Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle Soup: Labelgrade C+ (69/100)
C+ 69 / 100 — Additive-heavy formulation (soy protein concentrate and phosphate additives), very low saturated fat, and effectively zero sugar.
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Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle Soup delivers 6.99g of protein and 98.8 calories per Per Cup (USDA FDC 2753961). Per 100g that’s 2.9g of protein; per oz, 0.8g. The Labelgrade is C+ (69 / 100): Additive-heavy formulation (soy protein concentrate and phosphate additives), very low saturated fat, and effectively zero sugar.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | D | 54 / 100 | 2.9g per 100g — below the high-protein bar; not the right product for protein hunting |
| Ingredient quality | C | 60 / 100 | 25 ingredients; flagged soy protein concentrate + phosphate additives (+1 more) |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 98 / 100 | 0.988g per serving (0.4g per 100g) — very low |
| Sodium load | C+ | 69 / 100 | 660mg per serving (78mg per oz) — moderate |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0.988g sugar, no added sugar listed |
| Fiber | F | 33 / 100 | 0.964g per serving — modest fiber contribution |
| Overall | C+ | 69 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle Soup (this product) | 6.99g | 2.9g | 0.8g | 98.8 |
| Campbell’s Chunky Sirloin Burger Soup | 6g | 2.5g | 0.7g | 120 |
| Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup | 3g | 2.5g | 0.7g | 69.6 |
| Amy’s Organic Broccoli Cheddar Soup | 10g | 3.5g | 1g | 310 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
The best of the chicken noodle soups — which isn’t saying a lot
Among the chicken noodle soups graded on this site, Progresso Traditional is the one to reach for if protein is any part of the decision. At 7g per cup it out-protein’s a condensed Campbell’s chicken noodle (3g per prepared cup-equivalent), mostly because Progresso actually leads its ingredient list with cooked white chicken meat rather than starch and broth. That’s a real, if modest, edge: the second ingredient is chicken, you can see the meat, and the protein number reflects it.
Keep the praise in proportion, though. Seven grams is a useful contribution to a meal, not a protein source — for context, that’s roughly the protein in a single egg, spread across a whole cup of soup. If you’re eating this for the protein, the honest move is to treat it as the warm, low-calorie base of a meal and put the actual protein next to it: a turkey sandwich, a handful of rotisserie chicken stirred in, a hard-boiled egg on the side. As a soup it’s a perfectly good 99-calorie comfort food; as a protein play it’s a starting point, not the answer.
The sodium is the whole story
Everything that’s wrong with this soup’s grade, and most of what’s wrong with canned soup generally, comes down to salt. At 660mg of sodium per cup this is a salt-forward food, and because it’s a light, brothy soup it’s genuinely easy to eat the whole 19-oz can in one sitting — which lands you near 1,350mg, well over half a day’s sodium, from a single bowl. The per-cup figure looks restrained; the realistic-portion figure is the one that bites.
That said, give Progresso its due against the condensed competition. A condensed Campbell’s chicken noodle lists 870mg of sodium per half-cup of concentrate — and that’s before you’ve prepared it. Once you account for the different basis (Progresso is ready-to-eat; Campbell’s is concentrate you dilute), Progresso comes out the lower-sodium option on a true as-served comparison. The genuinely lower-salt route, if you eat soup often, is a reduced-sodium or “Healthy Request” line, which cuts roughly a third of the sodium and barely touches the protein. None of this makes Progresso a bad choice; it makes it a soup to portion with the salt in mind.
Scope
This page covers Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle Soup (19 ONZ), UPC 00041196010886, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 2753961. Progresso 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)
Chicken Broth, Cooked White Chicken Meat, Carrots, Egg Noodles (semolina wheat, egg, egg white), Celery. Contains less than 2% of: Modified Food Starch, Water, Chicken Fat, Salt, Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Carrot Puree, Onion Powder, Sugar, Soy Protein Isolate, Tomato Extract, Sodium Phosphate, Garlic Powder, Parsley*, Natural Flavor, Chives*, Maltodextrin, Spice, Beta Carotene (color). *Dried
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Quick Facts
Per serving · Per Cup
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (Per Cup) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 98.8 |
| Protein | 6.99g |
| Total Fat | 2.51g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.988g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 13g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.964g |
| Total Sugars | 0.988g |
| Added Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 660mg |
| Cholesterol | 24.1mg |
| Calcium | 0mg |
| Iron | 0.506mg |
| Potassium | 349mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Traditional Chicken Noodle Soup (19 ONZ) · UPC 00041196010886. 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
contains a gluten-bearing ingredient
Frequently Asked Questions
Is canned soup healthy?
It depends almost entirely on the sodium, and on what else is in the can. Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle is a reasonable example of the better end: it's a genuine low-calorie meal (99 per cup), real chicken meat is the second ingredient, and at 7g of protein per cup it carries more than most condensed soups. The honest catch is salt — 660mg per cup, before you've added a cracker or a sandwich. As an occasional warm meal it's fine; as a daily habit the sodium is the thing to watch. Brothy soups like this also beat creamy ones on saturated fat, which is why this one scores an A+ there.
Why does Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle Soup get a C+ (69/100)?
Two things hold it back and one thing isn't its fault. The protein density is low (2.9g per 100g) because soup is mostly water — that's structural, not a flaw in the recipe. The ingredient list runs long with soy protein isolate and phosphate additives, which pulls ingredient quality to a C. And sodium scores a C+ at 660mg per serving. What keeps it out of the C range is genuinely clean saturated fat (A+) and effectively zero sugar (A+). It's a middle-of-the-road comfort food: a little protein, not much else, salt as the main demerit.
Is this 'ready to eat' or do I add water like Campbell's?
Ready to eat. Progresso's Traditional line is sold full-strength — you heat it and serve it, no dilution. That matters when you compare it to a condensed Campbell's can, whose label numbers are for the concentrated soup before you add a can of water. So Progresso's 660mg of sodium is the as-eaten figure; a condensed Campbell's chicken noodle lists 870mg per half-cup of concentrate, which is a different (and higher) basis entirely. When you put them on the same as-served footing, Progresso is the lower-sodium of the two.
How big is a serving, and how much sodium am I really getting?
The panel is per cup (about 241g): 99 calories, 7g protein, 660mg sodium. A 19-oz can is a little over two cups, so eating the whole can — which is easy to do, since it's a light soup — puts you near 1,350mg of sodium, roughly 59% of the day's 2,300mg limit, in one sitting. The per-cup figure looks moderate; the per-can figure is the one to keep in mind if soup is your meal rather than a side.
Is there a lower-sodium version?
Yes. Progresso makes a Reduced Sodium Chicken Noodle (and Campbell's sells a 'Healthy Request' line), both of which cut roughly a third of the salt while keeping the protein. If you eat chicken noodle soup regularly, switching to one of those is the single highest-impact change you can make — the macros barely move, but the sodium drops meaningfully. Pairing any of these with a lower-sodium side does the rest.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-05, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2753961. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.