Who is this for?

Parents cooking a shared family meal

If a baby starting solids may have some of a tomato-based meal, a plain tin lets you set aside a portion before adding salt to adult servings. The NHS says not to add salt to a baby’s food or cooking water.

Parents planning quick cupboard meals

For sauces, soups or stews, choose a tin size that fits the amount you cook and check its instructions for storing any leftovers.

Shoppers choosing between plain and flavoured tins

Compare the salt line on each variant. The cited plain, herb and chilli products have different per-100g declarations, even where the products come from the same retailer.

What should you check?

Start with the exact tin’s salt declaration and ingredients, then choose a format you can use within its storage instructions.

Priority What to check Your needs
Salt in a shared meal Compare salt per 100g on the exact pack, then check the other ingredients in the finished meal. The NHS says not to add salt to a baby’s food or cooking water. I want a plain base so I can set aside the baby’s portion before seasoning adult servings.
Plain or flavoured Read both the ingredients and salt declaration. Tesco Groceries lists less than 0.01g salt per 100g for its cited plain 227g tin and 0.08g for its cited chilli variant; ASDA Groceries lists 0.01g for its cited plain tin and 0.10g for its herb variant. For a meal I will season myself, plain tomatoes give me control over what goes into each portion. A flavoured tin calls for its own label check.
Tin size and leftovers Match the tin or multipack to your recipes. Check the exact product’s instructions for transferring, refrigerating and using opened contents. A smaller tin suits the amount I usually cook; a larger tin works when I have a plan for the remainder.

Common buying mistakes

  • Assuming all tinned tomatoes have the same salt level

    The cited product declarations differ. Tesco Groceries lists less than 0.01g salt per 100g for its plain chopped tomatoes, while Pacco Italiano lists 0.3g per 100g for the cited Mutti Polpa product.

    Compare the salt line per 100g on the exact tin. If a baby may share the meal, also consider the ingredients added during cooking.

  • Choosing a flavoured tin without checking it

    In the cited retailer listings, Tesco’s chilli variant declares 0.08g salt per 100g against less than 0.01g for its plain tin; ASDA’s herb variant declares 0.10g against 0.01g for its plain tin.

    For a shared meal, consider starting with plain tomatoes and adding flavour after setting aside the baby’s portion.

  • Opening more tomatoes than the recipe needs

    An unfinished tin needs to be stored according to that product’s instructions, which can include transferring the contents to a covered non-metallic container and refrigerating them.

    Choose a tin size that fits your usual recipe, and follow the pack’s use-within instruction for leftovers.

Brand and product references

These examples show why the exact product label matters; a figure for one tin should not be applied to every product from the brand.

Tesco

Tesco Italian Chopped Tomatoes 227g is a small plain-tomato tin.

  • Tesco Groceries lists less than 0.01g salt per 100g for this product.
  • The 227g size may be less convenient for a recipe that uses a larger quantity; check the current pack label.

ASDA

The cited ASDA chopped-tomato products include plain and herb-flavoured 400g tins.

  • ASDA Groceries lists 0.01g salt per 100g for the cited plain tin.
  • Its cited herb variant lists 0.10g per 100g and includes sugar, herbs and flavourings; check which variant you are buying.

M&S

M&S Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes is a 400g organic plain-tomato option in the cited Ocado listing.

  • Ocado lists 0.02g salt per 100g for this product.
  • Organic is a separate choice from salt content: the cited non-organic plain tins also have low declared figures.

Mr Organic

The cited Mr Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes come as four 400g tins.

  • Ocado describes this product as having no added salt and lists 0.03g salt per 100g.
  • A four-tin pack calls for more cupboard space than a single tin.

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's Chopped Tomatoes 227g is another small plain-tomato tin.

  • Sainsbury's lists tomatoes, concentrated tomato juice and citric acid for this product.
  • Its declared 0.07g salt per 100g is higher than the figures in the cited Tesco, ASDA, M&S and Mr Organic plain-product listings.

Mutti

The cited Mutti Polpa is finely chopped tomato pulp; check that product separately from Mutti peeled tomatoes.

  • The finely chopped format may suit a recipe where that texture is wanted.
  • Pacco Italiano lists salt among the cited Polpa product’s ingredients and declares 0.3g salt per 100g.

Napolina

The cited Napolina listing is for a four-pack of 400g chopped-tomato tins.

  • Sainsbury's lists tomatoes and citric acid among the ingredients of the cited pack.
  • Its listing gives salt only as less than 0.5g per 100g, so check the current pack for a more useful comparison with other tins.

Joybuy tomato options

These are plain peeled or chopped tomato options for cooking and seasoning your own meal. They differ in texture and pack quantity; compare the current salt declaration on each pack if a baby may share the food.

Mutti Peeled Tomatoes 400g

Mutti Peeled Tomatoes 400g

A single tin for a tomato-based meal. These are peeled rather than chopped tomatoes, so check whether that format suits your recipe and compare the current salt declaration before using them in a shared meal.

View at Joybuy
Laila Canned Chopped Tomatoes 12 x 400g

Laila Chopped Tomatoes 12 x 400g

The 12-tin pack suits a household that regularly cooks with chopped tomatoes; consider whether you will use that quantity. Check the salt declaration and storage directions on the current pack.

View at Joybuy
Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 4 x 400g

Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 4 x 400g

Four tins provide chopped tomatoes for several meals. If salt is the deciding factor, read the exact pack’s per-100g declaration rather than assuming it matches another plain tin; follow its instructions after opening.

View at Joybuy
Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 6 x 400g

Napolina Chopped Tomatoes 6 x 400g

The six-tin pack is a larger cupboard quantity than the four-tin option. Choose it according to how often you cook with chopped tomatoes, and check the current salt label and opened-tin instructions.

View at Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Can a baby have a meal made with tinned tomatoes?

Canned vegetables can be part of the variety of foods introduced from around 6 months, according to the NHS. For a meal a baby may share, the NHS advises not adding salt to the baby’s food or cooking water; set aside their portion before seasoning adult servings.

Does a plain tomato tin always have less salt than a flavoured one?

Do not assume so: compare the exact products per 100g. In the cited Tesco Groceries listings, the plain tin declares less than 0.01g salt per 100g and the chilli variant 0.08g; ASDA Groceries lists 0.01g for its cited plain tin and 0.10g for its herb variant. Check the other ingredients in the finished meal too.

Should I choose a 227g or 400g tin?

Choose the size that fits what you usually cook. A 227g tin may leave less unused tomato after a small recipe; a 400g tin suits a larger batch or a plan to use the remainder within the product’s stated storage period.

How should I store leftover tinned tomatoes?

Follow the instructions on the exact tin. The cited Tesco chilli-tomato listing says to transfer unused contents to a non-metallic container, cover and refrigerate them, then use them within 2 days; do not apply that period to every product.