Campbell's vs Progresso Chicken Noodle: 2,100+ mg vs 1,320 mg Sodium

Progresso Traditional lists less sodium per labeled serving than Campbell's Condensed: 660 mg per 1 cup ready to eat, versus 840 mg per 1/2 cup condensed (890 mg on another label version). Per can, the gap is larger, about 1,320 mg versus roughly 2,100 to 2,225 mg, but the serving bases differ, so read both figures together.

Key takeaways

• Serving sizes differ: Campbell's uses 1/2 cup condensed (about 2.5 servings per can), while Progresso uses 1 cup ready to eat (2 servings per can).
• Per serving, Progresso lists 660 mg and Campbell's lists 840 mg (890 mg on another label version). Per can, the figures are about 1,320 mg and roughly 2,100 to 2,225 mg.
• The Campbell's ingredient list names Monosodium Glutamate and yeast extract. The Progresso list names neither, but includes potassium chloride, soy protein isolate and tomato extract.
• Adding the can of water the Campbell's label calls for dilutes each spoonful but does not remove any sodium from the can.

Campbell's Condensed vs Progresso Traditional: What Are the Per-Serving Numbers?

The Campbell's Condensed label uses a serving of 1/2 cup (120 mL) of condensed soup, with about 2.5 servings per container. The Progresso Traditional label uses a serving of 1 cup ready to serve, with 2 servings per 19 oz can. Because the two products are labeled on different bases, the table below lists each figure as printed, next to its serving size.

Nutrient	Campbell's Condensed (10.75 oz can)	Progresso Traditional (19 oz can)
Serving size	1/2 cup (120 mL) condensed	1 cup, ready to serve
Servings per container	About 2.5	2
Calories	60	100
Total fat	2 g	2.5 g
Saturated fat	0.5 g	1 g
Cholesterol	15 mg	25 mg
Sodium	840 mg (37% DV) on brand page; 890 mg (39% DV) on another label version	660 mg (29% DV)
Total carbohydrate	8 g	13 g
Dietary fiber	0 g	1 g
Total sugars	0 g (0 g added)	1 g (0 g added)
Protein	3 g	7 g
Potassium	Not disclosed	350 mg

Progresso is sold ready to serve, with no water needed. Campbell's is condensed, and its label directs you to mix the soup with one can of water. Adding that water changes the volume of the prepared soup, so one 1/2 cup condensed serving becomes roughly 1 cup as eaten. The sodium total in that serving is unchanged. The Campbell's nutrition panel is written for the condensed serving, and sodium per prepared cup was not disclosed.

Campbell's Condensed vs Progresso Traditional: How Much Sodium Is in the Whole Can?

A 10.75 oz Campbell's condensed can carries roughly 2,100 to 2,225 mg of sodium, based on about 2.5 servings at 840 to 890 mg each, depending on which label version applies. A 19 oz Progresso Traditional can carries about 1,320 mg, which is 2 servings at 660 mg each. Both totals are estimates from rounded label values, so the Nutrition Facts panel on your own can is the figure to use.

Per serving, both soups are high under FDA's sodium guidance, which describes 20% Daily Value (DV) or more as high and 5% DV or less as low. Campbell's is 37% to 39% DV and Progresso is 29% DV. FDA's guide is at Sodium in Your Diet. Campbell's states only 'about 2.5' servings per can, so the per-can figure is an estimate.

Does adding water to condensed soup reduce sodium?

No. The whole Campbell's can still carries roughly 2,100 mg or more of sodium, whether you eat it condensed or mix in the one can of water the label directs. Water lowers the concentration of each spoonful but does not remove sodium from the can.

If you eat the full can, you take in the sodium of about 2.5 labeled servings, not the sodium of a single diluted cup. Comparing a condensed serving with a ready-to-eat bowl without accounting for this can understate the total in the can.

Campbell's Condensed vs Progresso Traditional: Which Ingredient Lists Differ?

Does Campbell's chicken noodle soup have MSG?

Yes. The Campbell's Condensed ingredient list names Monosodium Glutamate among its minor ingredients, in the group making up less than 2% of the product. FDA says a typical serving with added MSG contains less than 0.5 g, but the exact milligrams of MSG in this soup were not disclosed. FDA requires added MSG to be declared by its name and considers added MSG generally recognized as safe. FDA's question-and-answer page is at FDA MSG Questions and Answers.

The Campbell's list also includes yeast extract. FDA says yeast extract, along with hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy extracts and protein isolates, naturally contains free glutamate, and these ingredients do not need to be declared as sources of glutamate. How much free glutamate comes from those ingredients in this soup was not disclosed. The Open Food Facts record for the Campbell's can, which includes a label photo, is at Open Food Facts: Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup.

Does Progresso chicken noodle soup have MSG?

The Progresso Traditional ingredient list does not include monosodium glutamate or yeast extract. That does not mean the soup contains no glutamate. The list includes soy protein isolate, and FDA says protein isolates and soy extracts naturally contain free glutamate. FDA also says foods with those ingredients cannot claim 'No MSG' or 'No added MSG.' Whether the soy protein isolate adds a meaningful amount of glutamate to this soup was not disclosed. FDA's guidance is at FDA MSG Questions and Answers, and the Progresso product page is at Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle Soup.

