For a picnic recipe, compare salt per 100g on the exact tins you are considering rather than treating Italian origin or added flavour as a sign of lower salt. Tesco Groceries lists 0.09g per 100g for its Italian Chopped Tomatoes, Napolina lists 0.10g for its chopped tomatoes, and ASDA Groceries lists 0.30g for Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes; all three meet the NHS low-salt threshold of 0.3g or less per 100g, but texture and the other ingredients in your dish also matter. If you prepare a dish that needs chilling, keep it cool on the way to the picnic.
If your tomato dish will also contain cheese, olives, cured meat or bottled sauce, compare plain tins per 100g before choosing the base. You can decide how to season the finished dish after accounting for those additions.
Salsa, pasta salad and dips need a different plan from an unopened cupboard tin once they have been prepared. Allow for chilled storage and transport before deciding what to make for the picnic.
Chunkier chopped tomatoes and finely chopped tomatoes suit different finishes. Check the salt declaration on the specific product alongside its texture rather than assuming the formats have the same recipe or nutrition values.
Start with the salt declaration on comparable tins, then check whether the texture and your plan for serving the finished dish fit the recipe.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt in the tin | Compare salt per 100g on the current labels of like-for-like products. The NHS defines low salt as 0.3g or less per 100g; that threshold does not describe the finished dish. | I want a plain tomato base with a lower labelled salt figure before adding the other ingredients in my picnic recipe. |
| Texture and flavour | Check whether the tomatoes are chunky, finely chopped or whole, and read the ingredients of any flavoured variant separately. Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky; the Mutti product listed by ASDA Groceries is finely chopped. | For a dish with visible pieces of tomato, I may prefer a chunky tin. For a more even base, finely chopped tomatoes may suit the recipe better. |
| Recipe additions | Check the labels of sauces, stock and other packaged additions as well as the tomatoes. NHS guidance suggests herbs, spices, garlic, chilli or lemon juice as ways to add flavour instead of automatically adding salt. | Cheese, olives or cured meat might also go into my dish, so the tomato tin is only one part of my salt comparison. |
| Picnic storage | Follow the tin’s instructions after opening. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping food that would normally be refrigerated cool at a picnic, using a cool box or bag with ice or frozen gel packs. | If I make a chilled salsa, dip or salad in advance, I need a way to keep the prepared dish cool until serving. |
Plain chopped tomatoes can differ: Tesco Groceries lists 0.09g salt per 100g, Napolina lists 0.10g, and ASDA Groceries lists 0.30g for Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes.
Compare the current per-100g declaration on each exact product. Assess a basil, garlic or other flavoured variant by its own label rather than borrowing the value from a plain tin.
A serving value and a per-100g value answer different questions. Tesco Groceries lists 0.09g salt per 100g and 0.18g for a 200g serving of its Italian Chopped Tomatoes.
Use per 100g to compare tins, then work out how much of the chosen product will go into your dish.
Choosing a tin with a lower salt declaration does not establish the salt level of a dish that also contains other ingredients.
Check additions such as cheese, olives, cured meat, stock and bottled sauces separately, and taste before adding salt.
An unopened cupboard tin and a prepared chilled picnic dish have different storage needs. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping foods normally stored in the fridge cool at a picnic.
Transport chilled dishes in a cool box or bag with ice packs, keep it shaded and take out food as needed. In extremely hot weather, the Food Standards Agency advises using food that has been out of the fridge within two hours.
Tesco Italian Chopped Tomatoes is a plain 400g option for comparing salt on a per-100g basis.
Napolina describes its chopped tomatoes as chunky tomatoes in juice, offered in single tins and multipacks.
Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes offers a finer texture than a chunky chopped-tomato format.
These options include chopped tomatoes in different pack sizes and whole peeled tomatoes for recipes where you can prepare the texture yourself. Check each pack’s current salt declaration when choosing a base for your picnic dish.
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A chopped-tomato multipack for a recipe that needs a plain base. ASDA Groceries lists 0.10g salt per 100g for the 4 × 400g product; check the current pack label, and refrigerate opened contents according to its instructions.
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Choose the whole peeled format if your recipe allows you to prepare the tomatoes rather than starting with chopped pieces. Compare the current pack’s salt per 100g with any chopped tins you are considering.
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This 12 × 400g chopped-tomato pack is worth considering when you plan to use more than a single tin. Check how many tins your picnic recipe needs and compare the current salt declaration per 100g.
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The finely chopped format suits a recipe where you want a more even tomato base. ASDA Groceries lists 0.30g salt per 100g for its 400g Mutti Finely Chopped Tomatoes; confirm the declaration on this multipack before comparing it with other tins.
No. Compare the salt per 100g on the exact product label rather than relying on its origin, brand or flavour description. The NHS defines low salt as 0.3g or less per 100g, but a flavoured variant needs its own label check.
Use salt per 100g to compare products, then account for the amount your recipe uses. For example, Tesco Groceries lists 0.09g salt per 100g and 0.18g for a 200g serving of its Italian Chopped Tomatoes.
Keep a dish that would normally be refrigerated cool during transport. The Food Standards Agency advises using a cool box or bag with ice or frozen gel packs; in extremely hot weather, use food that has been out of the fridge within two hours.
An unopened ambient tin can travel as a cupboard food. Once you open it or use it in a dish that needs refrigeration, follow the product’s storage instructions and keep the prepared food cool, as advised by the Food Standards Agency for chilled picnic food.