The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce
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The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce is a tomato-led pasta sauce with garlic, basil and olive oil. It scores EA2: nutrition is low because a sauce brings almost no protein or fibre, ingredients are top grade for a short list with no additives, and risk is low, with salt the main cost. Fine for regular pasta nights, with a portion in mind.
Ingredients, decoded
6 listed- Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Basil Leaves
- Olive Oil
- Low Sodium Salt
- Spices and Condiments
2 teaspoons of sugar in every 100 g · 10.1 g total sugar, 5 g a teaspoon
| Energy | 92 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13.3 g |
| Total sugars | 10.1 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g |
| Total fat | 2.4 g |
| Sodium | 568.4 mg |
Think this score is wrong?
What to know about The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce
Clean short list, but 739 mg sodium a serve
The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce is a 390 g glass jar of tomato pasta sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, basil leaves, olive oil, low sodium salt and unnamed spices and condiments. The front says 85% tomatoes. It is bought as a ready sauce for a quick pasta dinner that tastes home-made.
Per 100 g the sauce has 92 kcal, 0.7 g protein, 2.4 g fat, 10.1 g total sugar and 568 mg sodium, with no added sugar declared. The pack counts 130 g as a serve, three to a jar, so one serve is about 120 kcal, 0.9 g protein, 13 g total sugar and 739 mg sodium, before the pasta.
The name and the front match the list: tomatoes lead, and no additive, preservative or hydrogenated fat is listed. What the pack does not say loudly is the salt, since low sodium salt is listed but the sauce still carries 568 mg sodium per 100 g. CleanPlate scores it EA2.
Why The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce scores EA2
Nutrition is an E because protein is 0.7 g per 100 g and no fibre is declared. Ingredients are an A for a short, additive-free list, and risk is a 2, driven almost entirely by sodium at 568 mg per 100 g.
Very low nutrient density
- Protein
- 0.7 g
- Fibre
- Not declared
- Vitamins and minerals
- None declared
- Energy
- 92 kcal
01 Nutrition density: why E
Protein is 0.7 g per 100 g, about 0.9 g in a 130 g serve, and it comes mostly from the tomatoes. No fibre is declared, which leaves the grade with nothing to build on.
No vitamins or minerals are declared on the panel, so nothing adds to it. Energy is light at 92 kcal per 100 g and about 120 kcal a serve.
Scored on protein, fibre and twelve vitamins and minerals, against the Codex and FSSAI "source" and "high" levels, per 100 g and per 100 kcal. Protein also has to supply at least 12.5% of the calories to count, and 25% for full credit.
Clean, minimally processed
- Base
- Tomatoes
- Main fat
- Olive Oil
- Sweeteners
- None added
- Additives
- 0
- Flagged
- None
02 Ingredient integrity: why A
The list has six items: tomatoes, garlic, basil leaves, olive oil, low sodium salt and spices and condiments. No additive, preservative, colour or hydrogenated fat is listed, so no ingredient points are lost.
The pack's promises hold against the list, so no label points are lost either. The one soft spot is that the spices are not named.
Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.
Low risk
- Added sugar
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 568.4 mg
03 Load risk: why 2
Sodium is nearly all of the risk number: 568 mg per 100 g, about 739 mg in a serve. That alone puts the grade at 2.
Added sugar is 0 g, so sugar plays no part, even though total sugar is 10.1 g per 100 g. No saturated fat or trans fat is counted, and energy adds nothing at 92 kcal per 100 g.
Scored on free sugar, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat, each weighed by how strong the evidence of harm is.
Red flags
No major red flags on the label.
Green flags
- +Green flag: No added sugar
- +Green flag: No additives
Does The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce live up to its claims?
The tomato, no-added-sugar and no-additives claims hold. Two small points need care: the nut-free icon sits beside a facility warning, and a retailer page shows a different fat figure.
- On the packHolds
“85% Tomatoes”
Tomatoes are the first ingredient, which fits a figure this high. The rest of the list is garlic, basil, olive oil, salt and spices.
- On the packHolds
“No added sugar”
Added sugar is declared as 0 g. Total sugar is still 10.1 g per 100 g, about 13 g in a serve.
- On the packHolds
“No additives or preservatives”
None is listed. The six ingredients are all foods, spices or salt.
- On the packBe careful
“Nut free”
The icon says nut free, but the back text says it is made in a facility that also processes nuts. Both are printed on the pack.
