Is Idahoan Healthier Than Betty Crocker? Sodium, Fat, Sugar

Neither label answers healthier on its own, because the numbers split: per serving, Idahoan Buttery Homestyle lists 460 mg sodium (20% DV), 2 g saturated fat and 1 g added sugars, while Betty Crocker Creamy Butter lists 690 mg sodium (30% DV), 0 g saturated fat and 0 g added sugars. Per whole 4 oz pouch, Idahoan lists 1,840 mg sodium and Betty Crocker lists 2,070 mg.

This is a side-by-side label comparison of two 4 oz instant mashed potato pouches, Idahoan Buttery Homestyle and Betty Crocker Creamy Butter, so you can see where the numbers and ingredient lists differ. Per whole pouch, by label arithmetic, Betty Crocker lists 2,070 mg of sodium and Idahoan lists 1,840 mg, but the serving counts and serving sizes differ, so per-serving figures are not directly comparable. The figures below come from each brand's product page (Idahoan Buttery Homestyle and Betty Crocker Creamy Butter), and the physical package is the final check.

Key takeaways

• Per 4 oz pouch, Betty Crocker Creamy Butter lists 2,070 mg sodium (3 x 690 mg) and Idahoan Buttery Homestyle lists 1,840 mg (4 x 460 mg).
• Idahoan lists 2 g saturated fat (10% DV) per 140 g prepared serving, while Betty Crocker lists 0 g saturated fat per serving as packaged. These are different bases, so the two figures are not directly comparable.
• Idahoan lists dried corn syrup and 1 g added sugars. Betty Crocker's ingredient list includes neither dried corn syrup nor sugar, and its panel shows 0 g added sugars.
• Both pouches list sodium bisulfite as a freshness preserver; neither brand page discloses the amount.

Which Has More Sodium Per 4 oz Pouch: Idahoan or Betty Crocker Mashed Potatoes?

Per whole 4 oz pouch, Betty Crocker Creamy Butter lists more sodium: 2,070 mg (3 servings at 690 mg each) versus 1,840 mg for Idahoan Buttery Homestyle (4 servings at 460 mg each).

Per serving, Idahoan lists 460 mg sodium (20% DV) for a 1/4 cup dry serving (28 g), or 140 g prepared. Betty Crocker lists 690 mg sodium (30% DV) for a 3/4 cup as-packaged serving, which the page says makes 1 cup prepared.

FDA gives the sodium Daily Value as less than 2,300 mg per day, and its sodium guidance treats 20% DV or more per serving as high. Under that threshold, the Idahoan per-serving figure sits at 20% DV and the Betty Crocker figure sits at 30% DV. The per-pouch totals are label arithmetic: sodium per serving multiplied by the servings listed on each label.

For a sodium comparison in a packaged frozen meal, see Is Amy's Mac Healthier Than Lean Cuisine? Sodium 680 vs 750.

Why Do Idahoan and Betty Crocker Labels Show Different Sodium Numbers for the Same Pouch?

The labels divide the same 4 oz pouch into different numbers of servings, so the per-serving sodium figures do not line up. Idahoan uses 4 servings and Betty Crocker uses 3.

Idahoan's serving is 1/4 cup dry, listed as 28 g, and its panel is based on 140 g prepared. Betty Crocker's serving is 3/4 cup as packaged, and its brand page does not give a gram weight for that serving. Because the Betty Crocker weight is not disclosed, a gram-based comparison cannot be made from the brand page.

FDA advises checking the serving size before comparing products. When you read two labels, use these checks:

• Find the servings per container line before comparing any per-serving number.
• Multiply the sodium per serving by the servings per container to get a per-pouch total.
• Confirm whether the panel is for the product as packaged or as prepared.
• Note whether the gram weight is printed. If it is not, say so when you compare.

How Much Saturated Fat Is in Idahoan Buttery Homestyle vs Betty Crocker Creamy Butter?

Idahoan Buttery Homestyle lists 2 g saturated fat (10% DV) per 140 g prepared serving, while Betty Crocker Creamy Butter lists 0 g (0% DV) per serving as packaged, so the two figures are on different bases.

Total fat is 3 g in Idahoan and 4.5 g in Betty Crocker, and both labels list 0 g trans fat and 0 mg cholesterol. Idahoan's ingredient list includes butter (cream, salt) and vegetable oil from coconut, sunflower, and soybean. Betty Crocker's list includes vegetable oil from canola, high oleic soybean, and/or sunflower oil, plus buttermilk, and does not list butter.

The Betty Crocker panel is labeled as packaged, and the brand page does not say what the nutrition would be if the potatoes were prepared with milk or butter. The Idahoan panel is for a prepared serving. Those preparation differences are not disclosed for Betty Crocker and make a direct line-by-line comparison less exact.

What Is Dried Corn Syrup in Idahoan, and Is It on Betty Crocker's Label?

Idahoan Buttery Homestyle lists dried corn syrup in its ingredient list, and the brand page does not disclose the amount. Betty Crocker Creamy Butter's ingredient list does not include corn syrup.

