The healthiest tinned tomato soups ranked by a dietitian, from Heinz to supermarket own-brands

When you’re looking for a hearty, budget-friendly lunch, you can’t go wrong with a tin of soup.

But in terms of their health credentials, not all products are created equal — and more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better.

According to a recent study by Action on Salt and Sugar (AoSS), 23% of soups on sale in UK supermarkets contain more than the recommended amount of salt.

A number of the 481 varieties tested actually had almost double the government sodium target (0.59g per 100g), while one, Soup Head’s Tom Yum, was found to be saltier than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers.

Essentially, your wholesome meal may not be quite as good for you as expected. But there are healthier and less healthy ones to pick from.

When browsing the aisles for tomato soup, long voted the nation’s favourite, you’ll find an array of options, from big-name brands to supermarket own-brands.

Even if you think they taste more or less the same, the recipes (and therefore the nutritional breakdown) can differ wildly, so it’s worth double-checking before you absent-mindedly pop a can in your basket.

It’s also important to be mindful of what you eat with it — aka not inhaling a loaf of buttered white bread without noticing, which let’s be honest, we’ve all been guilty of once or twice.

Katie Sanders, a dietitian and nutritionist verified on healthcare review platform Doctify, tells Metro: ‘In the context of a healthy balanced diet, tomato soup can be a convenient and reasonable choice. As with most foods, overall dietary pattern is far more important than individual product selection.’

Beyond that, you can also look for products with lower salt and sugar, which Katie says is where the ‘most meaningful nutritional variations’ are between different tinned tomato soups.

We asked her to rank the most popular branded and supermarket own options based on this, so you can make smarter choices while still enjoying the convenient, low-priced meal you love.

The best: Waitrose

With 53kcal, 5g of sugar per 100g, and 0.43g of salt per 100g, Waitrose’s 400g tomato soup won out for its ‘best overall balance’, with the ‘salt advantage’ proving decisive for Katie.

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In at a close second was Weight Watchers from Heinz, which boasts an ‘exceptional sugar profile’ at 2.8g per 100g and the lowest calories of any of those tested. However, it was let down by its 0.6g per 100g salt content, one of the highest across the ranking.

As the smallest of the tins ar 295g compared to the standard 400g, Katie notes that portion size could play a part in making this a healthier option, since ‘tomato soup is often consumed by the bowl or as a full tin, and under this realistic intake scenario, even small per-100 g differences compound.’

Campbell’s Condensed Soup came next — as the relatively high numbers shown on the packet reflect the undiluted product, but when prepared according to instructions (1:1 with water) it’s ‘comparable with standard ready-to-eat soups’.

And in at fourth, with Katie hailing it the best budget option at 59p a can, was Aldi’s Bramwells variety, ‘offering one of the lower sugar profiles alongside typical salt values’.

‘Overall, price or branding did not reliably predict nutritional quality,’ she adds. ‘In practical terms, the nutritionally stronger options generally represented good value, with budget own-brand soups performing strongly alongside slightly more expensive branded alternatives.’

Middle of the pack: Heinz

Despite being the UK’s best-selling soup brand, Heinz was decidedly in the middle of Katie’s ranking.

Despite its nutritional value being called ‘very competitive’, it ranked fifth in terms of both sugar and salt — neither of which were among the highest or lowest of the options analysed.

It beat a range of supermarket favourites to make the top five though, including Lidl, M&S and Morrisons.

The bottom three

In at ninth was Asda, which had the highest amount of sugar per 100g of all 11 tomato soups; 6.1g.

But the last two spots were reserved for Baxters and Tesco own-brand, each of which were disadvantaged by their 0.6g sodium and sugar above the ‘moderate’ threshold of 5g per 100g.

‘Salt content remains particularly relevant from a public health perspective because average intakes in the UK continue to exceed recommended levels,’ says Katie.

She continues: ‘Excessive salt consumption is associated with raised blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes.

‘Importantly, much of the salt in modern diets does not come from discretionary use at the table, but from everyday processed foods such as bread, sauces, ready meals and soups.

‘Foods that are perceived as relatively light or healthy can therefore still contribute meaningfully to overall salt intake.’

Keep in mind that the differences here are small, and no one meal can make or break your health. If you’re looking to reduce your salt or sugar intake however, these little switches are a welcome start.

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