Welch's Concord Grape Jelly: Nutrition & Labelgrade C+ (69/100)
C+ 69 / 100 — Very low saturated fat, notable sugar load, and very low sodium.
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Welch’s Concord Grape Jelly delivers 0g of protein and 20.1 calories per 1 Tbsp (USDA FDC 1850324). Per 100g that’s 0g of protein; per oz, 0g. The Labelgrade is C+ (69 / 100): Very low saturated fat, notable sugar load, and very low sodium.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | D | 50 / 100 | 0g per 100g — below the high-protein bar; not the right product for protein hunting |
| Ingredient quality | B | 78 / 100 | 9 ingredients, recognizable, no significant additive flags |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g saturated fat — perfect |
| Sodium load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 15mg per serving (25mg per oz) — low |
| Sugar load | F | 35 / 100 | 5g sugar; USDA omits the added-sugar line, but the ingredients list a sweetener — scored as added, not naturally-occurring |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0g fiber, expected for animal-protein products |
| Overall | C+ | 69 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 23% · ingredients 21% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 15% · fiber 8% |
How a jar of sugar earns a C+
This is the page where the grade needs reading backwards, because a C+ looks far too generous for what amounts to added sugar in a jar — and the reason it lands there is instructive. Labelgrade scores six dimensions, and on a grape jelly, four of them are scored on things the product simply doesn’t contain. There’s 0g of fat, so saturated fat scores A+. There’s only 15mg of sodium, so sodium scores A+. There’s no protein profile worth judging. With more than a quarter of the jar’s weight being sugar and essentially all of it added, the one dimension that actually describes this food — sugar — drops to an F, exactly as it should.
So the C+ isn’t the jelly doing well; it’s the jelly dodging penalties it could never have incurred. A spread made of sugar can’t lose points for being fatty or salty, and that structural absence quietly pulls the weighted average up toward the middle. The takeaway is the opposite of the headline number: when a product’s only good marks are for the bad things it lacks, and its defining ingredient fails, the honest read is that the defining ingredient is the verdict. Here, that verdict is sugar.
The honest way to use it
None of this means grape jelly is forbidden — it means you should price it correctly. A thin scrape on toast, a dab in a peanut-butter sandwich, the filling of a thumbprint cookie: these are small, deliberate hits of sweetness, and as an occasional flavor accent the jelly is perfectly fine. The mistake is reading “made with real fruit” as a license to treat it like a serving of fruit and spread it thick. Jelly is grape juice with sugar added — the fiber and most of the whole-grape value are strained out long before the sugar goes in — so it behaves like a sweetener, not a produce aisle.
If the goal is actual fruit, whole grapes or an unsweetened 100% fruit spread keep the fiber and add far less sugar; reach for those when you want nutrition. Keep the Welch’s for when you want the taste. The portion is the entire story: a light scrape is a treat, a heavy layer is a spoonful of sugar — and the grade on this page only makes sense once you’re reading it that way.
How it compares
We’re still building out this category. As a benchmark, plain cooked chicken breast contains 31g of protein per 100g (8.8g per oz). Welch’s Concord Grape Jelly delivers 0g of protein per 100g (0g per oz).
Scope
This page covers Welch’s Concord Grape Jelly (18.8 oz/533 g), UPC 04181238, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 1850324. Welch’s sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
GRAPES (CONCORD GRAPES, GRAPES), SUGAR, WATER, FRUIT PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), CALCIUM CHLORIDE.
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 Tbsp
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 Tbsp) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 20.1 |
| Protein | 0g |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 5g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 5g |
| Sodium | 15mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Concord Grape Jelly (18.8 oz/533 g) · UPC 04181238. 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 no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Welch's Grape Jelly get a C+ if it's basically sugar?
Read the grade in reverse. The C+ (69/100) isn't a health endorsement — it's what's left after the dimensions that don't apply to a jelly fall away. With 0g fat and only 15mg of sodium per serving, the saturated-fat and sodium columns both score A+ simply because there's nothing in them to penalize. The dimension that actually describes this product — sugar — fails. A jelly can't score badly on fat or salt because it never had any; that absence quietly inflates the average.
How much sugar is in Welch's Concord Grape Jelly?
About 5g per 1 Tbsp serving — and since a tablespoon of jelly weighs only 17g, that means more than a quarter of the jar's weight is sugar (roughly 26g per 100g). The label is just grapes (pressed to juice) plus added sugar, so essentially all of it is sugar — the strained juice keeps little of the whole grape — which is why the sugar dimension scores an F. This is, functionally, sugar you can spread.
Is grape jelly healthier than it looks because it's made from fruit?
Not really. 'Made with real fruit' is true, but jelly is made from grape juice (the fiber and most of the whole-fruit value are strained out) and then sweetened further with added sugar. What's left is concentrated sugar with grape flavor. Whole grapes — or even unsweetened 100% fruit spread — keep more of the fruit and add far less sugar.
Is Welch's Grape Jelly keto-friendly?
By the per-tablespoon numbers (5g carbs, all sugar) a single thin scrape can fit a low-carb day, but that's the catch: it's only 'low-carb' if you keep the portion tiny. Jelly is almost pure sugar by weight, so a normal sandwich-sized spread climbs quickly. For keto, it's the kind of thing you measure, not pour.
What's the honest way to use it?
As a flavor accent, not a food group. A thin scrape on toast or a thumbprint cookie is a small, controlled hit of sweetness — perfectly fine. The trouble is treating it as a wholesome 'fruit' serving and spreading it thick. The portion is the whole story: a light scrape is a treat; a heavy layer is a spoonful of sugar.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-06, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 1850324. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.