Hosts comparing salt
If beans are a side, topping or ingredient, compare salt per 100g across tins and the amount in the portion you plan to serve. The rest of the menu matters too.
Who is this for?
The useful comparison depends on how you will serve the beans and who will be eating them.
Hosts serving vegetarian or vegan guests
Look for a dietary-suitability statement on the product you intend to buy, and check its current ingredients and allergen wording on the can before serving.
Hosts planning quantities and leftovers
Match the number and size of tins to the recipe and guest count. For opened beans, follow the storage and use-by-opening instructions on the particular can.
What matters when choosing?
Start with the salt declaration on a common per-100g basis, then work out portions and check whether the chosen product suits your guests.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt across the meal | Compare salt per 100g, then check the declared serving size. Sainsbury’s lists 0.29g per 100g and 0.59g per half can; Tesco lists 0.29g per 100g and 0.60g per half can. The NHS says its 6g daily salt guidance for adults includes salt in food and salt added during cooking or at the table. | I want to judge the beans alongside the sauces and other dishes I’m serving, rather than rely on the words ‘reduced salt’ alone. |
| Tin size and portions | Check the pack weight and declared servings against your recipe. The Sainsbury’s 400g and Tesco 420g tins each state two servings; the Heinz No Added Sugar product considered here is a 200g single-serve tin. | Will the tins cover the number of guests without leaving more opened beans than I expect to use? |
| Ingredients and diets | Read the current can for ingredients, allergens and dietary statements. Tesco and Waitrose identify the reduced-salt products considered here as suitable for vegans; Tesco also warns that product information can change. | Guests may have dietary requirements, so I need to check the exact cans I’ll put on the table. |
Buying pitfalls
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Treating ‘reduced salt’ as the same salt level on every tin
The reduction is relative to a brand’s standard product. Tesco lists 0.29g salt per 100g for its own-label reduced-salt beans, but 0.39g per 100g for the Branston reduced-salt beans it lists.
Compare the per-100g declarations first, then use the portion information for the amount you intend to serve.
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Choosing a single-serve tin without planning the shared dish
The Heinz No Added Sugar tin considered here contains 200g, while the Sainsbury’s and Tesco reduced-salt tins contain 400g and 420g respectively. Pack size changes how many tins you need and how much may be left after serving.
Work from your recipe and guest count, and follow the chosen tin’s instructions for any opened contents.
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Using an online listing for the final allergy check
Ingredients and allergen details can change. Marks & Spencer’s No Added Sugar beans, for example, are marked as unsuitable for people with milk or egg allergy.
Check every physical can you serve and keep its packaging available if guests need to read the information.
Brand and product-line references
These figures describe particular tins and product lines, not every baked-bean product from each brand.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s describes its 400g Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans as containing 30% less salt and sugar than its standard beans.
- The product lists 0.29g salt per 100g and 0.59g per half can.
- The percentage reduction is a comparison with Sainsbury’s standard beans; check the current can for the recipe and serving information.
Tesco
Tesco describes its 420g Reduced Sugar and Salt Baked Beans as containing 25% less salt than its standard beans.
- The product lists 0.29g salt per 100g, two servings and vegan suitability.
- Tesco warns that recipes, nutrition and allergen information can change; use the current can for guest-specific checks.
Waitrose Essential
Waitrose describes its 420g Reduced Salt & Sugar beans as containing 30% less salt and sugar than regular Waitrose Essential beans.
- The product lists 0.30g salt per 100g and is marked suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- The reduction refers to regular Waitrose Essential beans, not to other brands’ products.
Branston
Tesco describes the 410g Branston Reduced Sugar and Salt beans as containing 30% less salt and sugar than standard Branston beans.
- The Tesco product listing gives 0.39g salt per 100g and identifies the beans as suitable for vegetarians.
- Its brand-relative reduction does not mean it matches the 0.29g per 100g listed for the Sainsbury’s and Tesco own-label tins.
Heinz
The Heinz Beanz No Added Sugar single-serve tin listed by Waitrose is a 200g alternative described as having 25% less salt than standard Heinz Beanz.
- It lists 0.40g salt per 100g and is marked suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- Plan how many 200g tins a shared dish would require; do not apply this tin’s nutrition figures to a different Heinz format.
M&S
M&S lists a 390g No Added Sugar Baked Beans product; no reduced-salt comparison is stated for this product.
- Its listing gives 0.43g salt and 1.2g sugars per 100g and marks it suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- M&S marks the product as unsuitable for people with milk or egg allergy. Check the current can before serving.
A Branston multipack on Joybuy
This four-tin Branston option is for planning a shared serving of reduced-salt beans. Its stated salt level is different from the Sainsbury’s and Tesco own-label tins discussed above, so compare the labels if salt per 100g is your deciding factor.
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Branston Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans, 4 × 410g
Four 410g tins let you plan the quantity for a shared dish. Tesco’s listing for the 410g Branston product states 0.39g salt per 100g and describes its salt reduction as 30% relative to standard Branston beans.
Check the current cans for ingredients, allergens and dietary suitability before serving guests.
Questions before serving
Should I compare salt per 100g or per serving?
Use salt per 100g to compare differently sized tins, then check the serving figure against the amount you will put on each plate. Sainsbury’s lists 0.59g salt per half can and Tesco lists 0.60g per half can for the reduced-salt products discussed here.
What does the NHS say about daily salt intake for adults?
The NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, including salt already in food and salt added during cooking or at the table. When planning the meal, consider the beans’ declared serving amount alongside the other dishes and sauces.
Are these reduced-salt beans suitable for vegan or vegetarian guests?
Tesco and Waitrose identify their reduced-salt own-label products discussed here as suitable for vegans; Tesco’s listing identifies the Branston reduced-salt product as suitable for vegetarians. Check the dietary statement and ingredients on the exact cans you serve, as product information can change.
What should I do with beans left after opening a tin?
Follow that tin’s storage instructions. Sainsbury’s and Tesco say to refrigerate their opened reduced-salt beans and use them within two days; do not assume every product has identical wording.
Is a dietary-suitability statement enough for a guest with an allergy?
No. Check the ingredients and allergen wording on each physical can before serving it to a guest with an allergy. A vegetarian or vegan statement does not replace that product-specific check; M&S, for example, marks its No Added Sugar beans as unsuitable for people with milk or egg allergy.