Sweet Baby Ray's Original Barbecue Sauce: Labelgrade C- (56/100)
C- 56 / 100 — Additive-heavy formulation (maltodextrin or corn syrup), very low saturated fat, notable sugar load, and high sodium per 100g.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce is essentially a sweet sauce — a flavor add-on with 0g of protein, 0g of fiber, and 69.8 calories per 2 Tbsp (USDA FDC 2013494). It lands at C- (56 / 100), the lowest grade of the three condiments here, for one main reason: 15g of sugar per serving — nearly four teaspoons — plus 280mg of sodium. The first ingredient is high-fructose corn syrup, ahead of the tomato. A thin brush at a cookout is harmless. The trouble is that BBQ sauce gets poured, not measured, so the real serving and its sugar are usually bigger than the label.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | D | 50 / 100 | 0g per 100g — below the high-protein bar; not the right product for protein hunting |
| Ingredient quality | C | 64 / 100 | 23 ingredients; flagged maltodextrin or corn syrup |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g saturated fat — perfect |
| Sodium load | F | 26 / 100 | 280mg per serving (220mg per oz) — high; structural for cured/preserved foods |
| Sugar load | D | 40 / 100 | 15g sugar; USDA omits the added-sugar line, but the ingredients list a sweetener — scored as added, not naturally-occurring |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0g fiber, expected for animal-protein products |
| Overall | C- | 56 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 25% · ingredients 22% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 12% · fiber 8% |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per serving | Per 100 g | Per oz | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce (this product) | 0g | 0g | 0g | 69.8 |
| Heinz Indian Relish | 0g | 0g | 0g | 20 |
| Heinz Tomato Ketchup | 0g | 0g | 0g | 20.1 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
It’s sweet sauce first, barbecue sauce second
The fastest way to understand this bottle is to read the ingredient list in order. On most barbecue sauces you’d hope to see tomato leading, with sweeteners playing a supporting role. Here it’s the reverse: high-fructose corn syrup is the first ingredient, tomato paste is third, and a cola syrup — itself built on more high-fructose corn syrup — is fourth, followed deeper in by molasses, corn syrup, and pineapple juice concentrate. That’s a stack of sugars surrounding a little tomato, which is exactly how you get to 15g of sugar in 2 tablespoons — close to four teaspoons.
That single number is what drops the grade to C- (56), the lowest of the three condiments on the site. It’s not the sodium (280mg is high but no worse than ketchup per spoon) and it’s not saturated fat (a clean zero). It’s the sugar, full stop. Sweet Baby Ray’s tastes the way it does because it is, compositionally, a sweetened sauce — and the grade is just reporting that honestly. None of which means you can’t enjoy it. It means you should know you’re reaching for the sweetest of the bunch.
The pour-it problem — and how to keep the flavor without the sugar
Every condiment on this site shares one honest catch: the realistic serving is bigger than the label’s, because nobody measures. Barbecue sauce is where that bites hardest. A burger gets a tablespoon of ketchup; a rack of ribs or a pulled-pork sandwich gets slathered. Double the 2 Tbsp serving — easy to do — and you’re at 30g of sugar and 560mg of sodium from the sauce alone, before the meat. The grade on this page is the best-case version; your plate is usually the bigger one.
The good news is that barbecue flavor is cheap to get without the sugar dump. Three moves, in order of impact:
- Brush, don’t pour. Glaze a thin coat on at the very end of cooking so it caramelizes on the surface. You taste the sauce on every bite for a fraction of what a poured serving costs you.
- Lead with a dry rub. Paprika, garlic, cumin, black pepper, a little salt — that’s smoky, savory barbecue character with essentially zero sugar, and you can finish with a light brush of sauce for the sweet note.
- Switch bottles if it’s a staple. If barbecue sauce is a weekly thing in your house, a no-sugar-added BBQ sauce swaps the corn syrup for a non-nutritive sweetener and erases most of the 15g while keeping the taste close.
Used with a light hand, a sweet barbecue sauce is a fine occasional treat. The only real mistake is treating it like a free topping — at 15g of sugar a serving, it isn’t.
Scope
This page covers Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce (18 oz/510 g), UPC 013409515839, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 2013494. Sweet Baby Ray’s sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DISTILLED VINEGAR, TOMATO PASTE, COLA SYRUP (HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CARAMEL COLOR, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH (CORN),NATURAL FLAVORS, PHOSPHORIC ACID,CAFFEINE), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR, PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, SPICE, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR, SODIUM BENZOATE AS A ,PRESERVATIVE, MOLASSES, CORN SYRUP, GARLIC*, CARAMEL COLOR SUGAR, TAMARIND.
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 2 Tbsp
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (2 Tbsp) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 69.8 |
| Protein | 0g |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 17g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 15g |
| Sodium | 280mg |
| Iron | 0.36mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Original Barbecue Sauce (18 oz/510 g) · UPC 013409515839. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
Is barbecue sauce healthy?
It's a flavor add-on, not a food — 0g protein, 0g fiber, and essentially sweet sauce by composition. The honest read is in the numbers: 15g of sugar and 280mg of sodium per 2 Tbsp (USDA FDC 2013494). The first ingredient is high-fructose corn syrup. A brush at a cookout is fine; it's the second and third helping, poured by hand, that adds up.
Why does Sweet Baby Ray's get a Labelgrade C-?
Because it carries the most sugar of any condiment we've graded in this group — 15g per serving, which scores a D — on top of 280mg of sodium (an F) and an additive-heavy 23-ingredient list. With no protein or fiber to offset any of it, those pull the overall down to C-, 56/100, the lowest of the three condiments here.
How much sugar is in barbecue sauce?
15g per 2 Tbsp in Sweet Baby Ray's Original — that's nearly four teaspoons of sugar in two tablespoons of sauce, and it's the reason this grades lowest. High-fructose corn syrup is the first ingredient, ahead of the tomato, with cola syrup, molasses, corn syrup and pineapple juice concentrate adding more behind it. This is a sweet sauce first and a savory one second.
What's a realistic serving of barbecue sauce?
Almost certainly more than the 2 Tbsp on the label — nobody measures BBQ sauce. Slathered on ribs, chicken, or a pulled-pork sandwich, a real serving is often double, which pushes you toward 30g of sugar and 560mg of sodium. This is the condiment where the gap between the label serving and the plate serving matters most.
How do I use barbecue sauce with less sugar?
Use it sparingly — brush a thin glaze on at the end of cooking instead of pouring, and most of the flavor lands for a fraction of the sugar. A dry spice rub gets you smoky-savory with essentially no sugar at all, and several brands now sell a no-sugar-added BBQ sauce that swaps the corn syrup for a non-nutritive sweetener if you want the bottle without the 15g.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-05, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2013494. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.