Whether it’s served with thick crusty bread as a main dish or eaten as a starter, Heinz Cream of Tomato soup has been a staple for generations of Britons.
Since it launched on the shelves of London department store Fortnum & Mason in 1910, an estimated 8.2billion tins of the warming, orangey-red soup have been sold.
However, recent warnings suggest we ought to eat ready-made soups sparingly for the good of our health.
An analysis published earlier this year found shockingly high levels of salt in popular soups, with some canned varieties packed with more salt than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers.
Heinz Cream of Tomato soup is also classified as an ultra-processed food – the type some experts say we should be limiting due to the link with a range of deadly diseases.
So just how healthy really is Heinz tomato soup – and how does it fare against other tinned soups on supermarket shelves?
What’s in a can of Heinz Cream of Tomato soup?
Registered nutritionist and author of Unprocess Your Life, Rob Hobson, says that in some ways, Heinz Cream of Tomato is healthier than people might assume.
‘One thing that surprised me is that it’s made with 89 per cent tomatoes, which is a pretty decent amount,’ he says.
Since 1910, an estimated 8.2 billion tins of Heinz Cream of Tomato soup have been sold. A 1950s advertisement for the soup is pictured
‘Tomatoes provide lycopene, a plant compound that’s been studied for its potential benefits to heart health.
‘What’s interesting is that cooking and processing tomatoes can actually make lycopene easier for the body to absorb, so processing isn’t always a bad thing.’
The other ingredients include corn flour (for thickening), oil, milk powder, cream, salt and citric acid, which is commonly used as a preservative and flavour enhancer.
Notably, there are almost five teaspoons of sugar in one can of Heinz tomato soup. While tomatoes naturally contain some sugars, canned tomato soup also includes added sugar to help balance the natural acidity of the tomatoes.
A single tin contains 204 calories, 8.6g of fat, 3.4g of protein, 2.6g fibre and 2.2g of salt.
Mr Hobson says that on its own, the soup is a poor choice for lunch or dinner. Not only will the extremely low protein and fibre do little to satisfy hunger, but there’s nearly a third of your daily intake of salt.
Diets high in salt can lead to a rise in blood pressure that can, over time, damage the heart and kidneys.
Pairing it with another dish, such as a sandwich, will help satisfy appetite, but you would have added 200 extra calories for little nutritional benefit, the experts say.
How do other canned soups compare – and is a fresh version healthier?
For those tracking their salt or looking for a lighter alternative, Heinz Cream of Tomato Low Sugar & Salt is available.
This contains no added sugar – using a plant-based sweetener instead – meaning there’s half the total sugar of a regular tin.
It also contains 25 per cent less salt than the standard Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup.
High levels of salt are a running theme among popular tinned soups, with many containing around 2.2 to 2.4g per can.
‘That’s more than a third of the recommended daily maximum of 6g, which is quite a lot from one part of your lunch,’ says Mr Hobson.
Another area where Heinz Cream of Tomato soup falls short is fibre, with just 2.6g per tin.
This is at the low end when considering that the NHS recommends that adults aim for 30g of fibre per day to support digestion, heart health and blood sugar control.
According to Mr Hobson, one alternative for those looking for a soup that is higher in fibre and lower in fat is Baxters Lentil and Vegetable soup.
Per can, it contains 7.2g of fibre – almost a quarter of the recommended daily intake – 0.8g of fat and 8.4g of protein.
‘It’s a useful amount of fibre from something as simple as a tin of soup, which helps add bulk to food – especially when most adults in the UK aren’t getting enough,’ says Mr Hobson.
‘The only thing I’d watch is the salt – this soup contains 2.16g per tin, but that’s an issue with quite a few of these tinned soups.’
Among those looking for seemingly ‘healthier’ options, fresh chilled soups are growing in popularity, with many people believing they contain fewer preservatives.
But according to Mr Hobson, canned soup can be just as nutritious as fresh soup, depending on what’s in it.
