The Store-Bought Chocolate Pudding To Try If You're Watching Your Sodium

Few foods have the same nostalgia factor as chocolate pudding. For some reason, though, as we get older, it seems as if we must lean toward more sophisticated options — like chocolate mousse or pot de crème. Deep down, though, many of us are really just clamoring for a good old-fashioned packaged chocolate pudding.

Fortunately, many food producers are happy to oblige, and there's a range of options on store shelves for those of us who either aren't quite confident enough to try making our own — or simply prefer the convenience of a cup. That's why we did the hard work of sampling 11 pudding brands and ranking them from worst to best.

Of course, there are different metrics for how to judge your snack. And if sodium content is important to you, then you may want to pay close attention to your pudding package — as this is a product category surprisingly well-known for packing high sodium levels. Fortunately, one brand has always been mindful of its sodium content, and the Jell-O you may already know and love is a go-to pick if you're watching your salt intake.

When it comes to sodium, certain foods might come to mind, from salty ham to pizza and processed foods like bottled salad dressings and cold cuts. But chocolate pudding — with its decidedly sweet profile — may not be one of them. So why would there be so much sodium in your cup? It turns out that the ultra-creamy consistency of packaged pudding can be traced back to certain additives that create thickness, including disodium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and sodium stearoyl lactylate. While Jell-O pudding does indeed contain those ingredients, other brands we reviewed sported labels with more egregious levels of sodium per serving.

Keep in mind, though, that there's a major difference between instant pudding mix and pudding cups; the same Jell-O chocolate flavor in the powdered packet boasts 430 milligrams per serving (and 290 milligrams in the sugar-free version). Given that it's recommended to consume under 2,000 milligrams, a single pudding weighing in at 19% of that daily amount seems pretty steep. Jell-O chocolate pudding cups, by contrast, clock in at 190 milligrams, which means not only do you get the convenience of the cup without the process of having to whip it up yourself, but also more chocolate satisfaction with less sodium per spoonful.

Jell-O also offers several variants of their signature pudding cups that all come in around the same level of sodium, with chocolatey flavors from milk to dark to the layered chocolate-vanilla swirl. The brand has a line of sugar-free cups, too. The chocolate version of which drops the sodium level to 170 milligrams. And if you can find room in your heart for non-cocoa flavors, you can also enjoy a selection of several other flavor variants. These include the cinnamon-spiked churro delicioso, along with classic vanilla and dulce de leche — with the latter two dropping further in sodium, down to 160 milligrams.

If you are still concerned about your pudding's nutritional profile and would prefer to make your own, you can try out the easiest no-cook chocolate pudding, which contains just two ingredients. Top it with homemade vanilla whipped cream, and you won't have to worry about unwanted additives. But if you hope to strike a balance between convenience and your sodium intake, with Jell-O pudding cups, you won't have to sacrifice that deliciously familiar old favorite.