Who these checks help

Budget shoppers tracking calories

If soup is a lunch or light meal, compare kcal per 100g and then the amount you would eat. The NHS notes that nutrition labels give values per 100g or 100ml and may also give them per portion.

People who eat tinned soup regularly

Checking salt alongside calories is useful when soup is a frequent meal. The NHS advises adults to have no more than 6g of salt a day; read the salt value for the portion you expect to eat.

Shoppers checking ingredients

Check the exact flavour and pack if milk, cereals or celery matter to you. M&S describes double cream in its Cream of Tomato Soup and pearl barley and celery in its Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup.

What to check on the tin

Start with a like-for-like calorie comparison, then check your portion, salt and ingredients before deciding which can suits you.

Priority What to check Your needs
Calories Compare kcal per 100g or 100ml. Check the stated portion and calculate the amount for the serving you expect to eat. I want to know the calories in my bowl, not just in the serving shown on the label.
Salt Compare salt per 100g, then check the amount for your portion. The NHS advises adults to have no more than 6g of salt a day. If soup is a regular meal for me, calories alone will not tell me how much salt that serving contains.
Can size Check the weight and stated number of portions. Use the same per-100g measure when comparing tins of different sizes. I may eat a whole smaller can or only part of a larger one, so I need to compare the amounts I would actually serve.
Ingredients Read the ingredient list, highlighted allergens and dietary suitability statement for the exact variety. For an allergy or ingredient restriction, I need to check this soup rather than assume another flavour in the range has the same recipe.

Common buying mistakes

  • Treating a low-fat claim as a calorie comparison

    Fat and energy are different label measures. Joybuy lists Heinz Cream of Tomato 4 x 400g at 51 kcal per 100g and 102 kcal per stated half-can, alongside its low-fat description.

    Compare kcal per 100g across soups, then check the calories in the amount you plan to eat.

  • Overlooking salt when comparing calories

    A calorie figure does not show how much salt a serving contains. The NHS advises adults to have no more than 6g of salt a day.

    Read both values on the same tin, particularly if you expect to eat the whole can.

  • Assuming a tomato or vegetable soup fits every diet

    Recipes differ: M&S describes double cream in its Cream of Tomato Soup, while its Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup contains pearl barley and celery.

    Check the current ingredients and allergen declaration for the exact soup you are buying.

Brand and range references

Tesco / Stockwell & Co

Tesco lists a Stockwell & Co Vegetable Soup 400G among its tinned soups.

  • The 400g can size gives you a starting point for checking the calories in the amount you would serve.
  • Use the exact can’s nutrition and ingredient labels to assess it; its place in a filtered listing does not establish its calorie content.

Heinz

The Joybuy listing for Heinz Cream of Tomato 4 x 400g gives 51 kcal and 0.50g salt per 100g.

  • The listing also states 102 kcal per half-can, making it possible to compare the stated portion with the amount you intend to eat.
  • Its low-fat description is not a substitute for checking calories.

Campbell's

Campbell's condensed soups are another format to consider when choosing tinned soup.

  • Check the exact variety’s preparation instructions and nutrition panel before comparing a prepared portion with another soup.

M&S

M&S describes double cream in its Cream of Tomato Soup and chicken breast, vegetables, pearl barley and celery in its Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup.

  • The ingredient descriptions help distinguish the two recipes when checking dietary fit.
  • Check each product’s own nutrition panel before comparing calories or salt.

A Joybuy soup option

This Heinz mushroom soup is a tinned option to assess using the same serving-size, salt and ingredient checks.

Heinz Cream of Mushroom Soup 400g

Heinz Cream of Mushroom Soup 400g

For a soup meal, use the 400g can size and its nutrition panel to work out the calories and salt in your serving. The product information identifies milk and wheat, so check the exact pack if either ingredient matters to you.

View on Joybuy

Questions about choosing soup

How can I compare calories between different tins?

Compare kcal per 100g or 100ml first, then check the calories in the amount you expect to eat. The NHS notes that nutrition labels may also give values per portion, but that portion might differ from yours.

Does low fat mean low calorie?

No: a low-fat description does not give you the calories in your serving. Joybuy lists Heinz Cream of Tomato 4 x 400g at 51 kcal per 100g and 102 kcal per stated half-can, so check the energy figure itself.

Why check salt when calories are my main concern?

Calories and salt answer different questions about the same serving. The NHS advises adults to have no more than 6g of salt a day; compare the salt per 100g and the amount in the portion you would eat.

How should I check whether a soup contains an allergen?

Read the ingredient list and allergen declaration on the exact pack you intend to buy. Do not assume that a different flavour or another soup from the same brand uses the same ingredients.