‘The canning process can reduce some vitamins, particularly vitamin C and certain B vitamins, but nutrients such as fibre, protein and minerals are generally well retained,’ he says.
A vintage magazine advertisement for Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup, promoting larger family–size cans
‘One thing to watch is the salt content, as some canned soups can be quite high in salt, although the same can be true of fresh supermarket soups.
‘There’s also a misconception that canned soups are full of preservatives, but they don’t necessarily need them. It’s the heat treatment and airtight sealing of the can that makes the soup safe to store for long periods.’
What’s more, chilled soups often come in larger containers compared with standard 400g cans, meaning you may inadvertently consume more salt per sitting if you eat the whole pack.
One higher-protein tinned soup that Mr Hobson highlights is Heinz Big Soup Beef & Vegetable, which contains 13g of protein in the whole can.
‘It contains ten per cent beef alongside potatoes, carrots, peas and onions, so it’s a reasonably substantial option compared with some of the smoother soups,’ he says.
One soup that stood out to the nutritionist for all the wrong reasons is Heinz Cream of Mushroom.
Per tin, Heinz Cream of Mushroom soup contains 214 calories, 11.4g of fat, 6.6g of protein and just 0.4g of fibre.
‘It’s one of the higher–fat options in the comparison,’ Mr Hobson says.
‘I certainly wouldn’t tell someone to avoid it if they enjoy it, but I would think about what they’re eating alongside it.
‘Compared with the soups containing plenty of beans, lentils and vegetables, you’re not getting as much nutritional value,’ says Mr Hobson.
Its ingredients list shows it contains just 6 per cent mushroom, relying heavily on dairy solids, thickeners and additives.
Canned soup often contains thickeners like modified starches or cornflour and flavour enhancers.
Chilled soups often have cleaner ingredient lists, though larger cartons can still pack significant amounts of hidden salt or saturated fat in cream-based varieties.
Mr Hobson says the addition of a handful of additives isn’t something to worry about. In fact, high salt and saturated fat in fresh soups are more of a potential health harm.
‘We often see ingredients we don’t recognise and assume they must be bad for us, but that’s not necessarily the case,’ he says.
‘Modified starches are commonly used to thicken soups, while stabilisers help maintain their texture and stop ingredients separating.
‘Food additives are subject to safety assessments before they’re authorised for use, so the presence of these ingredients isn’t automatically a cause for concern.
Join the discussion
Are you a fan of classic Heinz tomato soup, or do concerns about salt, sugar and nutritional value put you off?
High levels of salt are a running theme among popular tinned soups, with many containing around 2.2–2.4g per can
‘There is ongoing research into the effects of certain additives, particularly on gut health, so I wouldn’t say there are no questions left to answer, but we also shouldn’t jump from that to assuming that a soup containing modified cornflour is harmful.
‘I’d much rather people looked at the overall nutritional quality of what they’re eating than judged a food purely on whether it contains an unfamiliar ingredient.’
How to make a tin of soup extra-healthy
‘One of my favourite recommendations is to add beans, chickpeas or lentils, which are fantastic sources of plant–based protein and fibre,’ says Rhiannon Lambert, nutritionist and founder of the Rhitrition Clinic.
‘Both nutrients can help contribute towards feelings of fullness, while fibre also plays an important role in supporting our digestive health and gut microbiome.
‘I’d also encourage people to add extra vegetables, such as frozen peas, spinach or mixed vegetables.
‘Another really simple option is to serve soup alongside wholegrain bread or toast, which provides additional fibre and carbohydrates for energy.’
Pairing tinned soups with sources of protein, such as eggs, hummus or cheese, can help make the meal more substantial and satisfying.
‘For some additional texture and nutrients, you could sprinkle over a handful of nuts or seeds, such as pumpkin seeds, which provide unsaturated fats, fibre and minerals including magnesium and zinc,’ adds Ms Lambert.
‘A spoonful of natural yogurt can also be a lovely addition to certain soups, providing some extra protein and calcium.
‘They are such a simple way to add extra fibre, plant-based protein and texture to a meal, without needing to change what you’re already eating.’