The Idahoan list reads: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (coconut, sunflower, soybean), Maltodextrin, Dried Corn Syrup, Salt, Sugar, Nonfat Dry Milk, Butter (Cream, Salt), Mono- and Diglycerides, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate, Natural Flavors. Idahoan's panel lists 1 g of added sugars (2% DV). FDA's added sugars Daily Value is 50 grams per day, which places that 1 g in context.

Betty Crocker's panel lists 0 g added sugars (0%), and its ingredient list does not include corn syrup or sugar. Because product formulas can change, the physical package is the place to confirm both lists.

Maltodextrin, listed third on both pouches, is covered in Is Maltodextrin Bad for You? Blood Sugar, Gluten, and Labels.

Does Idahoan Buttery Homestyle Contain Sodium Bisulfite, and What Is It For?

Yes. Idahoan Buttery Homestyle lists sodium bisulfite among its freshness-preserving ingredients, alongside sodium acid pyrophosphate and citric acid, and the amount is not disclosed. Betty Crocker Creamy Butter also lists sodium bisulfite in that freshness group.

Idahoan's freshness line also includes mixed tocopherols. Betty Crocker's ingredient list includes sodium phosphate in its group of ingredients present at 0.5% or less, along with mono and diglycerides and silicon dioxide, which the label describes as an anticaking agent.

The brand pages do not give the amount of sodium bisulfite in either pouch, so the ingredient list alone does not show how much each product contains. For what sulfites are and how they are labeled, see Are Sulfites Safe? Wine, Dried Fruit, Asthma, and Labels, and for other sodium additives on labels, see Sodium Beyond Salt: 6 Scanned Labels With Sodium Additives.

How Do Idahoan and Betty Crocker Differ on Calories, Carbohydrates, Fiber, and Sugar?

Per serving, Idahoan lists 110 calories, 20 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, and 1 g total sugars for a 140 g prepared serving, while Betty Crocker's values are as packaged, not prepared: 160 calories, 27 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, and 1 g total sugars.

Factor	Idahoan Buttery Homestyle	Betty Crocker Creamy Butter
Servings per 4 oz pouch	4	3
Serving size	1/4 cup dry (28 g); 140 g prepared	3/4 cup as packaged (1 cup prepared); gram weight not disclosed
Calories	110	160
Total fat	3 g (4% DV)	4.5 g (6% DV)
Saturated fat	2 g (10% DV)	0 g (0% DV)
Sodium per serving	460 mg (20% DV)	690 mg (30% DV)
Sodium per whole pouch (label arithmetic)	1,840 mg	2,070 mg
Total carbohydrate	20 g (7% DV)	27 g (10% DV)
Dietary fiber	1 g (4% DV)	2 g (8% DV)
Total sugars / added sugars	1 g / 1 g (2% DV)	1 g / 0 g (0%)
Protein	2 g	3 g
Calcium	30 mg (2%)	50 mg (4%)
Potassium	260 mg (6%)	440 mg (8%)
Dried corn syrup listed	Yes	Not in ingredient list
Sodium bisulfite listed	Yes	Yes
Sodium phosphate listed	Not in ingredient list	Yes (group of ingredients at 0.5% or less)
Allergen statement	CONTAINS: MILK	CONTAINS MILK; MAY CONTAIN WHEAT AND SOY INGREDIENTS

The per-serving panels use different serving bases, so the table shows each label as printed.

How Do You Spot Sodium Bisulfite, Corn Syrup, and Sodium on a Mashed Potato Label?

Look at three places on the package: the ingredient list, the freshness line, and the Nutrition Facts panel with its serving size. Each one answers a different question.

• Ingredient list: search for dried corn syrup, corn syrup, and sugar, which appear as separate names.
• Freshness line: look for the phrase that begins with freshness preserved by, where sodium bisulfite is typically named.
• Sodium line: read the milligrams and the percent DV, then check the servings per container.
• Serving size: confirm whether the panel is per dry portion, per prepared portion, or per as-packaged portion.
• Allergen statement: read the Contains line and any may-contain statement separately.

What Ingredient and Allergen Differences Show Up Between the Two Pouches?

Both pouches declare milk, and Betty Crocker's allergen statement adds a may-contain notice for wheat and soy.

Idahoan's allergen line reads CONTAINS: MILK. Betty Crocker's reads CONTAINS MILK; MAY CONTAIN WHEAT AND SOY INGREDIENTS. A may-contain statement is a precautionary label and is not an ingredient on the list. FDA's food allergies resources describe how allergens are labeled and why precautionary statements appear.

The ingredient lists also differ in their oils, emulsifiers, and flavor or dairy ingredients. Idahoan includes calcium stearoyl lactylate and natural flavors. Betty Crocker includes natural flavor, buttermilk, and an anticaking agent. People with food allergies should rely on the statement printed on their specific package.

How Can You Check the Current Label Before Buying Either Pouch?

Check the physical package before buying, because brand pages can lag behind label changes, and product formulas can change over time.

The brand pages do not disclose how much dried corn syrup or sodium bisulfite either pouch contains. Compare the package you are holding against the figures above, and treat any mismatch as the current label.