Boar's Head Turkey Breast: Nutrition & Labelgrade B (75/100)
B 75 / 100 — One of the leanest, most protein-dense deli meats you can buy: 13g of protein per 2oz at ~60 calories, with essentially no fat and no sugar. The only real knock is sodium — 380mg per serving — which is structural for any sliced deli meat.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Boar’s Head Turkey Breast packs 13 g of protein into a 2 oz (56 g) serving for about 60 calories — with 1 g of fat, 0 g of saturated fat and 0 g of sugar (USDA FDC 378256). That works out to roughly 23 g of protein per 100 g and about 4.6 calories for every gram of protein, which is the kind of efficiency you normally only get from plain cooked poultry. The catch is sodium: curing pushes a single serving to 380 mg. The Labelgrade is B (75 / 100) — five of six dimensions sit at or near the top, and sodium is the one number holding the line.
Why the B
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A- | 85 / 100 | 23 g per 100 g at ~4.6 cal per gram of protein — top-tier, on par with the cooked chicken breast it stands in for |
| Ingredient quality | B- | 72 / 100 | A five-item panel with no fillers or binders, but the sodium phosphate (a curing and moisture-retention additive) keeps it shy of A |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g — turkey breast is naturally near fat-free, and nothing fatty is added back |
| Sodium load | F | 31 / 100 | 380 mg per 2 oz (~680 mg per 100 g) — high, and structural to curing. The lone real drag on the grade |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g — the trace dextrose used in curing doesn’t register on the panel |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g — expected for any pure animal protein |
Read that table and the verdict is almost mechanical: this is a near-ideal lean protein with a single, unavoidable weak spot. Sodium is what separates a B from an A here, and no amount of reformulation changes the fact that curing salt is what makes a slice of turkey shelf-stable.
Sodium is the whole story — here’s how to think about it
380 mg in 2 oz is about 17% of the FDA’s 2,300 mg daily ceiling. On its own that’s manageable. The trap is portion creep: a real sandwich is rarely two ounces. Pile on a four-ounce double-meat fill and you’re already near 760 mg — a third of the day’s allowance — before the bread, the cheese, or the mustard each add their own salt. If deli turkey is an occasional sandwich, the sodium is a non-issue. If it’s your daily lunch protein, it’s the number to watch, and it’s the reason Boar’s Head publishes No Salt Added and Lower Sodium versions of this exact meat.
The clean-label angle is the real differentiator
Strip away the brand and what you’re comparing is the ingredient line, and that’s where Boar’s Head earns its shelf price. This entry is just turkey breast, water, salt, sugar, sodium phosphate and dextrose — with no soy or starch fillers, no carrageenan, no binders and no added nitrites listed. That matters because the cheap end of the lunchmeat aisle gets cheap by adding water and locking it in with gums and modified starch, which dilutes the protein per slice. Boar’s Head’s pitch is that the slice is mostly turkey, and this panel is consistent with that: 13 g of protein in two ounces is what you’d expect from meat that hasn’t been padded. The sodium phosphate is the one additive doing real curing work, and it’s the reason ingredient quality lands at B- rather than higher — but it’s a far shorter, cleaner list than the commodity processed lunchmeat this competes against.
How close is it to “real” turkey?
Closer than almost any processed product on this site. Deli turkey breast is turkey breast — roasted, cured, pressed and sliced. The 13 g of protein in a serving is roughly the protein in 1.5 oz of cooked chicken breast or two large eggs, and the macros barely move from the whole bird. What you give up versus roasting your own turkey is entirely the salt and the curing additives; what you gain is uniform slices and weeks of fridge life with zero cooking. For a packaged, ready-to-eat protein, that’s about as small a gap from the source food as you’ll find.
Scope
This page covers the generic Boar’s Head Turkey Breast entry (UPC 205295000005, USDA FDC 378256), sold sliced by weight at the deli counter. Boar’s Head makes a broad family of turkey breast products — Ovengold, EverRoast and Golden Catering on the roasted side; Cracked Pepper Mill, Maple Glazed, Honey and Smoked on the seasoned side; and No Salt Added and 46% Lower Sodium for the salt-conscious — and their numbers, sodium most of all, vary between them. Because the counter product is sold loose by weight, this entry isn’t tied to a single packaged item, so check the specific variety’s label for exact figures.
Ingredients
Turkey breast, water, and less than 1.5% of salt, sugar, sodium phosphate and dextrose. The salt and sodium phosphate cure the meat and hold moisture; the sugar and dextrose are trace curing aids. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 378256.)
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 2 oz (56 g)
205295000005See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (2 oz (56 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 59.9 |
| Protein | 13g |
| Total Fat | 1g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0g |
| Sodium | 380mg |
| Cholesterol | 25.2mg |
| Iron | 0.358mg |
| Potassium | 170mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Boar's Head Turkey Breast (Sliced deli turkey (sold by weight)) · UPC 205295000005. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains meat, fish, or gelatin
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Boar's Head Turkey Breast?
13 g per 2 oz (56 g) serving (USDA FDC 378256) — about 23 g per 100 g. At roughly 4.6 calories per gram of protein, that's as lean as protein sources get, and a 2 oz sandwich portion clears the FDA 'high in protein' bar on its own.
Why is the sodium an F when everything else scores so high?
Because curing is the whole point of deli meat. The salt and sodium phosphate in the panel are what cure the turkey, hold moisture and give it weeks of fridge life — and they push the count to 380 mg per 2 oz, about 17% of the FDA daily limit. Stack two servings into a sandwich and you're near 760 mg before bread, cheese or mustard. It's the single dimension dragging the B down, and it's the trade you accept for slicing-ready, no-cook protein.
What makes Boar's Head turkey 'cleaner' than store-brand lunchmeat?
The ingredient line. This entry is five items — turkey breast, water, salt, sugar, sodium phosphate and dextrose — with no fillers, no soy or starch binders, no carrageenan and no added nitrites listed. Commodity lunchmeats often pad the slice with water-binding gums and modified starch to cut cost. Boar's Head's positioning is that the slice is mostly turkey, and this panel backs it.
Is Boar's Head Turkey Breast keto-friendly?
Yes. With 0 g carbs and 0 g sugar per serving and only 1 g of fat, it's effectively pure lean protein — net carbs round to zero. The only keto caveat is the same one for everyone: watch the 380 mg of sodium if you're eating multiple servings a day.
How does deli turkey compare to just eating cooked chicken breast?
Nutritionally they're close — both are lean, high-protein poultry. Plain cooked chicken edges it on protein per ounce and carries a fraction of the sodium because it isn't cured. Deli turkey's entire advantage is convenience: uniform slices, no cooking, and a shelf life measured in weeks. You trade salt control for grab-and-go speed.
Why is the sugar listed as 0 g if dextrose and sugar are in the ingredients?
The sugar and dextrose are curing aids used in trace amounts — they help the cure and balance flavor, not sweeten the meat. The quantity is small enough that the panel rounds total carbs and sugar to 0 g, which is why the sugar dimension scores A+.
Is this the same as Boar's Head Ovengold or No Salt Added turkey?
No. Boar's Head sells many turkey breast varieties (Ovengold, Cracked Pepper Mill, Maple Glazed, EverRoast, No Salt Added, Lower Sodium) and the numbers — especially sodium — differ between them. This page covers the generic 'Turkey Breast' entry in USDA Branded Foods (FDC 378256). If sodium is your concern, the No Salt Added and Lower Sodium lines exist for exactly that. Always check the label at the counter.