Shoppers comparing salt
If you are choosing between tins of different sizes, salt per 100g gives you a common basis. The portion you eat then determines how much of the tin’s salt goes into your lunch.
Who is this for?
Shoppers considering sugar as well
A reduced-sugar-and-salt recipe and a no-added-sugar recipe answer different preferences. Check both the nutrition panel and ingredients rather than assuming either wording identifies the lower-salt tin.
People building a lunch around beans
Baked beans can be one component of a lunch with vegetables and a starchy food. NHS Eatwell guidance describes pulses as sources of fibre and protein; a claim on the tin does not describe the whole meal.
What should you check?
Start with the per-100g panel to compare tins, then look at your intended portion and the other foods in the lunch.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt per 100g | Compare the same measure on each pack, not just its reduction claim. Tesco Groceries lists 0.60g salt per 210g half-can, which calculates to about 0.29g per 100g; Sainsbury’s lists 0.29g per 100g for its reduced sugar and salt beans. The figures are too close to establish a meaningful winner from these labels. | I want to compare tins fairly, even when their serving sizes differ. NHS food-label guidance uses 0.3g salt or less per 100g as its low-salt threshold. |
| Lunch portion | Read the salt figure for the labelled serving and check its weight against the amount you expect to eat. NHS guidance notes that nutrition panels give values per 100g and sometimes per portion. | A half-can might not be my serving, so the per-100g comparison alone will not tell me the salt in my lunch. |
| Sugar and ingredients | Check the sugar row and ingredient list alongside salt. Sainsbury’s says its recipe has 30% less sugar and salt than its standard beans; Waitrose & Partners lists Heinz No Added Sugar at 0.40g salt per 100g, with 25% less salt than standard Heinz Beanz. Each reduction refers to that brand’s stated comparison product. | If avoiding added sugar matters to me, I still want to compare salt separately and check whether the recipe contains a sweetener. |
| The rest of lunch | Consider the beans alongside the other foods and portion sizes on your plate. NHS Eatwell guidance identifies pulses as sources of fibre and protein. | I’m using beans as one part of lunch, perhaps with vegetables and wholegrain toast, rather than judging the meal by a claim on the tin. |
Common label mistakes
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Assuming a bigger reduction means less salt than another brand
Sainsbury’s 30% reduction is against its standard beans, while Heinz’s 25% reduction is against standard Heinz Beanz. Those percentages do not compare the two finished recipes with each other.
Use salt per 100g to compare brands, and treat each reduction claim as information about that brand’s recipe.
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Comparing a half-can with 100g
Tesco Groceries gives 0.60g salt for a 210g half-can serving. That cannot be compared directly with Sainsbury’s figure of 0.29g per 100g.
Put both tins on a per-100g basis first, then check the amount you intend to serve.
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Reading “no added sugar” as “lowest salt”
Waitrose & Partners lists Heinz No Added Sugar at 0.40g salt per 100g, compared with around 0.29g per 100g for the Tesco and Sainsbury’s recipes described here.
If both matter to you, read the salt and sugar figures separately and check the ingredients.
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Using the figure from a different Branston pack
A Sainsbury’s listing for a 410g Branston tin states 0.50g salt per 100g, while Joybuy’s 4 x 410g listing states 0.39g per 100g. Those figures should not be treated as interchangeable.
Check the nutrition panel on the exact tin or multipack you are buying.
Brand recipes and label differences
These figures refer to the named recipes and packs, not every baked bean product made by each brand.
Tesco
Tesco Reduced Sugar and Salt Baked Beans come in a 420g tin.
- Tesco Groceries lists 0.60g salt per 210g half-can, equivalent by calculation to about 0.29g per 100g.
- Use the current pack panel for your comparison; the calculated per-100g figure is approximate.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans are listed as a 4 x 400g pack.
- Sainsbury’s lists 0.29g salt per 100g and states 30% less sugar and salt than its standard baked beans.
- The 30% claim compares Sainsbury’s own recipes, not other brands.
Heinz
Heinz Beanz No Added Sugar combines a no-added-sugar recipe with a brand-relative salt reduction.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 0.40g salt per 100g and 25% less salt than standard Heinz Beanz.
- Its listed salt per 100g is higher than the Tesco and Sainsbury’s figures compared here; check the ingredients if sweeteners matter to you.
Branston
Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt is an option for shoppers considering that specific recipe.
- Joybuy’s 4 x 410g listing states 30% less sugar and salt than standard Branston Baked Beans.
- Related 410g listings give different salt-per-100g figures: Sainsbury’s states 0.50g and Joybuy states 0.39g for its multipack. Check the exact pack label.
Waitrose Essential
Essential Reduced Salt & Sugar Baked Beans are a Waitrose own-label recipe.
- Waitrose & Partners states 30% less sugar and salt than regular Waitrose Essential Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce.
- For a comparison with other tins, read the salt-per-100g figure on the exact pack.
Joybuy product options
This Branston reduced-sugar-and-salt multipack is an option for lunches built around baked beans; compare its exact pack label with other tins if salt per 100g is your main priority.
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Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans 4 x 410g
The 4 x 410g pack suits someone choosing this Branston recipe as a lunch component. Joybuy’s listing states 30% less sugar and salt than standard Branston Baked Beans and lists 0.39g salt per 100g; check the exact pack label when comparing salt, as a related Branston listing gives a different figure. Check the ingredients if sugar or steviol glycosides matter to you.
Questions about baked beans for lunch
Does “reduced salt” mean a tin is low in salt?
Not necessarily. A reduction compares a recipe with a stated alternative, usually the brand’s standard version; it does not tell you its salt level against every other tin. NHS food-label guidance defines low salt as 0.3g or less per 100g, so check the panel on the product you intend to buy.
Should I compare salt per 100g or per serving?
Use salt per 100g to compare different tins, then use the serving information to work out what your planned portion contains. NHS guidance notes that a labelled portion may differ from the amount you eat.
Can baked beans be part of lunch?
Yes, beans can be one component of lunch. NHS Eatwell guidance describes pulses as sources of fibre and protein; consider the portion and the other foods you serve, such as vegetables and wholegrain toast, rather than relying on a reduced-salt claim to describe the whole meal.
How should I store beans left over from an opened tin?
Follow the instructions on your exact pack. Joybuy’s listings for Heinz Beanz No Sugar Added 415g and Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt 4 x 410g say to transfer unused beans to a suitable container, refrigerate them and use them within two days; check other products for their own instructions.