USDA source topicBeverages

Nutritional beverages: nutrition range, portions, and source records

This wiki page organizes 11 exact USDA Survey Foods records labeled “Nutritional beverages.” It shows the median and central spread of reported nutrients per 100 grams, explains the portion and preparation language present in the records, and keeps every underlying profile and citation available for inspection.

What is included?

The exact descriptions define the topic.

USDA places these records in the “Nutritional beverages” survey-food category. Within Feast’s broader navigation, they appear under Beverages (11 records). The category label is useful for discovery, but it does not mean every record uses the same recipe, brand, cooking method, or portion.

The current collection includes Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Muscle Milk); Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Carnation Instant Breakfast); Nutritional drink or shake, liquid, soy-based; Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast); Nutritional drink or shake, high protein, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast); Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Ensure Plus). Those examples show why the exact wording matters. The complete alphabetical catalog farther down the page preserves all 11 descriptions instead of replacing them with one generic average.

A robust view of the data

Median and central nutrient ranges per 100 grams

The central range runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile of the records on this page. The observed minimum and maximum are included for transparency, but the middle interval is generally more useful for seeing the collection without letting one extreme record dominate.

Nutrient	Median	Central 80%	Observed span	Records
Caloriesper 100 g	92 kcal	52 kcal–138 kcal	38 kcal–141 kcal	11
Proteinper 100 g	5.2 g	3.3 g–5.9 g	3.3 g–6.6 g	11
Carbohydrateper 100 g	12.9 g	2.1 g–17.3 g	0.9 g–19.9 g	11
Total fatper 100 g	2.2 g	1.7 g–5.4 g	1.2 g–5.4 g	11
Dietary fiberper 100 g	0.4 g	0 g–1.6 g	0 g–1.6 g	11
Total sugarsper 100 g	8.3 g	0.6 g–9.7 g	0.4 g–12.9 g	11
Sodiumper 100 g	77 mg	63 mg–95 mg	27 mg–95 mg	11
Potassiumper 100 g	179 mg	138 mg–245 mg	80 mg–260 mg	11
Calciumper 100 g	130 mg	79 mg–161 mg	69 mg–161 mg	11
Ironper 100 g	1.7 mg	0.9 mg–1.9 mg	0.9 mg–1.9 mg	11

All rows use the same 100-gram denominator and values from the cited records. The interval is descriptive, not a recommended intake range or statistical confidence interval.

Calories context

92 kcal at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported calories value is 92 kcal per 100 grams. The central records run from 52 kcal to 138 kcal, while the complete observed span is 38 kcal to 141 kcal.

Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Muscle Milk) is nearest the lower central boundary, and Nutritional drink or shake, liquid, soy-based is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Protein context

5.2 g at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported protein value is 5.2 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 3.3 g to 5.9 g, while the complete observed span is 3.3 g to 6.6 g.

Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast) is nearest the lower central boundary, and Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Muscle Milk) is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Carbohydrate context

12.9 g at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported carbohydrate value is 12.9 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 2.1 g to 17.3 g, while the complete observed span is 0.9 g to 19.9 g.

Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink, light (Muscle Milk) is nearest the lower central boundary, and Nutritional drink or shake, liquid, soy-based is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Total fat context

2.2 g at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported total fat value is 2.2 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 1.7 g to 5.4 g, while the complete observed span is 1.2 g to 5.4 g.

Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Boost) is nearest the lower central boundary, and Nutritional drink or shake, liquid, soy-based is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Dietary fiber context

0.4 g at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported dietary fiber value is 0.4 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 0 g to 1.6 g, while the complete observed span is 0 g to 1.6 g.

Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Ensure Plus) is nearest the lower central boundary, and Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast) is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Total sugars context

8.3 g at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported total sugars value is 8.3 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 0.6 g to 9.7 g, while the complete observed span is 0.4 g to 12.9 g.

Nutritional drink or shake, high protein, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast) is nearest the lower central boundary, and Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Ensure) is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Sodium context

77 mg at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported sodium value is 77 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 63 mg to 95 mg, while the complete observed span is 27 mg to 95 mg.

Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Boost) is nearest the lower central boundary, and Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Ensure Plus) is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Potassium context

179 mg at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported potassium value is 179 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 138 mg to 245 mg, while the complete observed span is 80 mg to 260 mg.

Nutritional drink or shake, liquid, soy-based is nearest the lower central boundary, and Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Boost) is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Calcium context

130 mg at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported calcium value is 130 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 79 mg to 161 mg, while the complete observed span is 69 mg to 161 mg.

Iron context

1.7 mg at the collection midpoint

Across 11 “Nutritional beverages” records, the middle reported iron value is 1.7 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 0.9 mg to 1.9 mg, while the complete observed span is 0.9 mg to 1.9 mg.

Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast) is nearest the lower central boundary, and Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Boost) is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Preparation language in the records

Source descriptions reveal meaningful distinctions.

The counts below report words and phrases that appear explicitly in the 11 USDA descriptions. They can help narrow a search to a closer record. They do not prove that the named preparation caused a nutrient difference, because these survey-food records are not controlled experiments.

No preparation phrase from the wiki’s controlled vocabulary appears consistently enough to summarize this topic. Use the exact record catalog instead of inferring a shared method.

Portion context

Household measures answer a different question than 100 grams.

11 of 11 records (100%) include at least one named measure in the source data. Together those records provide 36 usable named measures.

Across the pooled named measures, the midpoint gram weight is 252 g. The central 10th-to-90th-percentile interval runs from 31 g to 361 g, while the complete observed span is 31–544 g. This pooled summary mixes different measure types, so it is a navigation aid rather than a suggested portion.

A cup, slice, piece, sandwich, fillet, or fluid ounce can represent a different amount of food. Even two measures with the same label may have different gram weights across records. Open the closest profile and use its listed weight instead of transferring a measure from another record.

USDA’s representative source amount is also not necessarily what a visitor ate. For equal-weight comparison, use the 100-gram table. For meal estimation, match the exact description first, then match the amount, and finally account for additions or preparation details absent from the selected record.

Common named measures in this topic

1 cupAppears on 11 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, high protein, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast) →

1 fl ozAppears on 10 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, high protein, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast) →

1 bottle (8 fl oz)Appears on 4 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Boost Plus) →

1 can (11 fl oz)Appears on 3 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, high protein, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast) →

1 bottle (14 fl oz)Appears on 2 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Muscle Milk) →

1 bottle (11 fl oz)Appears on 1 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Carnation Instant →

1 canAppears on 1 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Ensure Plus) →

1 can (12 oz)Appears on 1 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, liquid, soy-based →

1 single serving box (11 fl oz)Appears on 1 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Muscle Milk) →

1 single serving box (17 fl oz)Appears on 1 recordsExample: Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Muscle Milk) →

Choosing a closer record

Use a sequence, not a guess disguised as precision.

01
Match the exact description
Look for the closest food name, preparation, additions, and context. “Nutritional beverages” is the collection label; the individual description is the actual reference.
02
Compare on equal weight
Use the per-100-gram values when comparing two records. This keeps the denominator fixed and prevents different source-serving weights from masquerading as a food difference.
03
Scale the closest listed measure
Open the profile, select a named household measure when one fits, or enter a gram estimate. Treat scaled decimals as arithmetic from the source—not greater certainty about the plate.
04
Add missing context
Brand, recipe, cooking fat, sauce, toppings, substitutions, and edible portion can move the result. A current package label or weighed recipe may be more specific than a generic survey-food record.

Complete source catalog

All 11 “Nutritional beverages” records

Records are alphabetical, not ranked. Every row links to a complete Feast profile with household measures, all reported nutrients, estimate factors, and methodology, plus the exact USDA FoodData Central source where available.

