sauce, comes from Japanese-American steakhouses in the United States. It is not a traditional sauce from Japan. Hibachi grill restaurants serve it in small cups next to grilled shrimp, chicken, steak, vegetables and fried rice, and the cup is often refilled. Home cooks copy the flavor by mixing mayonnaise with ketchup, sugar, rice vinegar, garlic powder, paprika and a little melted butter. Terry Ho's sells a bottled version in US grocery stores, including a reduced-calorie one. Recipes differ, so the calories on a restaurant cup are hard to pin down.

Compare & Substitute

Yum Yum Sauce vs Similar Foods

Nutrient	Homemade yum yum sauce with light mayonnaise, 2 tbsp (estimated)	Greek yogurt and ketchup sauce with paprika, 2 tbsp (estimated)	Hibachi ginger sauce, 2 tbsp (estimated)
Calories	70 kcal	35 kcal	30 kcal
Protein	0.2g	3g	0.5g
Carbohydrates	4g	4g	5g
Fat	6g	1g	1g

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories are in yum yum sauce?

Two tablespoons (30 g) of bottled Terry Ho's yum yum sauce have 170 calories per the USDA Branded Food record. Other databases list 126 to 150 kcal for the same portion, and homemade recipes vary with the mayonnaise used.

How many calories are in a cup of yum yum sauce at a hibachi restaurant?

A restaurant cup is usually 2 to 4 tablespoons. At 170 kcal per 2 tbsp that is about 170 to 340 calories, plus 17 to 34 g of fat. Restaurant recipes are not standardized, so this is an estimate.

How many carbs are in yum yum sauce?

About 5 g of carbohydrate per 2 tbsp, with 4 g of sugar and 0 g of fiber. That is low enough to count as a small amount in a carbohydrate budget.

Is yum yum sauce healthy?

It is a calorie-dense condiment: 17 g of fat per 2 tbsp, mostly from soybean oil, with 2.5 g saturated fat and no protein or fiber. A tablespoon or two is a reasonable flavoring, but a full restaurant cup adds up quickly.

Is yum yum sauce keto or low carb?

With 5 g of carbohydrate and 4 g of sugar per 2 tbsp, the bottled sauce is low carb but not zero carb, and it contains sugar and corn syrup. Homemade versions with sugar-free ketchup or sweetener can drop to 1 g or less per tablespoon.

How much sodium is in yum yum sauce?

The bottled sauce has about 160 mg of sodium per 2 tbsp, roughly 7% of the daily value. EatBetter's generic entry lists 330 mg, so restaurant versions can be higher. The World Health Organization recommends adults have less than 2,000 mg of sodium a day, about 5 g of salt.

What is a lighter alternative to yum yum sauce?

Mix light mayonnaise with a little ketchup, rice vinegar and paprika for about 70 kcal per 2 tbsp, or use plain Greek yogurt with ketchup for about 35 kcal. Both are estimates and taste tangier than the original.