Tinned Baked Beans are haricot beans in a sweetened tomato sauce, which adds sugar and salt, which places they in NOVA group 4. The beans underneath are a whole food that brings protein, fibre and iron to your day. They are a source of folate and potassium. Work out the numbers for any portion and age below, then see the full macro and micronutrient breakdown.
The tables below put each macronutrient against age-appropriate guidance, because what matters for a 4 year old is very different from an adult.
Half a 400g tin (about 200g) contains about 9.4g of sugar, of which roughly 6.0g is added sugar in the tomato sauce. Added and free sugars count toward the daily free sugar limit the NHS sets. The table shows the added sugar against that limit by age; a plain tin of beans in water has none.
Tinned Baked Beans are naturally very low in fat, with about 0.4g per portion and 0g of added fat. Only around 0.2g is saturated, well within the daily maximum for every age group.
Because tinned baked beans are salted, a portion carries about 1.2g of salt. Children have lower daily salt limits than adults, so it is worth checking against the guidance below.
Fibre supports healthy digestion, and most people in the UK do not get enough. A portion provides about 7.4g. Because children need less fibre than adults, that same portion covers a bigger share of a younger child's target.
There is about 26.0g of carbohydrate per portion. There is no single daily target, but roughly half of daily energy should come from carbohydrate; the reference values below are based on that.
Percentages are share of the daily Nutrient Reference Value (NRV). Under UK and EU rules a food is a source of a nutrient at 15% NRV per 100g and high in it at 30%.
These tables show how the nutrients compare to daily needs across different ages, using UK Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNIs). This differs from the source of and high in labels above, which use the single adult figure (NRV) set for food packaging. Children's needs are lower, so a portion goes further.
Folate is needed to make healthy red blood cells and is especially important before and during pregnancy. Half a 400g tin (about 200g) contains 60ug. Because children need less than adults, that same portion covers a bigger share of a younger child's daily target.
Potassium helps control blood pressure and supports normal muscle and nerve function. Half a 400g tin (about 200g) contains 600mg. Because children need less than adults, that same portion covers a bigger share of a younger child's daily target.
Iron is needed to make red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. Half a 400g tin (about 200g) contains 2.8mg. Because children need less than adults, that same portion covers a bigger share of a younger child's daily target. Girls aged 11 and over and women need more iron (14.8mg) because of menstrual losses.
Magnesium supports muscle and nerve function and helps release energy from food. Half a 400g tin (about 200g) contains 62mg. Because children need less than adults, that same portion covers a bigger share of a younger child's daily target.
Yes. Although the beans themselves are a whole food, the recipe adds sugar and salt to a tomato sauce, which places they in NOVA group 4, the ultra-processed category. A plain tin of haricot beans in water would sit much lower at NOVA group 1.
Nutrition data from McCance and Widdowson and UK FoodData Central, per 100g raw edible portion; values are reference figures and can vary by variety and ripeness. Reference intakes: EU NRVs for labelling and UK RNIs (SACN) for age-based needs. For guidance only.