Who is this for?

Shoppers planning calorie-aware meals

Compare energy per 100g and for the portion you will serve. Check total sugars, fibre and salt too, rather than treating a reduced-sugar claim as a summary of the whole nutrition panel.

Shoppers avoiding added sugar

A no-added-sugar tin can still list sugars in the finished food. Check the ‘of which sugars’ figure and the ingredient list if the use of sweeteners matters to you.

Shoppers checking salt as well as sugar

Reduced-sugar recipes do not all list the same amount of salt. Compare salt on a per-100g basis before working out the amount in your serving.

What to check on the label

Start with the per-100g figures to compare different tin sizes, then use the serving figures or tin weight to assess the amount you expect to eat.

Priority What to check Your needs
Total sugars Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100g, then check the amount for your serving. Read the ingredients to distinguish no added sugar from a recipe containing sugar or sweeteners. I want to compare the sugar in the beans I will eat, not rely on ‘no added sugar’ to mean sugar-free.
Energy and portion Compare kcal per 100g and check the stated serving size against your own portion. ASDA Groceries lists 65kcal per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar 200g; Sainsbury’s lists 82kcal per 100g for Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt 410g. A smaller tin might help me plan the amount I serve, but I still need to check its energy figure for the whole portion.
Salt Use salt per 100g for a like-for-like comparison, then check your serving. Sainsbury’s lists 0.29g per 100g for its Reduced Sugar & Salt beans and 0.5g per 100g for the Branston tin it sells. When I choose a lower-sugar recipe, I also want to see how much salt my portion contains.
Fibre and protein Check the listed fibre and protein per 100g or serving alongside energy, sugars and salt. Do not assume that two reduced-sugar recipes have the same figures. I want to understand what the beans contribute to my meal without choosing on sugar alone.
Ingredients Check the current tin for sugar and named sweeteners, particularly if switching recipes or pack sizes. I prefer to know how a reduced-sugar recipe is made before choosing it.

Common buying mistakes

  • Reading ‘no added sugar’ as ‘no sugar’

    ASDA Groceries lists 1.5g total sugars per 100g for its Reduced Salt & No Added Sugar beans and 1.9g per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar beans.

    Use the front label to identify a recipe, then compare ‘of which sugars’ for the amount you intend to eat.

  • Comparing percentage claims across different brands

    Sainsbury’s describes its Reduced Sugar & Salt beans as having 30% less sugar and salt than its standard beans. Tesco gives Branston’s 30% reduction against standard Branston beans. Neither claim compares the two reduced-sugar tins with each other.

    Compare their nutrition figures per 100g before deciding which suits your priorities.

  • Overlooking salt when choosing by sugar

    The lowest listed sugar figure is not necessarily the lowest listed salt figure among the compared tins.

    Read both figures per 100g, then check the amount in your planned serving.

  • Assuming every reduced-sugar recipe has the same ingredients

    Sweeteners differ between recipes; Sainsbury’s ingredient information for Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt lists saccharin.

    Read the ingredient list on the exact tin you are buying if a particular sweetener matters to you.

Brand and retailer references

Heinz

Heinz No Added Sugar Baked Beans are listed in a 200g tin by ASDA Groceries.

  • The listed 200g tin provides a clear single-can amount for portion planning.
  • Its nutrition panel still lists 1.9g sugars and 0.4g salt per 100g; ‘no added sugar’ does not mean sugar-free.

ASDA

ASDA lists its own-label Reduced Salt & No Added Sugar baked beans in a 410g tin.

  • ASDA Groceries lists 1.5g sugars, 73kcal and 4.8g fibre per 100g for this recipe.
  • Its listed salt is 0.34g per 100g; check the figure for the amount you serve.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans are listed in a 4 × 400g pack.

  • Sainsbury’s lists 0.29g salt, 2.8g sugars and 70kcal per 100g.
  • Its 30% less sugar and salt claim is a comparison with Sainsbury’s standard baked beans, not with other brands.

Branston

Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans are listed by Sainsbury’s in a 410g tin.

  • That Sainsbury’s listing states 5g fibre per 100g.
  • It also lists 3g sugars, 82kcal and 0.5g salt per 100g, and names saccharin in the ingredients. Check the current pack when comparing a different pack format.

M&S

M&S describes its 390g No Added Sugar Baked Beans as a no-added-sugar recipe.

  • The stated tin size can help when planning a serving.
  • Check its current nutrition panel before comparing total sugars, energy or salt with another tin.

Joybuy baked beans option

This Branston multipack is an option for comparing reduced-sugar baked beans by portion and pack size. Check its current nutrition label when weighing sugar, energy and salt against other recipes.

Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans, 4 x 410g

Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans 4 x 410g

The four 410g tins offer a pack-size choice if you plan to serve beans across several meals. Check the current label for sugars, energy and salt per 100g and for your portion before comparing this multipack with another recipe.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Does ‘no added sugar’ mean baked beans are sugar-free?

No. ASDA Groceries lists 1.9g sugars per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar beans and 1.5g per 100g for ASDA Reduced Salt & No Added Sugar beans. The claim concerns added sugar, not all sugars in the finished food.

How can I compare tins of different sizes?

Compare energy, total sugars, fibre and salt per 100g first, so tin sizes do not distort the comparison. Then check the label’s serving figures, or calculate from the per-100g figures, for the amount you expect to eat.

Is a reduced-sugar tin also lower in salt?

Not necessarily. Sainsbury’s lists 0.29g salt per 100g for its Reduced Sugar & Salt beans and 0.5g per 100g for the Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt tin it sells. Compare salt separately, on the same per-100g basis.

Do reduced-sugar baked beans contain sweeteners?

Some do. Sainsbury’s lists saccharin in the ingredients for Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans. Check the current ingredient list on the exact recipe and pack you choose if you want to avoid a particular sweetener.