For a bulk pack, compare total carbohydrate per 100g and the amount in your actual serving rather than choosing by a no-added-sugar label alone. Among the three pre-packed multipacks listed by Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, Heinz No Added Sugar 6 x 415g has the lowest listed carbohydrate at 9.5g per 100g, while Sainsbury’s Reduced Sugar & Salt 4 x 400g has the lowest listed salt at 0.29g per 100g. Neither figure alone determines which tin fits an individual meal plan.
If you count carbohydrate for meals, the sugars line alone will not tell you the total carbohydrate in the beans you serve. Diabetes UK explains that carbohydrate counting can be particularly useful for people using basal-bolus insulin; individual insulin decisions require individual guidance.
A multipack can keep several tins in the cupboard, but pack count and tin size are separate from portion size. Compare labels per 100g, then work out what the quantity you serve means for your meal.
No-added-sugar and reduced-sugar-and-salt tins offer different label figures. Compare carbohydrate, sugars and salt rather than assuming that a front-of-pack claim answers all three questions.
Start with comparable per-100g values, then consider the serving you will eat and whether the pack format suits your household.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total carbohydrate | Compare carbohydrate per 100g, then calculate it for the amount served. Diabetes UK recommends using per-100g labels to compare similar foods; a labelled portion may differ from yours. | When I count carbohydrate, I need the figure for the beans I will actually put on my plate. |
| Sugar claims | Read total carbohydrate and “of which sugars” separately. Waitrose lists 9.5g carbohydrate and 1.9g sugars per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar 6 x 415g; Tesco lists 10.9g and 1.1g respectively for its No Added Sugar 4 x 420g. | A no-added-sugar claim catches my eye, but I still want to know what the whole nutrition panel says. |
| Salt | Compare salt on the same per-100g basis. Sainsbury’s lists 0.29g for its Reduced Sugar & Salt 4 x 400g pack, Waitrose lists 0.4g for the Heinz six-pack, and Tesco lists 0.6g for its no-added-sugar four-pack. | If salt matters to my choice, I do not want to select a tin on its sugar claim alone. |
| Pack and portion | Check both tin size and pack count: the listed packs contain Heinz 6 x 415g, Sainsbury’s 4 x 400g or Tesco 4 x 420g. Check the purchased tin’s instructions for storing any leftovers. | I want enough tins for the household without treating a whole tin, or a labelled half-tin, as my required serving. |
The claim does not describe total carbohydrate. Waitrose lists 9.5g carbohydrate per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar beans, alongside 1.9g sugars.
Use the total carbohydrate line to work out the amount in your serving, particularly if you count carbohydrate.
Lower listed sugars do not necessarily go with lower listed salt: Tesco’s No Added Sugar four-pack lists 1.1g sugars and 0.6g salt per 100g, while Sainsbury’s Reduced Sugar & Salt four-pack lists 2.8g sugars and 0.29g salt per 100g.
Compare both lines per 100g and decide which difference is relevant to your own shopping requirements.
Pack count tells you how many tins you can store, not how much belongs in one meal. Opening a tin may also leave beans to store.
Choose a practical tin size, measure the amount you serve and follow that product’s instructions for leftovers. The Joybuy description for the Branston 4 x 410g pack advises transferring leftovers to a suitable container, refrigerating them and using them within two days.
These label figures describe particular products, not everything sold under each brand; compare the pack in front of you before deciding.
Waitrose lists Heinz Baked Beans No Added Sugar as a 6 x 415g pack.
Sainsbury’s lists its Reduced Sugar & Salt baked beans in a 4 x 400g pack.
Tesco lists No Added Sugar baked beans as a 4 x 420g pack.
Waitrose lists Essential Reduced Salt & Sugar baked beans as a 420g tin.
Marks & Spencer lists No Added Sugar baked beans in a 390g single tin.
This Branston four-tin pack offers another reduced-sugar-and-salt recipe to compare by carbohydrate, sugars, salt and serving size.
No image available
If a four-tin pack suits your household, use its nutrition figures to compare the recipe and work out your planned serving. The Joybuy product description lists 12.5g carbohydrate, 2.8g sugars and 0.39g salt per 100g, and 25.6g carbohydrate per half can. “Reduced sugar” does not mean sugar-free; check the amount you will actually eat.
No: the claim does not determine how a serving fits an individual meal plan. Check total carbohydrate as well as sugars and the amount you intend to eat. For example, Waitrose lists 9.5g carbohydrate and 1.9g sugars per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar beans.
Compare total carbohydrate for carb counting, rather than using only the “of which sugars” figure. Diabetes UK recommends per-100g labels for comparing similar foods; then calculate the carbohydrate in the quantity you will serve.
Of the Heinz, Sainsbury’s and Tesco multipacks discussed here, Sainsbury’s Reduced Sugar & Salt 4 x 400g lists the lowest salt figure at 0.29g per 100g. Waitrose lists 0.4g for the Heinz No Added Sugar six-pack, while Tesco lists 0.6g for its No Added Sugar four-pack. Compare carbohydrate separately; the salt figure does not settle the whole choice.
Follow the storage instructions for the tin you bought. For the Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt 4 x 410g pack, the Joybuy product description advises transferring leftovers to a suitable container, refrigerating them and using them within two days.