Tamarind paste has 239 kcal and 38.8 g sugar per 100 g. A sour-sweet base used in South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian cooking — think pad thai, chutneys, rasam. A tablespoon (15 g) is ~35.9 kcal.
How should I track Tamarind paste?
Tamarind paste is high in magnesium. Small amounts of Tamarind paste add up faster than most people realize. A systematic review (Whitton et al., Adv Nutr 2022) found that condiments are among the most frequently omitted items in food logs — skipped 1–80% of the time. A tablespoon of mayo or dressing can add 50–100 calories, and most people use two or three tablespoons without measuring. The fix is simple: keep a teaspoon or scale near your plate and measure once. Sauces and dressings are often the hidden reason a "healthy" salad ends up at 600+ calories.