Is Heinz Gravy Healthier Than McCormick? 250mg vs 280mg

Both 12 oz gravies list 25 calories per 1/4 cup, but their labels differ on sodium, fat, wheat, and milk. Heinz HomeStyle Turkey Gravy lists 250 mg sodium (11% DV) and 1.5 g fat per serving, and its allergens tab declares wheat and milk. McCormick Simply Better Turkey Gravy lists 280 mg sodium (12% DV) and 0 g fat, and its carton is printed "GLUTEN FREE." The sections below compare each label side by side.

Key takeaways

• Per 1/4 cup, both gravies list 25 calories. Heinz has 250 mg sodium (11% DV) and 1.5 g fat, while McCormick has 280 mg sodium (12% DV) and 0 g fat.
• Heinz HomeStyle declares wheat and milk and lists bleached wheat flour and nonfat dry milk. McCormick's listed ingredients include potato starch and rice flour instead of wheat flour.
• Yeast extract appears in both ingredient lists. Heinz also lists autolyzed yeast extract and torula yeast. Yeast extract is not on FDA's list of major food allergens.
• Servings per container differ (6 for Heinz, about 5 for McCormick), so check the carton before comparing whole containers.

Heinz HomeStyle vs McCormick Simply Better Turkey Gravy: Which Declares Wheat and Milk?

Heinz HomeStyle Turkey Gravy declares both wheat and milk, while the McCormick ingredient list shown does not include wheat flour or a milk ingredient. The Heinz allergens tab reads "Contains Wheat" and "Contains Milk." The McCormick allergen "Contains" line was not disclosed, so check the carton directly.

The Heinz ingredient list includes "CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR" and "NONFAT DRY MILK," along with soy lecithin. The McCormick list instead includes Potato Starch and Rice Flour, with Modified Corn Starch and Chicken Fat.

• Heinz: wheat (bleached wheat flour), milk (nonfat dry milk)
• McCormick: no wheat flour or milk ingredient in the ingredient list shown; potato starch and rice flour as starch and flour sources
• Both: yeast extract, natural flavor, salt, modified corn starch

Is McCormick Simply Better Turkey Gravy gluten free?

The McCormick Simply Better Turkey Gravy carton is printed "GLUTEN FREE," which is a printed label claim, and its listed ingredients use potato starch and rice flour rather than wheat flour. Heinz HomeStyle is not gluten free by its label, because it declares wheat.

The label does not include test results for either jar, and it does not address cross-contact in a shared facility. For a parallel case where a wheat declaration changes the answer, see Does Kikkoman Have Gluten? It Lists Wheat; La Choy Doesn't.

People who avoid gluten for medical reasons should read the full label and any manufacturer statement on the package they hold. Individual tolerance varies, and a label cannot show how a specific person will respond.

Does Heinz HomeStyle or McCormick Simply Better Turkey Gravy contain dairy?

Heinz HomeStyle Turkey Gravy contains milk, and its allergens tab reads "Contains Milk." NONFAT DRY MILK appears in the Heinz ingredient list. The McCormick ingredient list shown does not include a milk ingredient, and its allergen line was not disclosed.

Milk is one of the nine major food allergens FDA lists, along with eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. Reading the full ingredient list is the most direct way to check for milk. Is Primal Kitchen Caesar Dairy-Free? Newman's Has Romano shows how a dairy ingredient can change a label's answer.

The labels do not show whether either product is made on equipment shared with dairy products.

Which gravy has less sodium per serving, Heinz HomeStyle or McCormick?

Heinz HomeStyle provides 11% DV sodium (250 mg) per 1/4 cup (60 g), compared with 12% DV (280 mg) per 1/4 cup (62 g) for McCormick Simply Better Turkey Gravy. The serving sizes are close, so the per-serving gap is small.

FDA's Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg per day. FDA considers 5% DV or less per serving low and 20% DV or more high, so 11% and 12% fall between those two marks. FDA also advises paying attention to the number of servings, which is 6 per container for Heinz and about 5 for McCormick. Comparing a single serving is not the same as comparing a whole container. Details are on FDA's sodium in your diet page.

Do Heinz and McCormick turkey gravy contain yeast extract?

Yes, both labels list yeast extract, and Heinz also lists autolyzed yeast extract and torula yeast. The labels do not describe the role of these ingredients beyond listing them.

Free glutamate occurs naturally in ingredients such as autolyzed yeast and yeast extract. FDA requires these ingredients to be listed, but does not require the label to state that they contain glutamate. Yeast extract is not on FDA's list of major food allergens. More detail is on FDA's questions and answers on monosodium glutamate.

How do calories, fat, and carbs compare in Heinz HomeStyle and McCormick gravy?

Both gravies list 25 calories per 1/4 cup. Heinz has 1.5 g total fat (2% DV) and 3 g carbohydrate (1% DV), while McCormick has 0 g fat and 5 g carbohydrate (2% DV).

Nutrient (per 1/4 cup)	Heinz HomeStyle Turkey Gravy	McCormick Simply Better Turkey Gravy
Serving size	1/4 cup (60 g)	1/4 cup (62 g)
Servings per container	6	About 5
Calories	25	25
Total fat	1.5 g (2% DV)	0 g (0% DV)
Saturated fat	0 g (0% DV)	Panel states not a significant source
Trans fat	0 g	Not a significant source
Cholesterol	0 mg (0% DV)	Not a significant source
Sodium	250 mg (11% DV)	280 mg (12% DV)
Total carbohydrate	3 g (1% DV)	5 g (2% DV)
Dietary fiber	0 g	Not a significant source
Total sugars	0 g	Not a significant source
Added sugars	0 g (0% DV)	Not a significant source
Protein	0 g	Less than 1 g

Note: The McCormick values come from the Nutrition Facts panel shown in the carton image on the product page. "Not a significant source" is how that panel describes the nutrient. Printed panels can differ by package, so the carton in hand is the reference point.

How can you check sodium, wheat, and milk declarations on each gravy label?

On the Heinz label, look for "Contains Wheat" and "Contains Milk" on the allergens tab, with bleached wheat flour and nonfat dry milk in the ingredient list. The McCormick allergen line was not disclosed, so read its carton directly. Then check the sodium line for the same 1/4 cup serving.

• Serving size and servings per container: Heinz lists 6 servings and McCormick about 5.
• Sodium: compare mg and %DV for the same 1/4 cup serving.
• Wheat: look for wheat flour or "contains wheat."
• Milk: look for nonfat dry milk or "contains milk."
• Yeast: note whether the list says yeast extract, autolyzed yeast extract, or torula yeast.
• Gluten-free or other claims: confirm the wording on the package you hold.
• Bioengineering: the Heinz page says "One or more ingredients derived from a bioengineered source."

The Heinz label is available on the Kraft Heinz SmartLabel page, and the McCormick product information is on the McCormick product page. Printed labels change over time, so the jar or carton in the store is the final source.

Is Heinz HomeStyle Turkey Gravy healthier than McCormick, based on label facts?

Per 1/4 cup, both list 25 calories; Heinz has 250 mg sodium and 1.5 g fat, McCormick 280 mg sodium and 0 g fat. The labels do not establish that either gravy is healthier overall, because they cover a few nutrients and allergens and do not measure diet quality. The two labels differ on fat, carbohydrate, wheat, milk, and sodium per serving, and each difference points in a different direction depending on what you are checking.

Taste is also outside the label. Nothing on either carton addresses how the gravy tastes, so flavor preferences need to be judged separately.

The information here is limited to label declarations and FDA's sodium Daily Value thresholds. It cannot show how either gravy affects any individual.