USDA food category
Meals, Entrees, and Side Dishes
According to USDA FoodData Central (data refreshed July 2026), meals, entrees, and side dishes entries carry the FDA-required nutrition facts panel, ingredient list, and allergen disclosure verbatim from the source label.
- 31
- Foods (page 2)
- 211
- Avg kcal / 100gmoderate density
- 8.0g
- Avg proteingood source · 16% DV
Showing 51–81 foods · Page 2
Most calorie-dense meals, entrees, and side dishes
How the Meals, Entrees, and Side Dishes Category Compares
Meals, Entrees, and Side Dishes is one of the food groups catalogued in the USDA FoodData Central database, and this page surfaces 31 foods from that group on the current view (page 2). Among just the 31 foods on this page, the average calorie count lands at 206 kcal per 100g, with average protein of 7.1g per 100g (the full Meals, Entrees, and Side Dishes group of 81 foods averages 211 kcal, shown above). These per-page averages help you benchmark any single food against its immediate neighbors on this listing, a food 30% above this page's calorie average, for example, is a useful signal for portion planning.
Within this page, the most energy-dense item is "Spanish rice mix, dry mix, unprepared" at 363 calories per 100g, while the lightest is "Ravioli, cheese-filled, canned" at 77 calories. That kind of spread is typical for USDA food groups: branded and processed entries often sit high on calories and sodium, while raw or minimally prepared entries anchor the low end. Sorting the grid by calories, protein, fat, or carbs exposes the full distribution so you can pick foods that match specific dietary goals rather than relying on category intuition alone.
Every food in the Meals, Entrees, and Side Dishes group links to a full FDA-format nutrition label with vitamins, minerals, and daily value percentages sourced from USDA Standard Reference, Foundation, Branded, or Survey data depending on the item. Use the sort controls to surface the highest-protein or lowest-sodium choices, or drill into any food card to see macro bars, similar foods, and brand breakdowns. For framework and interpretation help, the nutrition guides explain daily values, how to compare foods fairly, and where hidden sugars hide inside everyday categories.
→ Compare the first three meals, entrees, and side dishes foods side-by-side
Potato salad with egg
Potsticker or wonton, pork and vegetable, frozen, unprepared
Pulled pork in barbecue sauce
RICE-A-RONI, chicken flavor, unprepared
Ravioli, cheese with tomato sauce, frozen, not prepared, includes regular and light entrees
Ravioli, cheese-filled, canned
Ravioli, meat-filled, with tomato sauce or meat sauce, canned
Rice and vermicelli mix, beef flavor, prepared with 80% margarine
Rice and vermicelli mix, beef flavor, unprepared
Rice and vermicelli mix, chicken flavor, prepared with 80% margarine
Rice and vermicelli mix, rice pilaf flavor, prepared with 80% margarine
Rice and vermicelli mix, rice pilaf flavor, unprepared
Rice bowl with chicken, frozen entree, prepared (includes fried, teriyaki, and sweet and sour varieties)
Rice mix, cheese flavor, dry mix, unprepared
Rice mix, white and wild, flavored, unprepared
Salisbury steak with gravy, frozen
Sausage, egg and cheese breakfast biscuit
Spaghetti with meat sauce, frozen entree
Spaghetti, with meatballs in tomato sauce, canned
Spanish rice mix, dry mix, prepared (with canola/vegetable oil blend or diced tomatoes and margarine)
Spanish rice mix, dry mix, unprepared
Taquitos, frozen, beef and cheese, oven-heated
Taquitos, frozen, chicken and cheese, oven-heated
Tortellini, pasta with cheese filling, fresh-refrigerated, as purchased
Turkey Pot Pie, frozen entree
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes w/gravy, assorted vegetables, frozen, microwaved
Turnover, cheese-filled, tomato-based sauce, frozen, unprepared
Turnover, chicken- or turkey-, and vegetable-filled, reduced fat, frozen
Turnover, filled with egg, meat and cheese, frozen
Turnover, meat- and cheese-filled, tomato-based sauce, reduced fat, frozen
Yellow rice with seasoning, dry packet mix, unprepared
Primary source data
Source: USDA FoodData Central — food_categories taxonomy.
Source: Per-food nutrient values from USDA laboratory analysis and manufacturer-submitted label data.
Read our methodology for how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Key takeaways
- Within Meals, Entrees, and Side Dishes, Spanish rice mix is the most calorie-dense item on this page at 363 cal per 100g, while Ravioli is the lightest at 77 cal -- a reminder that "category" alone doesn't tell you much about any single food.
- By average calorie density, meals, entrees, and side dishes ranks 16th of 25 USDA food groups -- see how it compares to every other group. Browse all categories
- Sort the table above by protein, fat, or carbs to find the specific foods in this category that best match your own targets.
Every figure on GetFoodFacts is rendered directly from official USDA FoodData Central records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.