Dinty Moore Beef Stew: Labelgrade B- (70/100)
B- 70 / 100 — Very low saturated fat and low sugar load.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Dinty Moore Beef Stew delivers 11g of protein and 191 calories per 1 TRAY (USDA FDC 1860844). Per 100g that’s 4.3g of protein; per oz, 1.2g. The Labelgrade is B- (70 / 100): Very low saturated fat and low sugar load.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C- | 56 / 100 | 4.3g per 100g — below the high-protein bar; not the right product for protein hunting |
| Ingredient quality | B | 75 / 100 | 12 ingredients, recognizable, no significant additive flags |
| Saturated fat load | A | 94 / 100 | 3.01g per serving (1.2g per 100g) — very low |
| Sodium load | D | 52 / 100 | 1120mg per serving (125mg per oz) — meaningful per 100g |
| Sugar load | A | 92 / 100 | 1.99g sugar; USDA omits the added-sugar line, but the ingredients list a sweetener — scored as added, not naturally-occurring |
| Fiber | F | 36 / 100 | 2.04g per serving — modest fiber contribution |
| Overall | B- | 70 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 23% · ingredients 21% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 15% · fiber 8% |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per serving | Per 100 g | Per oz | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinty Moore Beef Stew (this product) | 11g | 4.3g | 1.2g | 191 |
| Chef Boyardee Beefaroni | 9.99g | 2.4g | 0.7g | 348 |
| Armour Chicken Vienna Sausage | 7g | 11.7g | 3.3g | 120 |
| Spam Classic | 7g | 12.5g | 3.5g | 180 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
The sodium is the whole story
Read the dimension table and one number does almost all the work: 1,120mg of sodium per serving, a D. Everything else about this stew grades like a decent home-cooked meal. The saturated fat is genuinely low (3.01g), there’s no added-sugar problem, and the ingredient list is the kind you can actually read — water, potatoes, beef, carrots, then a short tail of starches, tomato paste, caramel color, and seasoning. For a shelf-stable canned product, that’s an honest build.
Salt is what canned stew trades for that shelf life and flavor, and it shows up as 49% of the day’s sodium limit in a single tray. The catch is the serving size: one tray is filling but not large, and most adults eat the whole 18 oz can or pair it with bread or crackers, which pushes a single sitting well past 1,500mg. There’s no low-sodium version of this exact SKU, so the only lever you control is what you put next to it — skip the extra salted sides and the meal stays reasonable.
What it does well: a real, filling meal for the calories
The flip side is why this still lands at B- and not lower. For 191 calories you get 11g of protein, 2.04g of fiber, and actual chunks of beef, potato, and carrot — not a slurry of fillers. That’s a far better calorie-for-calorie deal than most canned entrees in this aisle, and it beats canned pasta or a fatty cured meat handily on both calories and saturated fat. The protein clears the FDA “high in protein” threshold, and the fiber, modest as it is, comes from the vegetables rather than an additive.
The honest way to read this product: it’s convenience food that’s genuinely more food than junk. As an occasional hearty lunch — especially rounded out with a handful of frozen vegetables or a side salad to make up for the light vegetable content — it’s a solid choice. The only reason to hesitate is sodium: if you’re managing blood pressure or eat canned meals often, the 1,120mg per serving is the number to respect.
Scope
This page covers Dinty Moore Beef Stew (18 oz/510 g), UPC 037600477185, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 1860844. Dinty Moore 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)
WATER, POTATOES, BEEF, CARROTS, CONTAIN 2% OR LESS OF CORN FLOUR, SALT, TOMATO PASTE, CORNSTARCH, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, CARAMEL COLOR, SUGAR, FLAVORING.
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 TRAY
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 TRAY) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 191 |
| Protein | 11g |
| Total Fat | 7.01g |
| Saturated Fat | 3.01g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 21g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.04g |
| Total Sugars | 1.99g |
| Sodium | 1120mg |
| Cholesterol | 35.7mg |
| Calcium | 0mg |
| Iron | 0.714mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Beef Stew (18 oz/510 g) · UPC 037600477185. 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 animal-derived ingredients
contains meat, fish, or gelatin
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dinty Moore Beef Stew good for you?
It's a reasonable convenience meal, not a health food. The build is honest — real beef, potatoes, and carrots in a thickened broth, giving you 11g of protein, 2.04g of fiber, and a modest 191 calories per serving, with very little saturated fat (3.01g) and no meaningful added sugar. The catch is salt: 1,120mg of sodium is about 49% of the day's limit in one serving. As an occasional hearty meal it's fine; as a daily staple the sodium adds up fast.
How much protein is in Dinty Moore Beef Stew?
11 grams per serving (1 tray, 255g), per USDA FDC 1860844 — that's 4.3g per 100g, or about 1.2g per oz. It clears the FDA's 'high in protein' bar (22% of the 50g Daily Value), but the protein is spread through a watery stew, so the per-100g density is low. It's a meal with real protein in it, not a protein product.
Why does Dinty Moore Beef Stew get a B-?
Sodium is the ceiling. Everything else grades well — low saturated fat (A), low sugar (A), a recognizable 12-ingredient label (B) — but 1,120mg of sodium per serving pulls the sodium dimension down to a D, and the protein density is only a C-. Average those and you land at B- (70/100): a genuinely convenient, edible meal held back by salt.
How much sodium is in Dinty Moore Beef Stew?
1,120mg per serving (1 tray) — roughly 49% of the FDA's 2,300mg daily limit, or 125mg per oz. That's the single biggest knock on this product. If you eat it as a full meal and add bread, crackers, or anything else salted, you can clear two-thirds of a day's sodium at one sitting. There's no low-sodium version of this exact product, so the lever you control is what you pair it with.
Is Dinty Moore Beef Stew a complete meal?
Close, but light on vegetables and heavy on starch. You get protein from the beef, carbs and a little fiber from the potatoes and carrots, and 191 calories — filling for the calories, but most adults will want more than one serving, which is where the sodium and calories both climb. Adding your own frozen vegetables or a side salad rounds it out without adding salt.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-05, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 1860844. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.