Regular meal planners
If tuna frequently goes into pasta, jacket potatoes or family salads, check how much drained tuna each can provides and whether you will use a whole can at a time.
Who these formats suit
Single-lunch shoppers
For sandwiches or lunches prepared away from the kitchen, a smaller tin or a no-drain format may be easier to use without keeping leftovers. Check that the convenience applies to the exact product you order.
Label-focused shoppers
If packing liquid, salt, ingredients or sourcing claims affect your choice, compare the exact listings and check the delivered labels. A statement on one product does not necessarily apply to another product from the same brand.
What to check before ordering
Start with the amount of tuna you will use per meal, then compare drained quantities and packing liquids across the packs that fit that routine.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable quantity | Compare drained weight per can and across the pack, not just the weight printed in the product name. | When I make tuna meals regularly, I need to know how much tuna I can actually put into each dish. About 31% of consumers put usable quantity first. |
| Portions and preparation | Check can size, pack count and whether the exact product requires draining. | For a single lunch, I want a tin I can finish without storing the remainder or spending time draining it. Portion and preparation fit comes first for about 25% of consumers. |
| Packing liquid and label | Identify spring water, brine or oil, then read the exact product’s nutrition information per 100g drained. | If the liquid affects my recipe, I want to choose it deliberately and check the nutrition label for that product. This is the primary concern for about 25% of consumers. |
| Sourcing and pack details | Check any certification or catch-method claim on the exact item, alongside its allergen, bone and storage information. | Before adding several tins to my order, I want the stated sourcing and pack details to match what arrives. About 19% of consumers place these checks first. |
Common buying mistakes
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Judging a multipack by can count alone
The weight in a product name can include packing liquid, so two packs with the same number of cans need not provide the same amount of drained tuna. Tesco’s listing for a Princes 4 x 145g spring-water pack, for example, states a drained weight of 4 x 102g.
Check drained weight as well as can count, then consider whether each can matches the amount you use in a meal.
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Treating packing liquids as interchangeable
Oil, spring water and brine can suit different recipes, and nutrition values vary by product. ASDA Groceries lists 235 kcal and 15g fat per 100g for a John West sunflower-oil product; Tesco Groceries lists 99 kcal and 0.5g fat per 100g drained for a Princes spring-water product. Those figures describe the named products, not every tin in either liquid.
Choose the liquid for your dish and compare the nutrition panels on the exact products under consideration.
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Opening a large can without a plan for the remainder
Opened-tuna instructions differ. The cited Sainsbury’s spring-water multipack says to refrigerate transferred leftovers and use them within one day; the cited Tesco, Princes, ASDA and M&S products give two-day instructions.
Choose a can size you can use, and follow the storage directions on the delivered pack for any leftovers.
An unfinished can may leave you with tuna you cannot use within its stated storage window.
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Assuming every variant has the same label
Ingredients, packing liquid and sourcing statements apply to particular products. A substitution in an online grocery order may therefore change details that mattered to your choice.
Check the selected item before checkout and compare any delivered substitution with the label you intended to buy.
Brands to consider
Tesco
Tesco listings include both a 4 x 145g spring-water multipack and a larger 400g spring-water can.
- The two formats let shoppers consider whether several smaller cans or one larger can better matches their meals.
- Check the drained quantity and storage instructions for the chosen product; Tesco advises checking the delivered food label.
Sainsbury’s
Its cited own-label 4 x 145g spring-water listing states pole-and-line sourcing and MSC certification for that product.
- The listing provides sourcing and nutrition details for shoppers comparing exact multipacks.
- Its instructions say to transfer opened leftovers to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within one day.
Asda
ASDA Groceries lists spring-water tuna in both 4 x 145g and 3 x 80g formats.
- The different can sizes offer a practical choice between meals using larger cans and single-lunch portions.
- Check the exact pack for its drained amount, fish-allergen declaration and warning that small bones may remain.
Princes
Princes lists spring-water tuna chunks in several can and multipack sizes, including 4 x 145g.
