Who is this choice for?

The useful comparison depends on whether you mean no sugar added as an ingredient, less total sugar on the label, or a soup that fits your camp setup.

Campers avoiding added sugar in tomato soup

Check the ingredients as well as the front of the can. A no-added-sugar tomato soup can still show sugars on its nutrition panel and may contain a sweetener.

Campers comparing total sugars

Start with sugars per 100g for ready-to-heat soups, then look at the amount in the portion you expect to eat. A half-can serving and a full can are different amounts of soup.

Campers planning around dietary needs and equipment

Read the exact can for allergens and vegetarian suitability. Check whether it needs dilution, what container the heating instructions require and whether you have a suitable outdoor cooking setup.

What should you check on the can?

Compare the nutrition panel first, then use the ingredients, portion size and preparation instructions to decide whether the soup works for your trip.

Priority What to check Your needs
Total sugars Compare sugars per 100g on ready-to-heat soups. Check the portion figure, or how much of the can you plan to eat. Sainsbury's lists 2.6g per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar Cream of Tomato Soup; ASDA Groceries lists 2.6g for ASDA Cream of Tomato Soup. I want to compare the amount of sugar in the soup I will actually eat, rather than rely on the claim on the front.
Added ingredients Read the ingredients for sugar and sweeteners. The Heinz and ASDA no-added-sugar tomato soups contain steviol glycosides and still list total sugars, according to Sainsbury's and ASDA Groceries. Avoiding sugar added as an ingredient matters to me, but I do not expect “no added sugar” to mean sugar-free.
Salt Compare salt per 100g alongside sugars, then consider your portion. Sainsbury's lists 0.4g salt per 100g for Heinz No Added Sugar Cream of Tomato Soup; ASDA Groceries lists 0.45g for its Cream of Tomato Soup. If I might eat the whole can, I want to check the salt figure as well as the sugar figure.
Preparation Check whether the soup is ready to heat or must be diluted, and follow the can's heating instructions. Campbell's Soup UK describes its Cream of Mushroom as condensed; ASDA Groceries directs shoppers to empty its tomato soup into a saucepan or microwaveable container. With limited water and washing-up space, I need a format I can prepare using the equipment I am taking.
Allergens Read the allergen statement on the exact can. The Heinz and ASDA tomato examples contain milk; Campbell's Soup UK lists wheat and milk in its condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. Before packing food for a group, I need to know whether everyone can have that particular soup.

Camping soup mistakes to avoid

  • Reading “no added sugar” as “sugar-free”

    Sainsbury's and ASDA Groceries each list 2.6g total sugars per 100g for their respective no-added-sugar tomato soups.

    Compare the total-sugars figure per 100g, then read the ingredients to distinguish added sugar from sweeteners and sugars present in the soup.

  • Checking sugar but overlooking salt

    A lower sugar figure does not settle the salt comparison. The NHS describes 0.3g salt or less per 100g as low; the Heinz and ASDA no-added-sugar tomato examples list 0.4g and 0.45g respectively.

    Put the two figures side by side and consider how much of the can you expect to eat.

  • Packing condensed soup without planning its preparation

    Campbell's condensed Cream of Mushroom is a soup base that needs dilution and heating, unlike a ready-to-heat tomato soup.

    Read its dilution directions before packing a pan and the liquid needed to prepare it.

    Dilution adds liquid to carry or obtain at camp.

  • Heating soup inside a tent or awning

    Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service warns that stoves and BBQs in enclosed camping spaces pose fire and carbon-monoxide dangers.

    Use a stove outside, well away from the tent; do not use one inside a tent, caravan, awning or entrance.

Brands and product lines to compare

These product examples help you read the label for a particular can; their figures do not describe every soup made by the brand.

Heinz

Its Cream of Tomato soups include standard and No Added Sugar 400g variants.

  • Sainsbury's lists 2.6g sugars and 0.4g salt per 100g for the No Added Sugar variant, versus 4.8g sugars and 0.5g salt for the standard variant.
  • Both tomato variants contain milk; the No Added Sugar variant contains steviol glycosides.

Campbell's

Its condensed soups offer a different format from a ready-to-heat tomato soup.

  • Campbell's Soup UK lists 0.7g sugars per 100g as consumed for Cream of Mushroom.
  • That mushroom soup needs dilution and contains wheat and milk; Campbell's lists 0.96g salt per 100g as consumed.

ASDA

ASDA Cream of Tomato Soup is a 400g no-added-sugar, ready-to-heat tomato option.

  • ASDA Groceries lists 2.6g sugars and 0.45g salt per 100g for this product.
  • It contains milk and steviol glycosides; its instructions call for heating the contents in a saucepan or microwaveable container.

Tesco

Tesco Low Fat Tomato Soup is another 400g tomato soup to compare by its nutrition panel.

  • Tesco Groceries lists 3.9g sugars and 0.35g salt per 100g.
  • Sugar appears in its ingredients: the “Low Fat” name is not a no-added-sugar claim.

Sainsbury's

Its own-label Cream of Tomato Soup is a ready-to-heat 400g option.

  • Sainsbury's lists 5.7g sugars and 0.44g salt per 100g for this soup.
  • The ingredients include sugar and milk; its preparation directions say to empty the soup into a saucepan.

M&S

M&S Cream of Tomato Soup provides another own-label tomato example.

  • Marks & Spencer lists 5.9g sugars and 0.45g salt per 100g for this product.
  • It contains milk ingredients and added sugar. M&S advises checking the can because product information can change.

A Joybuy option for a non-tomato camp meal

This 400g canned sausage-and-vegetable soup offers a non-tomato meal to consider alongside the tomato soups above. Check its ingredients if avoiding added sugar is your reason for choosing soup.

Heinz Big Soup Sausage & Vegetable 400g can

Heinz Big Soup Sausage & Vegetable 400g

This canned soup is a non-tomato choice for a camping meal. The listing gives 3g sugars and 0.6g salt per 100g and says to store it in a cool, dry place. Its ingredients include sugar and glucose syrup, as well as pork sausage and wheat, so it does not fit a no-added-sugar or vegetarian choice. Check the can's heating instructions and your planned portion before packing it.

View on Joybuy

Questions about soup at camp

Does “no added sugar” mean a soup has no sugar?

No. Total sugars can still appear on the nutrition panel even when sugar has not been added as an ingredient. Sainsbury's and ASDA Groceries each list 2.6g total sugars per 100g for their respective no-added-sugar tomato soups.

How do I compare the sugar figures on two tins?

Compare total sugars per 100g for soups prepared in the same way, then check the amount you expect to eat. The NHS says food labels give values per 100g and may also give values per portion; it describes 5g sugars or less per 100g as low.

Can I heat soup in its can over a camping stove?

Follow the instructions on the exact can rather than assuming it can be heated directly. The ASDA, Tesco and Sainsbury's tomato-soup instructions reviewed here direct you to empty the contents into a saucepan or suitable container before heating.

Can I use a stove inside a tent or awning?

No. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service advises against using stoves or BBQs inside tents, caravans, awnings or entrances because of fire and carbon-monoxide danger. Heat soup outside, well away from the tent.

Is cream of tomato soup suitable for someone avoiding dairy?

Do not assume it is. The Heinz and ASDA tomato soups discussed here contain milk, as do the Sainsbury's and M&S examples. Check the ingredient and allergen statement on the particular can before packing it.