- Retail listingBe careful
“3.4 g fat per 100 g”
The retailer page shows 3.4 g fat per 100 g, the pack shows 2.4 g.
What's in The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce?
Tomatoes lead a six-item list with garlic, basil and olive oil. Sodium is the one thing to watch, and the spices are not named.
The ingredient list, read for you
Tomatoes come first, then garlic, basil leaves and olive oil, so the sauce is mostly tomato with a little flavour and fat. The front declares 85% tomatoes; no other percentages are given. Low sodium salt seasons it, and the spices and condiments are not named.
Ingredients to watch
- SodiumWorth watching
568 mg per 100 g, about 739 mg in a 130 g serve. Low sodium salt is listed, but the sauce is still salty.
- Total sugarWorth watching
10.1 g per 100 g, about 13 g a serve. None is declared as added.
- Spices and condiments (not named)Worth watching
The label does not say which spices are used, so there is nothing to check them against.
- Short, plain listFine
Six ingredients, with no additives, no preservatives and no hydrogenated fat listed.
What it doesn’t have
- No fibre, vitamins or minerals are declared on the panel.
- No saturated fat line is printed.
Who should eat The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce?
Fine as an everyday sauce for most adults, with one 130 g serve at 739 mg sodium. Those watching blood pressure should keep it to a few times a week.
- Most adultsEveryday
Risk is low and a serve has about 120 kcal, but 739 mg sodium adds up.
- ChildrenA few times a week
No sweetener, dye or hydrogenated fat, but 739 mg sodium is a lot in a serve.
- High blood pressureA few times a week
568 mg sodium per 100 g, 739 mg in one serve.
- Weight managementEveryday
About 120 kcal and 2.4 g fat per 100 g; the pasta adds most of the calories.
Recipes with The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce
Follow the pack with 85 g dry pasta per serve, or add beans, paneer or vegetables to lift protein, which is only 0.9 g in a serve of sauce.
Pasta as on the pack
Toss 255 g boiled pasta in a pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and the jar, then top with grated cheese. That is three servings, with the sauce at about 120 kcal each.
Sauce with beans or paneer
Stir in cooked white beans, chickpeas or paneer cubes to add the protein the sauce lacks, as a serve has only 0.9 g.
Vegetable tray bake
Spoon the sauce over roasted vegetables and bake. Skip extra salt, as the sauce already has 568 mg sodium per 100 g.
The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce: common questions
What is the CleanPlate score of The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce?
The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce is a tomato-led pasta sauce with garlic, basil and olive oil. It scores EA2: nutrition is low because a sauce brings almost no protein or fibre, ingredients are top grade for a short list with no additives, and risk is low, with salt the main cost. Fine for regular pasta nights, with a portion in mind. Nutrition E, ingredients A, load risk 2; nutrition and ingredients run A to E, risk runs 1 to 5, and A and 1 are best.
How many calories and how much protein are in The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce?
Per 100 g, The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce has 92 kcal, 0.7 g protein, 13.3 g carbohydrate, 2.4 g fat and 0 g added sugar. One serve (130 g, one of 3 servings per jar) has 120 kcal and 0.9 g protein.
What are the ingredients in The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce?
6 ingredients, in label order: Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil Leaves, Olive Oil, Low Sodium Salt, Spices and Condiments.
Does The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce live up to its claims?
5 claims checked: 3 hold, 2 need care. "Nut free" needs care: The icon says nut free, but the back text says it is made in a facility that also processes nuts. Both are printed on the pack. "3.4 g fat per 100 g" needs care: The retailer page shows 3.4 g fat per 100 g, the pack shows 2.4 g.
Who should limit The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce?
Most adults: everyday. Risk is low and a serve has about 120 kcal, but 739 mg sodium adds up. Children: a few times a week. No sweetener, dye or hydrogenated fat, but 739 mg sodium is a lot in a serve. High blood pressure: a few times a week. 568 mg sodium per 100 g, 739 mg in one serve.
How much sugar, salt and saturated fat does The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce have?
Per 100 g, The Gourmet Jar Basil Pasta Sauce has 0 g added sugar and 568 mg sodium (about 1.4 g salt). The FSSAI and UK FSA "high" lines are 10 g added sugar, 600 mg sodium and 5 g saturated fat per 100 g. It is under all three lines.
Last reviewed October 23, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label. Spotted a mistake? .
