Home cooks making one recipe
A 400g tin gives you a defined amount of tomato base. Compare its per-100g nutrition with other tins, then consider the oil, cheese, cream or meat you plan to add.
Who is choosing a single tin?
People following a prescribed fat limit
If a clinician has given you a strict daily limit, check the tin’s nutrition against your individual plan and account for the other ingredients in the meal. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s minimal-fat guidance is written for people advised to consume no more than 20g of fat a day; its food-level definitions do not replace individual advice.
Cooks choosing a sauce texture
The tomato format matters as well as the nutrition panel. Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky for thick sauces, while Mutti describes its finely chopped Polpa as suited to longer cooking. Those are the brands’ descriptions, not results from a texture test.
What should you compare?
Start with the fat value on a like-for-like per-100g basis, then choose the salt level, texture and pack format that fit your recipe.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | Compare total fat and saturates per 100g on the current tin. The NHS recommends per-100g label comparisons when choosing foods with less saturated fat; check other sauce ingredients separately. | I’m using one tin as a base and want to know how much fat it contributes before adding anything else. |
| Salt content | Compare the salt line for equivalent plain products. Tesco lists less than 0.01g per 100g for Everyday Value chopped tomatoes and 0.07g for Grower’s Harvest; Napolina lists 0.10g for its chopped tomatoes. | If the fat values are close, I’d also like to compare salt without assuming the tins have the same recipe. |
| Tomato texture | Check whether the tin contains chopped, finely chopped or whole peeled tomatoes. Napolina describes its chopped format as chunky; Mutti positions Polpa for longer cooking. | For a sauce with visible pieces, I might choose chopped tomatoes; for another recipe, I may prefer a finer or whole-tomato base. |
| One-tin format | Confirm the net quantity and whether the listing is for one can or a multipack. A pack described as 4 × 400g is not a single 400g purchase. | One can is enough for this recipe, so the number of cans matters as much as the weight printed for each one. |
| Leftovers | Read the tin’s instructions for storage after opening. Tesco Everyday Value says to transfer unused tomatoes to a covered, non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within two days. | If I won’t use all 400g at once, I need to know how the particular product says to store the rest. |
What can catch you out?
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Treating every tomato-based product like a plain tin
A plain tomato base and a prepared cooking sauce can have different ingredients. The fat in a finished dish also depends on additions such as oil, cheese, cream and meat.
Check the ingredients and nutrition on the product you are buying, then account for what goes into the recipe.
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Choosing by brand instead of the nutrition panel
Tesco and Napolina list similarly small fat values for the plain chopped tomatoes considered here, but their stated salt values differ. Tesco also cautions that food information can change when products are reformulated.
Compare fat, saturates and salt per 100g on the current can, particularly when deciding between otherwise similar tins.
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Mistaking a multipack for one tin
A 4 × 400g listing describes four cans, even though each can weighs 400g.
Check both the can size and the number of cans before selecting the product.
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Leaving unused tomatoes in the opened can
Tesco Everyday Value’s instructions call for unused contents to be transferred to a covered, non-metallic container and refrigerated.
Follow the storage and use-after-opening directions on the specific tin you buy.
Relevant brand references
These product-line examples help with label and texture comparisons; they do not describe every tin made by each brand.
Tesco
Tesco’s listings for Everyday Value and Grower’s Harvest 400g chopped tomatoes provide per-100g figures for comparing plain tins.
- Both listings state 0.1g fat and less than 0.1g saturates per 100g.
- Their listed salt values differ: less than 0.01g and 0.07g per 100g respectively. Tesco advises checking the current product label because food information can change.
Napolina
Napolina offers chopped tomatoes in a 400g single-can format as well as a multipack; the brand describes the chopped texture as chunky.
- Its chopped-tomato information lists 0.2g fat, 0.0g saturates and 0.10g salt per 100g.
- Check whether a particular listing is for one 400g can or several before ordering.
Mutti
Mutti describes Polpa as a finely chopped tomato-pulp format suited to longer cooking.
- Mutti’s Polpa information lists tomato and salt as ingredients, with 0.2g fat per 100g.
- Its listed salt value is 0.30g per 100g. Polpa is a different format from whole peeled tomatoes, so compare the specific product you intend to use.
Single-tin options on Joybuy
These 400g options offer a choice between whole peeled tomatoes, which you can break up for a sauce, and a chopped-tomato base. Check each current label for the nutrition detail your diet or recipe requires.
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Mutti Peeled Tomatoes 400g
Consider this single 400g tin if you want whole peeled tomatoes that you can break up for your recipe, rather than ready-chopped pieces. Check the current can for the precise nutrition values and storage instructions you need.
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KTC Chopped Tomatoes 400g
Choose the chopped format if you want tomato pieces ready to add to a one-tin recipe. Check the current can for its per-100g nutrition and instructions for any unused contents.
Questions about choosing and using a tin
Can plain tinned tomatoes fit a prescribed very-low-fat diet?
The Tesco and Napolina plain chopped tomatoes discussed here list 0.1g to 0.2g fat per 100g. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust defines foods with less than 0.5g fat per 100g as fat-free in guidance for people advised to limit fat to 20g a day. That food-level definition does not establish whether your portion or finished meal fits your individual prescribed plan, so follow your care team’s advice.
Should I compare values per tin or per 100g?
Use per-100g values to compare different tins on the same basis. The NHS advises comparing nutrition per 100g when choosing foods with less saturated fat. If you use an entire 400g tin, multiply its per-100g figure by four to calculate the amount from that tin.
Does a low-fat tin make the finished sauce low in fat?
Not necessarily. A plain tomato tin supplies only part of the dish; the amounts of oil, cheese, cream or meat added during cooking also count. Check the ingredients and quantities in the whole recipe rather than judging it by the tomato tin alone.
How should I keep tomatoes left over from an opened tin?
Follow the directions on the tin you buy. Tesco Everyday Value Chopped Tomatoes instructs you to transfer unused contents to a covered, non-metallic container, refrigerate them and use them within two days; another product may give different instructions.
Where should I check ingredients and allergens?
Read the current can’s ingredients and allergen information, particularly if you are considering a flavoured variant or need to avoid a particular ingredient. Tesco cautions that ingredients and allergen information can change, so an older online listing should not take the place of the product label.