Shoppers comparing calories per can
If you expect to eat a whole can for lunch, compare whole-can figures rather than treating each retailer’s stated serving as the same quantity.
Who needs to check what?
Shoppers checking salt or allergens
Read the salt and ingredient information for the exact soup you order, and check it again if your online grocery order includes a substitute.
Shoppers using dietary filters
Retailer ranges and vegetarian or vegan filters can help narrow a search, but check the nutrition and ingredients of the individual can before ordering.
What matters when comparing soups?
Start with the portion you will eat, then compare salt and ingredients before deciding whether a substitute still meets your needs.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories and portion | Compare kcal per 100g and per intended portion. Check whether a displayed serving is half a can; for condensed soup, account for what you add. | If I plan to eat the whole can, its whole-can figure matters more to me than a smaller labelled serving. |
| Salt | Compare salt per 100g and for the amount you will eat. A low-fat label does not state the soup’s salt content. | I want to consider salt alongside calories, especially when comparing cans of different sizes. |
| Ingredients | Read the exact variant’s allergen and dietary information. Check the delivered label, particularly when a recipe or product changes. | If I avoid particular ingredients or need a vegetarian option, a similar soup name is not enough to establish suitability. |
| Substitutions | Compare a replacement’s pack size, nutrition and ingredients with the soup ordered. Check the retailer’s process if you do not want it. | I want to decide whether a substitute still works for my planned portion before keeping it. |
What can make a comparison misleading?
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Comparing a half-can figure with a whole can
Tesco Groceries lists 61 kcal for half a 400g can of its Low Fat Tomato Soup; ASDA Groceries lists 76 kcal for a whole 295g can of Weight Watchers from Heinz Tomato Soup. Those displayed figures describe different amounts.
Compare the same quantity, or use the calories for the portion you expect to eat. Tesco’s half-can figure gives 122 kcal for a whole can.
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Reading low fat as low salt
ASDA Groceries lists 1.7g salt per can for Weight Watchers from Heinz Tomato Soup, while Tesco Groceries lists 1.8g per can for WW Carrot & Lentil Soup.
Check the salt figure for your intended portion separately from its calories or low-fat label.
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Accepting a substitute because the flavour looks similar
A replacement soup can have a different can size, nutrition panel or ingredients, changing the comparison you made when ordering.
Check the replacement before keeping it. ASDA’s Help Centre says unwanted grocery substitutes can be handed back to the delivery driver; use the applicable retailer’s process for your order.
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Comparing condensed soup as if it were ready to heat
Sainsbury’s lists Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup at 90 kcal per 100g as sold. Its instructions call for dilution with water, or optionally milk or a milk substitute, which changes the prepared soup.
Follow the preparation instructions and include any additions when comparing the portion you will actually eat.
Brand and retailer references
Heinz / Weight Watchers from Heinz
The 295g Tomato Soup is an option when whole-can calories are the main comparison.
- ASDA Groceries lists 76 kcal per can and labels this variant low fat and suitable for vegetarians.
- The same can contains 1.7g salt; check its milk ingredient if that affects your choice.
WW
Its 295g Carrot & Lentil Soup offers a different flavour within the three-soup whole-can comparison.
- Tesco Groceries lists 87 kcal, 2.1g fibre and 3.8g protein per can for this variant.
- It also lists 1.8g salt per can; check the ingredient declaration for wheat, barley and celery.
Tesco
Tesco lists a low-fat tinned-soup category that includes its 400g Low Fat Tomato Soup.
- Tesco Groceries lists 31 kcal and 0.35g salt per 100g for that tomato soup.
- Its displayed serving is half a can. Check the full-can amount and the delivered label when comparing products.
Campbell’s
The condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup suits a different preparation choice from a ready-to-heat can.
- Sainsbury’s lists 90 kcal per 100g as sold and instructions for dilution with water or, optionally, milk or a milk substitute.
- Include the amount eaten and any additions before comparing it with a ready-to-heat soup.
M&S
Its tinned-soup selection includes Eat Well products and vegetarian and vegan filters.
- The M&S range offers filters that can narrow a search by dietary preference.
- Check each product’s own calorie figure and ingredients rather than treating a range marker as a nutrition comparison.
Asda
Asda lists Weight Watchers from Heinz Tomato Soup with per-can nutrition information for an online order.
- Its product information lists calories and salt for the whole 295g can.
- For an unwanted grocery substitute, Asda’s Help Centre says customers can hand it back to the delivery driver; check the process applicable to your order.
Joybuy soup options
For a smaller canned-soup portion, this Joybuy option can be assessed by its whole-can label alongside the online grocery soups discussed above.
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Itoen Special Rich Corn Potage Soup, 185g
For a smaller canned-soup portion, compare nutrition for the whole 185g can rather than a different product’s half-can serving. The product information lists milk and chicken bouillon flavouring. Its stated sugar and carbohydrate figures conflict, so confirm the energy and salt values on the can before relying on a nutrition comparison; do not assume it is suitable for vegetarians.
Questions about ordering tinned soup
How do I compare a half-can serving with a whole can?
Compare the calories for the amount you expect to eat. Tesco Groceries lists 61 kcal for half a 400g can of Tesco Low Fat Tomato Soup, or 122 kcal for the full can; ASDA Groceries lists 76 kcal for a whole 295g can of Weight Watchers from Heinz Tomato Soup.
Does a lower-calorie tinned soup necessarily contain less salt?
No. ASDA Groceries lists 76 kcal and 1.7g salt per can for Weight Watchers from Heinz Tomato Soup, while Tesco Groceries lists 87 kcal and 1.8g salt per can for WW Carrot & Lentil Soup. Compare both figures for the portion you intend to eat.
What if my online grocery order includes a different soup?
Check the substitute’s can size, nutrition and ingredients before keeping it. For Asda grocery deliveries, its Help Centre says unwanted substitutes can be handed back to the driver; check your retailer’s applicable process for other orders.
Can I compare condensed soup directly with ready-to-heat soup?
Compare the prepared amount rather than assuming the products are equivalent. Sainsbury’s lists Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup per 100g as sold, and its instructions call for water or, optionally, milk or a milk substitute to be added.
Should I check the can after ordering online?
Yes. Read the delivered can’s nutrition and ingredients, especially if you receive a substitute or need to avoid an allergen; product information and recipes can change.