Fakeaway cooks comparing salt
If beans are one part of a meal with sauces or seasoned sides, compare their declared salt per 100g and in the amount you intend to serve. A reduced-salt claim alone does not give either figure.
Who is this choice for?
The useful comparison depends on how much of the tin will go on each plate and which other ingredients are part of the fakeaway.
People cooking for one
A 200g–220g tin may be more convenient than opening a larger tin. Check the salt for the whole tin if you expect to eat it all, rather than relying on the per-100g figure.
Shoppers also comparing sugar
Reduced-sugar and no-added-sugar recipes offer another reason to read the label. Compare their sugars and salt side by side; the lower declared sugars figure does not necessarily come with the lower salt figure.
What should you check on the tin?
Start with the per-100g figures to compare recipes, then use the pack size and serving information to assess the portion you will actually put on the plate.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt | Compare salt per 100g, then the amount in your serving. The NHS low-salt guide for food is 0.3g or less per 100g. Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's each list 0.29g per 100g for their reduced-sugar-and-salt beans. | I want to judge the beans alongside the sauces and other foods on my fakeaway plate, not assume that ‘reduced salt’ means low salt. |
| Sugars | Read sugars and salt per 100g together, as well as any no-added-sugar claim. ASDA lists 1.5g sugars and 0.34g salt per 100g for its Reduced Salt & No Added Sugar beans; M&S lists 1.2g sugars and 0.43g salt per 100g for its No Added Sugar beans. | A no-added-sugar recipe appeals to me, but I also want to see its salt figure before choosing it as a reduced-salt side. |
| Tin size | Check the tin weight, stated serving size and instructions for opened contents. Tesco Groceries lists 0.60g salt for a 210g half-can serving of its 420g tin and 0.63g for its whole 220g tin. | Cooking for one, I might use a smaller tin. For a shared meal, I want to work out how much of a larger tin will go on each plate. |
| Ingredients | Read the current tin for ingredients, allergens and any sweetener you prefer to avoid. Marks & Spencer warns that its No Added Sugar Baked Beans are not suitable for people with a milk or egg allergy. | If an ingredient or allergen affects my choice, I need the information on the pack I am about to use. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Reading ‘reduced salt’ as ‘low salt’
‘Reduced’ compares a recipe with another version; it does not state its absolute salt level. The NHS low-salt guide is 0.3g salt or less per 100g. Tesco Groceries lists 0.39g per 100g for Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt beans, despite the reduction claim.
Compare the per-100g salt figures first, then check the amount in your planned portion.
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Ignoring how much of the tin you will eat
A labelled half-can serving may not match a solo meal. Tesco Groceries lists 0.60g salt for a 210g serving from its 420g tin, while its 220g tin lists 0.63g for the whole can.
Decide whether the tin will make one portion or several before using its serving figure.
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Counting the beans but not the sauces
The NHS notes that salt can also come from sauces and other prepared foods. Choosing beans by their salt figure alone will not tell you about the rest of a fakeaway meal.
Check the labels of sauces and sides you intend to serve with them.
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Relying on an older product listing
Ingredients and nutrition information can change. Marks & Spencer also gives a milk-and-egg allergy warning for its No Added Sugar Baked Beans.
Read the current tin before serving, particularly for allergens, sweeteners and storage instructions.
Brand and product-line references
These figures refer to the named recipes and pack formats, not every baked-bean product sold under each brand.
Tesco
Reduced Sugar & Salt baked beans come in 220g and 420g tins for different serving plans.
- Tesco Groceries lists 0.29g salt per 100g for both sizes. Its 420g product lists 0.60g salt per 210g half-can serving.
- If you open more than you need, Tesco instructs shoppers to transfer the remainder to a covered, non-metallic container, refrigerate it and use it within two days.
Sainsbury's
Its Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans come in a 400g tin.
- Sainsbury's lists 0.29g salt and 2.8g sugars per 100g, and compares the recipe with its own standard baked beans.
- Use the amount you plan to eat, rather than the per-100g figure alone, when considering the salt on your plate.
ASDA
Reduced Salt & No Added Sugar baked beans are listed in a 4 × 410g pack.
- ASDA lists 1.5g sugars and 0.34g salt per 100g for this recipe.
- Its salt figure is above the NHS low-salt guide of 0.3g or less per 100g. The recipe lists steviol glycosides, which is worth checking if you avoid that sweetener.
Waitrose Essential
Reduced Salt & Sugar baked beans are offered in a 220g tin.
- Waitrose & Partners lists 0.30g salt and 2.0g sugars per 100g for this recipe.
- A per-100g low-salt figure does not describe the salt in a whole tin; check the portion you intend to serve.
Heinz
Heinz No Added Sugar beans offer a branded recipe for shoppers who want that particular flavour and format.
- Product information published by Waitrose & Partners lists 1.9g sugars and 0.4g salt per 100g for the single-serve recipe.
- At 0.4g per 100g, its declared salt is above the NHS low-salt guide; check the pack size before comparing whole portions.
M&S
Its No Added Sugar Baked Beans come in a 390g tin.
- Marks & Spencer lists 1.2g sugars per 100g for this recipe.
- It also lists 0.43g salt per 100g and warns that the product is not suitable for people with a milk or egg allergy.
Joybuy product options
This Branston multipack is an option if you want reduced-sugar-and-salt beans for several portions; compare its tin size and current label with what your fakeaway meal needs.
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Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans, 4 × 410g
The four-tin pack may fit a fakeaway meal for several people or more than one meal at home. Tesco Groceries lists 0.39g salt and 2.8g sugars per 100g for Branston's 410g Reduced Sugar & Salt tin; check the multipack label for its current nutrition and serving figures. At 0.39g per 100g, that listed recipe is above the NHS low-salt guide.
Questions about choosing and serving beans
Does ‘reduced salt’ mean baked beans are low in salt?
No. ‘Reduced’ compares one recipe with another, while the NHS low-salt guide for food is 0.3g salt or less per 100g. Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's each list 0.29g per 100g for their reduced-sugar-and-salt beans; ASDA lists 0.34g per 100g for its Reduced Salt & No Added Sugar recipe.
Should I compare salt per 100g or per serving?
Use both: per 100g lets you compare different recipes and tin sizes, while the serving figure helps you assess the amount you will eat. Tesco Groceries lists 0.29g per 100g and 0.60g per 210g half-can serving for its 420g Reduced Sugar & Salt tin.
Does no added sugar also mean less salt?
Not necessarily. Marks & Spencer lists 1.2g sugars and 0.43g salt per 100g for its No Added Sugar beans, while ASDA lists 1.5g sugars and 0.34g salt per 100g for its Reduced Salt & No Added Sugar beans. Compare both figures if both claims matter to your choice.
Do reduced-sugar beans contain sweeteners?
Some recipes do. ASDA's Reduced Salt & No Added Sugar beans list steviol glycosides. If you avoid a particular sweetener, check the ingredients on the current tin rather than relying on the front-of-pack wording.
What should I do with beans left in an opened tin?
Follow that product's storage instructions. For its 220g Reduced Sugar & Salt beans, Tesco Groceries says to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, cover and refrigerate them, and consume them within two days.