The two ingredient lists differ in several other ways:

• Campbell's starts with chicken stock. Progresso starts with chicken broth, then cooked white chicken meat, carrots, egg noodles and celery.
• Campbell's egg noodles are enriched with niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin and folic acid. Progresso's noodles are listed as semolina wheat, egg and egg white.
• Campbell's lists cornstarch, modified cornstarch, flavoring and sugar. Progresso lists modified food starch, flavor, natural flavor, maltodextrin and sugar.
• Progresso lists potassium chloride alongside salt. Campbell's lists salt without potassium chloride.
• Both list beta carotene for color.
• Campbell's states that its chicken meat has no antibiotics. Progresso's chicken sourcing and antibiotic policy was not disclosed.
• Progresso states no artificial flavors and no colors from artificial sources. The Campbell's listing does not include a similar claim.

Potassium chloride is used as a salt substitute, and readers who want background on how it appears on labels can read FDA Salt Substitute Rule: Look for Potassium Chloride on Labels. For a plain-language look at why labels list functional ingredients such as modified starch, see To Protect Taste: 6 Scanned Labels That Explain Their Ingredients.

Campbell's Condensed vs Progresso Traditional: How Do Protein, Fiber and Calories Compare?

Per labeled serving, Campbell's provides 60 calories and 3 g of protein, while Progresso's 1 cup provides 100 calories and 7 g of protein. Fiber is 0 g for Campbell's and 1 g for Progresso, and total carbohydrate is 8 g versus 13 g. Part of that gap reflects the serving bases, since the Campbell's serving is condensed soup and the Progresso serving is ready to eat.

Fat and cholesterol also differ. Campbell's lists 2 g of total fat, 0.5 g of saturated fat and 15 mg of cholesterol per serving. Progresso lists 2.5 g of total fat, 1 g of saturated fat and 25 mg of cholesterol per cup. Both list 0 g of added sugars, with 0 g total sugars for Campbell's and 1 g for Progresso. Progresso lists 350 mg of potassium per cup, while Campbell's potassium was not disclosed.

The label does not state calories or protein for a prepared Campbell's cup or for the whole can, so those totals are not compared here. A nutrition label describes a serving, not how a food affects any one person's health, and label data alone cannot show how either soup fits into an individual diet.

Why Does the Campbell's Label Say 840 mg in Some Places and 890 mg in Others?

The Campbell's brand page at Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup lists 840 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup condensed serving. The can label photo on Open Food Facts reads 890 mg (39% DV) for the same serving size. Campbell's 25% Less Sodium page at 25% Less Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup states 890 mg for its regular chicken noodle soup and 660 mg for the 25% Less Sodium product. That 660 mg figure belongs to a different product and is not part of this comparison.

Neither page explains the difference, so this article does not attribute the gap to any cause. Reading the Nutrition Facts panel on the can you have is the direct way to confirm the figure for that can. For this product, sodium is 840 to 890 mg per condensed serving depending on the can and label version, so check your can.

Campbell's Condensed vs Progresso Traditional: How to Spot the Differences on a Label?

Most of the differences above can be found in three places on a can: the serving size line, the servings per container line and the ingredient list. These steps work for comparing any two cans.

• Start with the serving size. Condensed soup (1/2 cup) and ready-to-eat soup (1 cup) are not interchangeable bases.
• Read servings per container. Campbell's says about 2.5, and Progresso says 2.
• Multiply sodium per serving by servings per container to estimate the whole can, and remember that 'about' means the count is approximate.
• Look for water in the preparation directions. Campbell's condensed directions call for mixing with one can of water, while Progresso is ready to serve with no water needed.
• In the ingredient list, scan for 'monosodium glutamate,' 'yeast extract,' 'soy protein isolate' and 'potassium chloride.'
• Be cautious with MSG claims. Under the FDA guidance linked above, foods with yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy extracts or protein isolates cannot claim 'No MSG' or 'No added MSG.'
• Compare the sodium on the panel of your own can. The brand page and an Open Food Facts label photo show 840 mg and 890 mg for the same Campbell's serving. The reason is not disclosed, so this article does not treat either figure as the correct one.

A label check shows only what is printed on the package. It does not show how a food affects a particular person.

Campbell's vs Progresso: How Do the Sodium Figures Compare by Serving Basis?

The per-serving and per-can figures describe different portions, so each should be read on its own basis. Campbell's lists 840 mg per 1/2 cup condensed serving (890 mg on another label version), with about 2.5 servings per can. Progresso lists 660 mg per 1 cup ready to eat, with 2 servings per can. Per can, the totals are roughly 2,100 to 2,225 mg for Campbell's and about 1,320 mg for Progresso.

Sodium-sensitive readers may also want the additive context. Campbell's lists monosodium glutamate and yeast extract, while Progresso lists potassium chloride, a salt substitute, and soy protein isolate. The available information does not give the exact glutamate content for either soup. For more on sodium that does not appear as table salt, see Sodium Beyond Salt: 6 Scanned Labels With Sodium Additives. People whose sodium intake is medically managed can ask a clinician how packaged soups fit into their plan.

The available label and agency information cannot establish how either soup affects any individual, whether Progresso's soy protein isolate adds meaningful glutamate or why the Campbell's sodium figure varies between labels. These are open questions, and the figures in this article describe labels, not health outcomes.

Scan both cans yourself with Aurascan, a food-label scanner for iPhone that explains each ingredient one by one with cited evidence, and compare the panel and ingredient list printed on the packages in your own kitchen.

Related reading: cooking with boxed broth instead of canned soup? See Pacific vs Swanson Chicken Broth: Sodium and Added Sugar.