Desk workers comparing lunch portions
If you want a warm lunch that is straightforward to prepare, check the tin size and stated servings against the amount you expect to eat.
Who is this for?
Shoppers eating soup as their main lunch
If soup is the main part of your lunch, compare smooth, chunky and bean-based recipes, along with their labelled protein and fibre per serving.
Allergen- and label-conscious shoppers
Check the ingredients and highlighted allergens on the exact recipe you choose. The examples here include soups containing milk, and others containing egg, wheat or celery.
What should you check?
Start with the portion you will eat, then check whether the preparation and storage directions work for your desk lunch.
| Priority | What to check | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Check the tin weight and stated servings. Read nutrition figures on the same per-serving or per-100g basis. | I might eat the whole tin at lunch, even if its label describes two servings. |
| Preparation | Read the exact pack’s microwave directions, including the container, cover, stirring and heating instructions. | At work, I need to know whether I can follow the directions with the microwave and bowl available. |
| Recipe and label | Compare ingredients, highlighted allergens and labelled salt, protein and fibre for the portion you intend to eat. | A smooth tomato soup and a bean-based soup are different lunch choices; I want the recipe and label to suit my preferences. |
| Leftovers | Check whether the pack calls for transfer to another container, refrigeration and use within a stated period after opening. | If I eat half a tin, I need somewhere suitable to keep the rest. |
Common buying mistakes
-
Assuming a 400g tin is one labelled serving
ASDA, Tesco, M&S and Sainsbury's examples are stated or suggested as two servings. Half-can nutrition figures describe half the tin, not the whole lunch if you eat it all.
Decide how much you will eat and use the corresponding amount when reading the nutrition label.
-
Assuming similar soups have the same allergens
Heinz Cream of Tomato contains milk, while the listed Heinz Minestrone contains egg, wheat and celery, according to ASDA Groceries’ product information.
Read the ingredients and allergen statement on the exact flavour and pack you buy.
-
Heating or keeping soup in the can
The microwave directions for the listed soups call for a suitable bowl or container. Leftover-storage instructions can differ between products.
Use the container and heating steps specified on your tin. If you keep a second portion, follow that pack’s transfer, refrigeration and opened-storage directions.
Relevant brands
Heinz
The listed Heinz recipes include cream of tomato and minestrone, as well as a 4 x 400g cream-of-tomato pack.
- The multipack offers several tins of the same recipe.
- Allergens differ by recipe: the listed cream-of-tomato soup contains milk, while minestrone contains egg, wheat and celery.
Campbell's
Campbell's Condensed Cream of Tomato Soup is a condensed option that the brand also describes for cooking.
- The brand lists its nutrition information as consumed.
- It contains milk and celery; follow its preparation directions rather than treating the condensed format as equivalent to a ready-to-heat 400g tin.
Tesco
Tesco Cream of Tomato Soup is a 400g own-label smooth soup.
- Tesco Groceries lists salt as 1.12g per half-can, giving a labelled basis for portion checks.
- The recipe contains milk; check the tin’s current label before buying.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's Tomato & Three Bean Soup is a 400g tomato, lentil and bean recipe rather than a smooth cream-of-tomato soup.
- Sainsbury's lists 6.8g protein and 4.4g fibre per half-can.
- Check its stated two-serving basis when deciding how much of the tin to eat.
ASDA
ASDA Cream of Tomato Soup is a 400g own-label option suggested as two servings.
- Its stated serving count helps when planning a half-tin lunch.
- It contains milk; use this product’s own heating and storage directions.
M&S
M&S Cream of Tomato Soup is a 400g option listed through Ocado.
- Ocado lists it as microwaveable and serving two.
- It contains milk; check its pack directions if you plan to keep a second portion.
Tinned soups on Joybuy
These 400g soup options offer different recipes for a warm lunch. Check each pack’s preparation, portion and allergen information against what you need at work.
Image unavailable
Heinz Cream of Mushroom Soup 400g
A mushroom soup option for a warm desk lunch. Check the pack’s portion and microwave directions, and its milk and wheat allergen information.
Image unavailable
Heinz Scotch Broth Soup 400g
A broth-style option if you prefer that recipe to a smooth soup. Check how much you intend to eat, follow the pack’s heating directions and read its barley and wheat allergen information.
Image unavailable
Heinz Big Soup Steak & Potato 400g
A steak-and-potato recipe for shoppers who prefer that style of soup. Check the exact pack’s serving and heating directions before planning to prepare it at work.
Image unavailable
Suma Organic Tuscan Bean Soup 400g
A bean soup alternative to the smooth tomato options. Check the pack’s serving and heating directions for your workplace, and read its celery allergen information.
Image unavailable
Crosse & Blackwell Best of British Spicy Parsnip & Carrot Soup 400g
A parsnip-and-carrot recipe if you want a different vegetable soup for lunch. Check the pack’s heating, portion and opened-storage directions, along with its celery, milk and wheat allergen information.
Questions about desk-lunch soup
Can I microwave tinned soup in its can at work?
Follow the exact pack rather than heating it in the can. The listed ASDA, Tesco, Heinz and Sainsbury's microwave directions call for transferring soup to a microwaveable bowl or container, covering and stirring it as directed, then ensuring it is piping hot.
Is a 400g tin one desk lunch?
Not necessarily: the listed ASDA, Tesco, M&S and Sainsbury's 400g soups state or suggest two servings. If you plan to eat the whole tin, read half-can nutrition figures as applying to only half your lunch.
Which allergens should I check in soup?
Check the ingredients and highlighted allergens on the exact tin. The listed Heinz Cream of Tomato contains milk, Heinz Minestrone contains egg, wheat and celery, and Campbell's condensed tomato contains milk and celery; those examples do not establish the ingredients of other recipes.
What should I do with soup left after lunch?
Follow the storage directions on your chosen tin. The listed products direct you to transfer leftovers from the can to a suitable container and refrigerate them; their stated periods for using opened soup differ, so check the exact pack before planning a second portion.