For a smaller chicken-soup portion, Tesco lists Heinz Weight Watchers Chicken Soup at 92 kcal per 295 g can. Heinz Lentil Soup is labelled suitable for vegetarians and provides 182 kcal and 2.4 g salt per 400 g can, based on its half-can label figures. Whichever soup you consider, compare the amount the child will eat and check how the school permits hot food to be served.
Check the calories in the portion you intend to pack, then confirm how the soup can be served at school. Tesco lists Heinz Weight Watchers Chicken Soup at 92 kcal for its 295 g can; that figure alone does not settle the portion or serving decision.
Look for an explicit vegetarian statement and read the nutrition and allergen information for the intended portion. Tesco labels Heinz Lentil Soup suitable for vegetarians and lists 91 kcal and 1.2 g salt per half can.
Tesco lists 400 g Low Fat Tomato and Low Fat Lentil & Vegetable soups. Check each tin’s calorie and salt declarations before comparing it with another product or deciding how much to pack.
Start with the portion the child will eat, then check salt, ingredients and the school-day serving arrangement.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion and calories | Compare kcal per 100 g on a like-for-like basis. Also calculate the kcal in the amount going into the lunch: a half-can figure is not a full-can figure. | Will a smaller tin provide the portion I plan to pack? Tesco lists 92 kcal per 295 g can for Heinz Weight Watchers Chicken Soup, while its half-can figure for Heinz Lentil Soup works out to 182 kcal per 400 g can. |
| Salt | Read salt per 100 g and for the intended portion. Tesco lists 1.2 g salt per half can of Heinz Lentil Soup, or 2.4 g if the full 400 g can is used. | If I pack the whole tin, I want to compare its whole-tin salt figure alongside its calories, rather than treating a low-fat description as a salt measure. |
| Ingredients | Check the current tin for an explicit vegetarian statement where needed, plus its ingredients and allergen declaration. Do not rely on the soup’s flavour name alone. | Does this exact recipe fit the child’s dietary requirements? Tesco labels Heinz Lentil Soup suitable for vegetarians, but that statement does not answer separate allergen questions. |
| Serving at school | Check the school’s packed-lunch rules for hot food and containers. Follow the product’s preparation instructions and plan how the prepared soup will be carried and served. | I need the child to be able to eat the soup as intended at lunchtime, not just a tin that looks suitable on the shelf. |
Calories, fat and salt are different label measures. In its February 2026 analysis of 481 ready-to-eat soups sold by major UK retailers, Action on Salt & Sugar reported that 23% exceeded UK salt reduction targets.
Read the salt declaration for the portion being packed. Tesco lists 1.2 g per half can of Heinz Lentil Soup, which becomes 2.4 g for the full can.
A 295 g can and a 400 g can contain different amounts of soup. A half-can calorie figure also describes only half of that product’s tin.
Use the per-100-g figures to compare products on the same weight basis, then work out calories and salt for the amount the child will eat.
A suitable tin does not establish whether the child can bring or serve hot soup at school. The Department for Education’s school-food guidance concerns food provided in state-funded schools in England; it does not establish an acceptance rule for every home-packed lunch.
Ask the school about its packed-lunch and hot-food-container rules before making soup a regular choice.
A suitable food flask may be needed if there is no permitted way to heat the soup at school.
A vegetarian statement does not establish whether a recipe is suitable for someone with a particular allergy.
Check the current ingredients and allergen declaration on the exact tin, especially if the recipe or pack has changed.
The Tesco listings for Heinz Weight Watchers Chicken Soup and Heinz Lentil Soup give figures that can be compared for a planned portion.
Tesco lists Low Fat Tomato and Low Fat Lentil & Vegetable soups in 400 g tins.
The M&S tinned-soup range lists several 400 g recipes, including Eat Well-labelled chunky vegetable, minestrone, and spiced lentil and tomato soups.
These 400 g soups have stated energy and salt figures for comparing a planned school-lunch portion. Check the child’s dietary needs and the school’s hot-food arrangements before choosing either one.
Image unavailable
This 400 g soup is labelled suitable for vegetarians, making it an option to check when planning a vegetarian packed lunch.
The stated figures are 53 kcal and 0.6 g salt per 100 g, equivalent to 212 kcal and 2.4 g salt for the full tin. The ingredient information lists milk and wheat; check the current allergen statement and the portion the child will eat.
Image unavailable
The stated energy and salt figures for this 400 g soup allow you to calculate the amount in a planned packed-lunch portion.
Its figures are 49 kcal and 0.50 g salt per 100 g, equivalent to 196 kcal and 2.0 g salt for the full tin. The ingredients list milk, wheat and celery. Check the current allergen statement; do not assume vegetarian suitability from the recipe name.
The calorie figure alone cannot decide that. Tesco lists Heinz Weight Watchers Chicken Soup at 92 kcal per 295 g can; consider whether that is the portion you intend to pack, what else will be in the lunch and whether the school can accommodate hot soup.
Use kcal per 100 g to compare equal weights of soup, then use the amount the child will eat to assess the packed portion. A half-can figure must be doubled only if the full tin is being used.
Not necessarily: calories and salt are separate label figures. Tesco lists Heinz Lentil Soup at 91 kcal and 1.2 g salt per half can, so check both figures for the portion being packed.
The Department for Education’s guidance addresses food and drink provided in state-funded schools in England; it does not establish that every school accepts home-packed hot soup. Check the individual school’s packed-lunch and hot-food-container rules.
Follow the tin’s preparation instructions and confirm the school’s arrangements for hot food before packing it. For foods in a lunchbox that need chilling, Safefood advises keeping them as cold as possible and using an insulated bag where appropriate; check the food-flask instructions separately if you plan to send hot soup.