Among three 400g soups compared using Tesco Groceries and M&S nutrition information, Tesco Low Fat Tomato Soup lists 31 kcal per 100g, while Tesco Low Fat Lentil & Vegetable Soup and M&S Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup each list 44 kcal per 100g. For a Bonfire Night bowl, calculate the calories in the amount you will serve, then check salt, ingredients and allergens: the lowest figure per 100g is not the only consideration.
If you are serving soup in bowls rather than following the pack’s suggested portion, compare kcal per 100g and calculate the amount in each bowl. The NHS notes that nutrition labels give values per 100g and sometimes per portion.
A calorie comparison does not settle the salt question. Tesco Groceries lists 0.35g salt per 100g for its Low Fat Tomato Soup and 0.47g per 100g for its Low Fat Lentil & Vegetable Soup, so check both figures against the portion you plan to eat.
Choose by the exact recipe, not the flavour name alone. Check the current pack’s ingredient and allergen statements before serving, particularly when guests have different dietary requirements.
Start with a common per-100g basis, then work out what the portion on the table will contain.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | Compare kcal per 100g, then use the tin’s weight and your portion size. Tesco Groceries lists 31 kcal per 100g for its 400g Low Fat Tomato Soup and 44 kcal per 100g for its 400g Low Fat Lentil & Vegetable Soup. | I may serve more than the stated half-can portion, so I want the figure for the bowl I will actually eat. |
| Salt | Check salt per 100g and for the intended portion. Tesco Groceries lists 0.35g and 0.47g salt per 100g for those tomato and lentil-and-vegetable soups respectively; M&S lists 0.48g per 100g for its Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup. | If soup is part of a meal with snacks or toppings, I want to know its salt contribution as well as its calories. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredient and allergen statements for the exact recipe. Check dietary suitability separately from the calorie figure. | Will everyone I am serving be able to eat this particular soup? A familiar flavour name is not enough to decide. |
Tesco Groceries gives nutrition for a 200g half-can serving on both of its checked 400g soups. Eating the whole can means eating two stated servings.
Compare kcal per 100g first, then calculate the amount of soup you will serve. Count any bread, cheese or other additions separately.
A fat claim does not tell you how much salt is in your bowl. The checked Tesco and M&S soups list different salt amounts per 100g.
Read the salt value alongside the calorie value and account for the portion you intend to eat.
Tomato, lentil-and-vegetable and chicken-and-vegetable soups have different recipes, so a flavour name cannot establish allergen or vegetarian suitability.
Check the current pack for ingredients, highlighted allergens and dietary information before serving it to guests.
Reading Borough Council advises against buying damaged cans. Once a can is opened, storage instructions also matter for any soup left over.
Inspect the can before buying and follow that product’s instructions for transferring, refrigerating and using leftovers.
These examples show why the recipe and its nutrition panel matter more to this choice than the brand name alone.
Tesco Groceries lists nutrition for its 400g Low Fat Tomato and Low Fat Lentil & Vegetable soups.
M&S provides nutrition information for both its Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup and Cream of Tomato Soup.
Tesco Groceries lists Heinz Lentil Soup 400G as low fat and suitable for vegetarians.
Tesco Groceries lists Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups.
This chicken-and-noodle soup is an option to consider for a Bonfire Night bowl; use its current label to compare the portion you plan to serve with other recipes.
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For a Bonfire Night bowl, use the 400g pack size and the current nutrition panel to work out calories and salt for the amount served. Check the ingredients and storage instructions if they affect your choice.
Compare kcal per 100g, then calculate for the amount you intend to eat. Tesco Groceries states a 200g half-can serving for its checked 400g Low Fat Tomato and Low Fat Lentil & Vegetable soups, so a whole can is two stated servings.
A low-fat label does not establish which soup has fewer calories. Tesco Groceries lists 91 kcal per half-can serving for Heinz Lentil Soup and 31 kcal per 100g for Tesco Low Fat Tomato Soup; compare the same weight or the portions you would actually eat.
Yes: calories and salt are separate label values. The NHS advises adults to have no more than 6g salt a day, and Tesco Groceries and M&S list between 0.35g and 0.48g salt per 100g across the three checked tomato, lentil-and-vegetable and chunky chicken-and-vegetable soups.
No. Read the current ingredient and allergen statements on the exact can, and check any vegetarian information separately before serving guests with dietary requirements.
Follow that product’s storage instructions rather than assuming every soup keeps for the same time. For example, M&S says to refrigerate its opened Cream of Tomato Soup in an airtight container and eat it within two days.