Exact USDA description	Calories	Protein	Fiber	Sodium	Source amount	References
Nutritional drink or shake, high protein, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast)FDC 2710724	61 kcalper 100 g	6.6 gper 100 g	0.4 gper 100 g	72 mgper 100 g	341 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, liquid, soy-basedFDC 2710728	138 kcalper 100 g	5.4 gper 100 g	1.2 gper 100 g	77 mgper 100 g	247 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Boost Plus)FDC 2710715	138 kcalper 100 g	5.4 gper 100 g	1.2 gper 100 g	77 mgper 100 g	256 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Boost)FDC 2710714	101 kcalper 100 g	4.2 gper 100 g	1.3 gper 100 g	63 mgper 100 g	256 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Carnation Instant Breakfast)FDC 2710716	92 kcalper 100 g	5.5 gper 100 g	0.1 gper 100 g	84 mgper 100 g	341 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Ensure Plus)FDC 2710718	141 kcalper 100 g	5.2 gper 100 g	0 gper 100 g	95 mgper 100 g	252 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Ensure)FDC 2710717	105 kcalper 100 g	3.8 gper 100 g	0 gper 100 g	84 mgper 100 g	252 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Muscle Milk)FDC 2710720	52 kcalper 100 g	5.9 gper 100 g	0.2 gper 100 g	95 mgper 100 g	352 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink (Slim Fast)FDC 2710722	57 kcalper 100 g	3.3 gper 100 g	1.6 gper 100 g	68 mgper 100 g	341 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink, light (Muscle Milk)FDC 2710721	38 kcalper 100 g	4.8 gper 100 g	0.2 gper 100 g	27 mgper 100 g	272 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗
Nutritional drink or shake, ready-to-drink, sugar free (Slim Fast)FDC 2710723	57 kcalper 100 g	3.3 gper 100 g	1.6 gper 100 g	68 mgper 100 g	341 gUSDA reference amount	Full profile USDA source ↗

Boundaries and provenance

What this collection can—and cannot—tell you.

This page summarizes USDA FoodData Central Survey Foods (FNDDS) records from 2021–2023, published 2024-10-31. FNDDS supplies standardized reference descriptions used to represent foods reported in dietary surveys. Each value on this page remains tied to one exact FDC record; the complete catalog provides direct links so the source can be checked rather than taken on trust.

The records are not laboratory measurements of every possible “Nutritional beverages” preparation. Restaurant recipes change, packaged products are reformulated, homemade ingredient ratios vary, and cooking can change water weight. A photo also cannot reliably reveal every hidden ingredient or gram weight. The robust range describes variation among the records selected for this topic, not uncertainty around a single meal.

The median is not a default calorie count. The 10th and 90th percentiles are not lower and upper recommendations. The minimum and maximum are not promises that every real version falls inside the observed span. These statistics are tools for navigating a source collection while keeping the denominator, record name, and normal recipe variation visible.

Nutrient values do not establish whether a food is appropriate for a particular person or condition. This wiki does not diagnose deficiencies, prescribe targets, or replace advice from a qualified professional. If accuracy matters for an allergy, medical diet, or clinician-directed limit, use verified ingredient information and the guidance relevant to that situation.

Why no overall ranking appears.

A record can report more protein and also differ in sodium, fiber, energy, fat, portion weight, or ingredients. Choosing one metric as a universal score would hide those tradeoffs and imply a value judgment the data cannot support. The alphabetical catalog and side-by-side statistics are intentionally descriptive.

For the full import, filtering, portion-scaling, Daily Value, and uncertainty rules, read Feast’s nutrition-page methodology. For an exact item, use its profile and FoodData Central link rather than citing this collection-level summary alone.

Common questions

Using the “Nutritional beverages” collection responsibly

Is the median the expected nutrition for my food?

No. It is the middle value among these 11 source records on a 100-gram basis. Your recipe, brand, preparation, and portion may align more closely with one specific record or may fall outside this collection.

Why compare 100 grams instead of one serving?

Source servings can have different gram weights and measure labels. Holding weight at 100 grams makes concentration comparable. After choosing a record, its household measures are more useful for estimating the amount actually eaten.

Does the upper end of a nutrient range mean “better”?

No. The position only describes that nutrient within this source collection. It does not evaluate the whole food, determine an appropriate portion, or account for an individual’s needs.

Which number should I log?

Start with the record whose exact wording most closely matches the food. Use a listed measure or gram estimate, then add missing recipe or preparation context. Keep the result as an estimate unless you have a current label or weighed recipe.