- A Tesco Groceries listing for the 4 x 145g spring-water product specifies 4 x 102g drained weight.
- Check the liquid, pack quantity and instructions on the particular Princes variant; details from a spring-water pack do not establish those of a brine pack.
John West
John West offers a no-drain spring-water range and a separately listed 4 x 125g spring-water multipack.
- John West describes its no-drain range as ready to use, with SmartStrip opening.
- Do not assume the separately listed 4 x 125g multipack has no-drain packaging; check that exact variant if it matters to your routine.
M&S
The cited M&S Food product is an individual 160g spring-water can with a stated pole-and-line sourcing claim.
- Its product information includes ingredients, nutrition and storage directions for that can.
- An individual can serves a different buying need from a confirmed bulk multipack; do not assume the same details apply to another M&S format.
Tinned-tuna multipacks on Joybuy
These brine and spring-water multipacks are options for keeping several tins on hand for regular meals. Check each pack’s configuration and drained weight against the portions you normally use; the John West spring-water listing should not be treated as a confirmed no-drain option.
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Princes Tuna Chunks in Brine 4 x 145g x 12 Packs
The brine format may suit regular meals where brine-packed tuna fits the recipe. Confirm what the 12-pack wording means for the total number of cans and check the drained quantity before ordering. The product information declares fish, warns that small bones may remain and instructs you to refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container and use them within two days.
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Princes Tuna Chunks in Brine 4 x 145g
Four brine-packed cans suit meals planned around individual 145g tins. Check the drained amount if the usable portion matters to your recipe. The product information declares fish, warns that small bones may remain and says to transfer opened leftovers to a sealed container, refrigerate and use within two days.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Spring Water 145g (6 Packs)
This spring-water listing may suit shoppers planning several meals with 145g tins. Check the exact contents represented by the six-pack wording and the drained amount. The product information identifies fish as an allergen and says to transfer leftovers to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within two days.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Brine 145g (6 Packs)
Choose this brine variant if that packing liquid suits the meals you have planned. Confirm the total contents represented by the six-pack wording and check the drained weight. The product information declares fish, warns that small bones may remain and instructs you to refrigerate leftovers in a non-metallic container and use them within two days.
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John West Tuna Chunks in Springwater 4 x 125g
Four 125g spring-water cans may fit meals that use a smaller tin at a time. Check the drained amount, and confirm the packaging if you specifically need a no-drain product. The product information declares fish and instructs you to transfer opened leftovers and liquid to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within two days.
Questions about buying tinned tuna
Should I compare net weight or drained weight?
Use drained weight to compare how much tuna the cans provide, and check net weight and can count to understand the pack format. Tesco Groceries lists a Princes 4 x 145g spring-water pack with a drained weight of 4 x 102g, showing why the figures should not be treated as identical.
Does spring-water tuna always have less salt, fat and energy?
No single packing liquid establishes all three values for every product. Compare the exact labels per 100g drained, especially when switching between spring water, brine and oil; choose the liquid that fits your recipe rather than assuming its salt content.
What should I do with tuna left after opening a can?
Follow the delivered pack’s directions for transferring, refrigerating and using leftovers. The cited Sainsbury’s 4 x 145g spring-water pack says to use transferred, refrigerated leftovers within one day, while several cited Tesco, Princes, ASDA and M&S products specify two days.
What should someone who is pregnant or trying for a baby check before buying several cans?
Check current official tuna-consumption guidance against the drained size of the cans you plan to use. In its November 2024 explanation of NHS guidance, the Food Standards Agency says people who are pregnant or trying for a baby should have no more than four medium cans of tuna a week, or two tuna steaks; it describes a medium can as around 140g drained. Do not convert that limit to a different can size without checking the current guidance.
Do plain tinned-tuna products need allergen and bone checks?
Yes. The cited tuna listings declare fish as an allergen, and some warn that small bones may remain. Read the exact delivered pack, particularly if your online order has been substituted.