Why Progresso? Why?

whoami67
whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
edited March 2021 in Food and Nutrition
Why do food companies do this?

I eat Progresso soup fairly often. I had some clam chowder last week at 180 calories for 245 grams. That's what I remember the usual label being for quite some time.

I bought a couple cans of it on sale this week and when I got ready to log it, I looked at the label and it is now 240 calories for 240 grams. Considering I eat the whole can at once (524 grams), that's a huge increase and now I can afford only half a can.

I want my old soup back. I don't like the light version as well, but I suppose I have to switch to that now.

Also, my Trader Joe's half and half used to be 35 calories for 2T and this week it is 40 calories for 2 T. I know that's been a regional difference in labels that varies from store to store and it's basically a rounding error, but I liked seeing 18 instead of 20 on my coffee serving.

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    I eat whole cans of soup (usually clam chowder) and it's 340 calories per can. Luckily for me I can afford those calories and still add more on top of it. Last time I ate it, I had tortilla chips (160 calories) and used the chowder for dip.

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Maybe you got a mislabel or something...I just bought some on Saturday for "in a pinch" lunch and every can says 180 calories per 245 grams and 410 for the entire can.
  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
    I first wondered if it was mislabeled. I went to their website and it has the old nutrition I was expecting. The front of the can label looks the same online, but the ingredients on the back and NI are different so I think they just changed the recipe recently (or maybe I got some strange counterfeit soup).
  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    I eat whole cans of soup (usually clam chowder) and it's 340 calories per can. Luckily for me I can afford those calories and still add more on top of it. Last time I ate it, I had tortilla chips (160 calories) and used the chowder for dip.

    I suspect you get a lot more calories than I do. My meal would be either the chips or the soup, but not both, unless I'm skipping some other meal of the day.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    So...manufacturers have been given leeway on product labels. 20% either direction.. mostly I find the container to hold more than it says it does. That's a good thing in the eyes of consumers. I also find that lower calories makes me happier, but it doesn't necessarily make keto people happier. There are a lot of recipes that change over time to reflect cultural trends.

    Does your new soup show more fat? That would be my guess...and it's probably always been there. :lol:

    Plus, I'm pretty sure the government doesn't send an inspector around to every manufacturer and lab-test every item - or maybe they do, I don't really know.

    The other thing is I am pretty sure they're allowed to use up any pre-printed labels even if the recipe changes slightly as long as they don't add new ingredients.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    I guess what I'm saying (and I was just kind of rambling aimlessly, wasn't I?)

    ...is that ya never really know on manufactured recipes. I know what's in my homemade chicken soup and it doesn't have preservatives or a quarter cup of salt!
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    For soups (especially condensed versions), I water/milk them down so as to reduce the amount of sodium. For you, it may help with caloric intake concerns.
  • mohawkRN
    mohawkRN Posts: 40 Member
    I don't know if you're into cooking at all, but I made this recipe and it came out really well - very authentic. Not sure how well it freezes, but it's 229 for 1 1/2 cups and probably healthier than canned, if you can find time on a weekend to "meal prep" it for the week maybe: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/253047/clam-chowder/
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    I guess what I'm saying (and I was just kind of rambling aimlessly, wasn't I?)

    ...is that ya never really know on manufactured recipes. I know what's in my homemade chicken soup and it doesn't have preservatives or a quarter cup of salt!

    This fits my experience! I never thought I liked soup, until I started making it myself. It usually freezes very well too. For a single serving a 2 cup container is about the same size as a can.

    That said, I do keep a stash of cans of clam chowder in our pantry for my husband when he gets the hankering for them, as I'm allergic to shellfish so I won't be eating it anyway. But the rest of our soups, I make.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    I'm a fan of Progresso soups as well.
    Some of the lower calorie options that are my regular rotation...
    Chicken and sausage gumbo, chicken tortilla, and Italian wedding soup.
    Those are my favorites, and easier to fit in, calorie-wise, than the creamier soups.
  • LisaGetsMoving
    LisaGetsMoving Posts: 663 Member
    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    I'm a fan of Progresso soups as well.
    Some of the lower calorie options that are my regular rotation...
    Chicken and sausage gumbo, chicken tortilla, and Italian wedding soup.
    Those are my favorites, and easier to fit in, calorie-wise, than the creamier soups.

    Those are my three "go to" canned soups also. I make homemade soup every now and then too, but it's nice to have a convenient choice.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited March 2021
    The website still shows the soup as 180 per serving, and 410 for the whole can. (I'd personally have the whole can if I were having it for lunch, but that has to do with how I like to split up my cals, of course.) I'm voting for there being something off about OP's can or label or something.

    I've been meaning to make clam chowder for a while and have everything I need on hand, so it will likely be this weekend. I doubt it will be lower cal than the canned option (which I loved as a teen, haven't had it for ages, but now think maybe I should buy some for my "just in case" pantry shelf). Instead, I am cooking it (like I generally do soup) because I like to cook and can experiment to make it fit my tastes/goals perfectly.
  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
    For those who suggested making my own soup - I have scores of wonderful soup recipes that I make often. I take canned soup in my suitcase traveling in and out of the U.S. (which I do weekly even now) Agriculture will confiscate homemade soup, but in most countries, they will allow most types of canned soup. Also, homemade needs refrigeration which most airplanes and hotels don't have and even if I keep it cold, it gets pretty gross by day 3 or 4.

    I have many varieties of gluten free Progresso soup in different calorie levels. I'm not unaware that they make different varieties. I'm just annoyed that they've dramatically increased the calorie level in my favorite variety.

    And the suggestion that they just adjusted the label isn't right. This is now about 1/3 higher in calories and the ingredients are completely different. It's lower in protein and carbs, but higher in fat. I guess clams are more expensive so they've cut back, and also removed the cream and added more soybean oil. Yum. Soybean oil soup with clam juice, sugar and rice flour - Just like mom used to make.



  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    I wish canned soups would stop it with all the soy... especially soy protein. I don't have issues with soy oil or soy lecithin, but soy protein, flour, sauce make me real sick. I like to keep canned soup on hand for those days where I just can't contemplate cooking (I suffer from chronic fatigue and other health issues). I also have a tiny freezer so cooking a big batch of soup and freezing it isn't really doable.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    whoami67 wrote: »
    For those who suggested making my own soup - I have scores of wonderful soup recipes that I make often. I take canned soup in my suitcase traveling in and out of the U.S. (which I do weekly even now) Agriculture will confiscate homemade soup, but in most countries, they will allow most types of canned soup. Also, homemade needs refrigeration which most airplanes and hotels don't have and even if I keep it cold, it gets pretty gross by day 3 or 4.

    I have many varieties of gluten free Progresso soup in different calorie levels. I'm not unaware that they make different varieties. I'm just annoyed that they've dramatically increased the calorie level in my favorite variety.

    And the suggestion that they just adjusted the label isn't right. This is now about 1/3 higher in calories and the ingredients are completely different. It's lower in protein and carbs, but higher in fat. I guess clams are more expensive so they've cut back, and also removed the cream and added more soybean oil. Yum. Soybean oil soup with clam juice, sugar and rice flour - Just like mom used to make.



    Oh yeah, if you're travelling then canned makes a ton of sense. That's really smart. I wouldn't want to travel with home cooked food even it was OK - issues with sealing packages well and all that jazz. I'd be the one with everything leaking out in my suitcase, I'm sure!
  • natgurl95
    natgurl95 Posts: 17 Member
    Progresso has like 3 different versions of the New England Clam Chowder; the traditional, the light version, and the "rich and hearty" version. Maybe you grabbed the wrong can?

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