For a lower-calorie cupboard meal, compare ready-to-heat soups in kcal per 100g, then check the calories and salt in the amount you will eat. ASDA Groceries lists its Cream of Tomato Soup at 29 kcal per 100g, while Sainsbury's lists Heinz Chicken Noodle at 32 kcal per 100g; Campbell's lists its condensed Cream of Chicken at 96 kcal per 100g as consumed, but that cooking-oriented product is not a like-for-like ready-to-heat choice. Before buying several tins, check the exact flavour, allergens and instructions for storing any leftovers.
If you plan to keep several ready-to-heat tins in the cupboard, compare flavours on the same per-100g basis before choosing a pack. UK retailer listings put the tomato and vegetable examples discussed here at different calorie figures, even within familiar soup types.
If soup is a regular meal, check salt in the portion you actually eat as well as kcal per 100g. MyHealth London NHS advises adults to have no more than 6g of salt a day and specifically recommends checking serving amounts on pre-prepared foods, including tinned soup.
If you want something to heat and eat, distinguish ordinary tinned soup from condensed soup. Campbell's and Tesco describe Campbell's Cream of Chicken as a product prepared with added liquid or used in recipes; its stated 96 kcal per 100g is for the soup as consumed.
Start with comparable ready-to-heat soups, calculate your intended portion, then check whether the flavour and storage instructions suit repeat meals.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories and preparation | Compare kcal per 100g for ready-to-heat soups. For condensed soup, check what liquid the instructions add and whether nutrition is stated as sold or as consumed. | I want a cupboard meal I can heat and eat, rather than a cooking ingredient mistaken for a comparable serving of soup. |
| Portion and salt | Check servings per can, then calculate kcal and salt for your planned portion. Sainsbury's lists Heinz Chicken Noodle at 0.6g salt per 100g and two servings per 400g can. | A half-can figure may not describe my lunch if I normally eat the whole tin. |
| Leftovers | Read the opened-storage instructions on the exact can. Tesco, for example, says to refrigerate its Cream of Tomato Soup after opening and consume it within four days. | If I eat half a tin at a time, I need a realistic plan for the rest before buying several. |
| Ingredients and suitability | Check the exact flavour's ingredient and allergen label, including any vegetarian statement where relevant. Do not assume that soups from one brand share a recipe. | Everyone eating from the bulk purchase needs a flavour that fits their ingredient or dietary requirements. |
Similar-sounding soups can differ: ASDA Groceries lists its Cream of Tomato at 29 kcal per 100g, while Tesco lists its Cream of Tomato at 58 kcal per 100g.
Compare kcal per 100g on the nutrition panels, then work out the amount for your usual portion.
A half-can serving of Heinz Chicken Noodle contains 1.2g salt according to Sainsbury's product information. MyHealth London NHS advises checking salt per serving for tinned soup.
Compare salt per 100g and for the amount you intend to eat; a whole can is twice a stated half-can serving.
An opened can may leave a second portion to refrigerate and use within the period stated on its label.
Try a flavour in a small quantity first if you are unsure you will use each opened portion in time.
Unused opened portions can turn a cupboard stock-up into food waste.
Campbell's Cream of Chicken is sold as a condensed soup for preparation or cooking. Campbell's states 96 kcal per 100g as consumed, so both its preparation and intended use matter to the comparison.
Choose a condensed product when you want a recipe ingredient; compare ready-to-heat tins with one another when choosing a quick cupboard meal.
These examples help distinguish flavours and formats; a brand or retailer name alone does not establish the nutrition of every soup it offers.
Heinz has several 400g soups with different nutrition figures: Sainsbury's lists Chicken Noodle at 32 kcal per 100g and Carrot & Coriander at 41 kcal per 100g, while ASDA Groceries lists standard Cream of Tomato at 51 kcal per 100g.
ASDA Groceries lists its 400g Cream of Tomato Soup at 29 kcal per 100g and its 400g Chunky Vegetable Soup at 49 kcal per 100g.
M&S Food lists its 400g Chunky Vegetable Soup at 33 kcal and 0.50g salt per 100g.
Tesco Groceries lists its 400g Vegetable Soup at 50 kcal per 100g and its 400g Cream of Tomato Soup at 58 kcal per 100g.
Campbell's describes its 295g Condensed Cream of Chicken as a soup that can also be used in recipes. Its nutrition information states 96 kcal per 100g as consumed.
Sainsbury's is a retailer reference for Heinz soups in this comparison. Its Heinz Carrot & Coriander listing states 41 kcal per 100g and two servings per 400g can.
These are tinned soup options for stocking a cupboard, including a six-can pack and individual 400g flavours. Compare the exact tin's nutrition and storage label before deciding how many to buy.
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The six-can format makes the quantity clear when planning repeat cupboard meals. Check the nutrition and allergen label for the portion you expect to eat, and plan how you will use any opened tin.
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For a non-tomato cupboard meal, Sainsbury's lists this exact soup at 32 kcal and 0.6g salt per 100g, with two servings per can. Check whether you will eat half or all of the tin, and check the label for wheat, egg and celery-related ingredients before buying multiples.
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This parsnip and carrot flavour offers a different choice for repeat meals. Check calories and salt for your portion on the exact tin, along with allergens and instructions for any leftovers.
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If this chicken-and-mushroom flavour suits your meals, compare its per-100g figures with the other tins before stocking up. Check the serving shown on the label against the amount you would actually eat.
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For a mushroom-flavour cupboard meal, compare calories and salt on the exact 400g tin with the other flavours you are considering. Check its ingredient label if vegetarian suitability or allergens affect your choice.
Compare ready-to-heat soups in kcal per 100g, then calculate the amount in the portion you will eat. ASDA Groceries lists its Cream of Tomato at 29 kcal per 100g, while M&S Food lists its Chunky Vegetable at 33 kcal per 100g; those figures describe the products and quantities stated, not every tomato or vegetable soup.
Not always. Sainsbury's lists two servings in the 400g Heinz Chicken Noodle can, so eating the whole can means consuming twice its half-can serving amounts. Check each flavour's label rather than assuming its suggested serving matches your meal.
Calories and salt answer different questions about the same portion. MyHealth London NHS advises adults to have no more than 6g salt a day and recommends checking salt per serving on pre-prepared foods such as tinned soup; compare both the per-100g figure and the amount you intend to eat.
Follow the storage and use-within instructions on that exact product. For example, Tesco says to refrigerate its Cream of Tomato Soup after opening and consume it within four days. If you normally eat half a can, consider whether you will use the remainder within the stated period before buying several tins.
Not for a like-for-like cupboard-meal comparison. Tesco's instructions for Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken call for adding liquid, and Campbell's states its 96 kcal per 100g figure as consumed. Check the preparation and nutrition basis if you want it for cooking rather than a soup to heat and eat as sold.