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USDA source topicBeverages

Soft drinks: nutrition range, portions, and source records

This wiki page organizes 12 exact USDA Survey Foods records labeled “Soft drinks.” 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 “Soft drinks” survey-food category. Within Feast’s broader navigation, they appear under Beverages (12 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 Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine free; Soft drink, chocolate flavored; Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine containing; Soft drink, root beer. Those examples show why the exact wording matters. The complete alphabetical catalog farther down the page preserves all 12 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.

NutrientMedianCentral 80%Observed spanRecords
Caloriesper 100 g42 kcal40 kcal–48 kcal34 kcal–51 kcal12
Proteinper 100 g0 g0 g–0 g0 g–0.1 g12
Carbohydrateper 100 g10.5 g10.1 g–12.6 g8.8 g–13.3 g12
Total fatper 100 g0 g0 g–0.3 g0 g–0.3 g12
Dietary fiberper 100 g0 g0 g–0 g0 g–0 g12
Total sugarsper 100 g10.3 g9.1 g–12.7 g8.9 g–13.3 g12
Sodiumper 100 g4 mg3 mg–13 mg3 mg–18 mg12
Potassiumper 100 g3 mg1 mg–5 mg1 mg–50 mg12
Calciumper 100 g2 mg1 mg–5 mg1 mg–5 mg12
Ironper 100 g0 mg0 mg–0.1 mg0 mg–0.2 mg12

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

42 kcal at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported calories value is 42 kcal per 100 grams. The central records run from 40 kcal to 48 kcal, while the complete observed span is 34 kcal to 51 kcal.

Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine free is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine containing is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Protein context

0 g at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported protein value is 0 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 0 g to 0 g, while the complete observed span is 0 g to 0.1 g.

Soft drink, chocolate flavored is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, chocolate flavored is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Carbohydrate context

10.5 g at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported carbohydrate value is 10.5 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 10.1 g to 12.6 g, while the complete observed span is 8.8 g to 13.3 g.

Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine free is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine containing is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Total fat context

0 g at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported total fat value is 0 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 0 g to 0.3 g, while the complete observed span is 0 g to 0.3 g.

Soft drink, chocolate flavored is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, cola is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Dietary fiber context

0 g at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported dietary fiber value is 0 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 0 g to 0 g, while the complete observed span is 0 g to 0 g.

Soft drink, chocolate flavored is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, chocolate flavored is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Total sugars context

10.3 g at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported total sugars value is 10.3 g per 100 grams. The central records run from 9.1 g to 12.7 g, while the complete observed span is 8.9 g to 13.3 g.

Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine free is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine containing is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Sodium context

4 mg at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported sodium value is 4 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 3 mg to 13 mg, while the complete observed span is 3 mg to 18 mg.

Soft drink, cola is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, root beer is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Potassium context

3 mg at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported potassium value is 3 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 1 mg to 5 mg, while the complete observed span is 1 mg to 50 mg.

Soft drink, cream soda is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, cola is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Calcium context

2 mg at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported calcium value is 2 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 1 mg to 5 mg, while the complete observed span is 1 mg to 5 mg.

Soft drink, cola is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, cream soda is nearest the upper central boundary. These are reference positions in this corpus, not labels of overall food quality.

Iron context

0 mg at the collection midpoint

Across 12 “Soft drinks” records, the middle reported iron value is 0 mg per 100 grams. The central records run from 0 mg to 0.1 mg, while the complete observed span is 0 mg to 0.2 mg.

Soft drink, cola is nearest the lower central boundary, and Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine containing 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 12 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.

12 of 12 records (100%) include at least one named measure in the source data. Together those records provide 127 usable named measures.

Across the pooled named measures, the midpoint gram weight is 372 g. The central 10th-to-90th-percentile interval runs from 31 g to 744 g, while the complete observed span is 23–1,023 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

Choosing a closer record

Use a sequence, not a guess disguised as precision.

  1. 01

    Match the exact description

    Look for the closest food name, preparation, additions, and context. “Soft drinks” is the collection label; the individual description is the actual reference.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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 12 “Soft drinks” 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 descriptionCaloriesProteinFiberSodiumSource amountReferences
Soft drink, chocolate flavoredFDC 2710559 42 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 4 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, colaFDC 2710541 42 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 3 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, cola, chocolate flavoredFDC 2710562 42 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 3 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, cola, decaffeinatedFDC 2710543 41 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 4 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, cola, fruit or vanilla flavoredFDC 2710561 42 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 3 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, cream sodaFDC 2710549 51 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 12 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine containingFDC 2710553 49 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 18 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, fruit flavored, caffeine freeFDC 2710551 40 kcalper 100 g 0.1 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 9 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, ginger aleFDC 2710555 34 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 7 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, pepper typeFDC 2710545 42 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 3 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, pepper type, decaffeinatedFDC 2710547 41 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 4 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA source ↗
Soft drink, root beerFDC 2710557 41 kcalper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 0 gper 100 g 13 mgper 100 g 372 gUSDA reference amount Full profileUSDA 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 “Soft drinks” 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 “Soft drinks” collection responsibly

Is the median the expected nutrition for my food?

No. It is the middle value among these 12 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.

Continue exploring

Related source topics

These collections share a broad Feast category or similar language. They remain separate because USDA assigns their records to different source categories.

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