Choose tinned tuna labelled steak or fillet when you want visible pieces in a picnic salad, or a drained or no-drain product when quick sandwich assembly matters. Chunks suit a filling that will be mixed thoroughly. None of these preserved products is fresh tuna: if the meal specifically calls for fresh fish, buy it from the fresh-fish section and plan its preparation and storage separately.
If you will assemble the filling with limited preparation space, look for a pack explicitly labelled drained, ready to use or no-drain. Princes describes its drained tuna as ready to use, while the John West No Drain Fridge Pot product is described as ready to eat.
Steak or fillet labelling helps you look for a larger-piece presentation rather than chunks to mix throughout a salad. It still describes preserved tuna, not a fresh fish fillet.
Compare the exact pack’s ingredients, salt information and fish-allergen declaration. If pregnancy guidance applies, the NHS also sets a weekly limit for tuna; the packing medium does not replace that check.
Start with the fish format your lunch calls for, then check how the pack will be opened, used and stored.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fish format | Check whether the label says steak, fillet or chunks. If the recipe requires fresh tuna, use the fresh-fish section rather than a tin or preserved jar. | I want visible pieces over a salad, so I would look at steak- or fillet-labelled tuna. For a thoroughly mixed filling, chunks may suit the plan. |
| Draining | Look for explicit drained, ready-to-use or no-drain wording. Check the pack rather than assuming every steak or fillet has the same preparation instructions. | With little room to prepare sandwiches, I would prefer a format that does not require me to drain liquid. |
| Packing medium | Read the ingredients for spring water, brine or oil, then compare the exact nutrition panel per 100g on the basis stated there. Princes lists 0.9g salt per 100g drained for its Tuna Steaks in Brine. | For my picnic recipe, I would choose the medium I want in the finished filling and check the label if salt matters to me. |
| Opened-pack storage | Follow the product’s instructions for transferring, covering and refrigerating unused tuna. The Sainsbury’s Tuna Steak in Spring Water page says to use it within 1 day after opening; the cited John West fridge pot and M&S tuna steak pages specify up to 2 days for their products. | If I prepare the filling ahead of time or expect leftovers, I need to follow the instructions on the pack I actually buy. |
| Allergens and tuna guidance | Check the fish-allergen declaration on the tuna and the labels of other filling ingredients. For pregnancy, the NHS advises no more than 4 cans of tuna or 2 tuna steaks a week. | I need to account for everyone eating the lunch, including any fish allergy or applicable pregnancy guidance. |
A canned steak can provide distinct pieces, but it will not fulfil a recipe that calls for fresh tuna. M&S lists its canned tuna steak in its food-cupboard range and fresh tuna separately.
Decide whether you need preserved, ready-to-eat tuna for a filling or fresh fish requiring separate preparation before choosing a product.
Steak-labelled products are packed in different media, including spring water and brine. Their ingredients and nutrition information must be compared product by product.
Check the packing medium and the exact pack’s nutrition panel, particularly its salt value and whether figures refer to drained tuna.
After-opening instructions differ: Sainsbury’s specifies use within 1 day for its cited spring-water steak, while the cited John West fridge pot and M&S steak products specify up to 2 days under refrigeration.
Read your pack before preparing food ahead, and transfer and refrigerate unused tuna as its label directs.
The NHS says fresh and canned tuna do not count as oily fish. Its pregnancy advice also sets a weekly tuna limit because tuna can contain mercury.
Do not count a tuna picnic lunch as an oily-fish portion. If pregnant, follow the NHS advice of no more than 4 cans of tuna or 2 tuna steaks a week.
These references describe particular products or ranges; check the label of the item you choose.
The No Drain Fridge Pot Tuna Steak with a Little Brine is an example for shoppers who want a resealable pack for a picnic filling.
Princes offers tuna steak and drained-tuna formats relevant to different picnic preparations.
Tesco’s tinned-tuna range is a reference for comparing formats rather than treating all tuna as interchangeable.
Sainsbury’s Tuna Steak in Spring Water is an own-label example of preserved steak-labelled tuna.
M&S lists canned Tuna Steak in Spring Water separately from the fresh tuna in its fish range.
These options cover preserved tuna chunks for mixed fillings and steak- or fillet-labelled products for shoppers considering more visible pieces. The fillets in a jar are preserved tuna, not fresh fish.
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The no-drain chunk format suits a tuna filling that will be mixed into sandwiches or salad. Choose a steak- or fillet-labelled product instead if visible larger pieces are central to your plan.
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This steak-labelled option is packed with sunflower oil for a salad or sandwich filling. If avoiding draining is important, check the pack’s preparation wording: the supplied product descriptions differ from its “Drained” title.
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Consider these olive-oil-packed fillets when you want fillet-labelled tuna for a salad or sandwich. The jar contains preserved tuna, not fresh fish; check its label for draining and after-opening instructions.
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Chunks in brine suit tuna that will be mixed into a sandwich or salad filling rather than displayed as larger pieces. Check the pack’s draining directions when planning where to assemble lunch.
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This spring-water chunk format suits a mixed salad or sandwich filling, rather than a steak- or fillet-style presentation. Check the pack if draining convenience affects your picnic preparation.
No. Steak and fillet can describe the pieces in a preserved tuna product; they do not make it fresh fish. M&S lists canned tuna steak in its food-cupboard range and fresh tuna separately, so use the fresh-fish section if your recipe requires fresh tuna.
If reducing draining and preparation mess matters, look for a product explicitly described as drained, ready to use or no-drain. Princes describes its drained tuna as ready to use; chunks suit a thoroughly mixed filling, while steak or fillet labelling is more relevant when you want visible pieces.
Follow that product’s transfer, refrigeration and use-by-opening instructions. The cited Sainsbury’s spring-water steak says to refrigerate unused tuna and use it within 1 day, while the cited M&S steak and John West fridge pot pages specify up to 2 days for their respective products.
The NHS advises pregnant people to have no more than 4 cans of tuna or 2 tuna steaks a week because tuna can contain mercury. That limit concerns tuna intake across the week, not just the portion packed for one picnic.
Check the exact tuna pack for its fish-allergen declaration, then check any other ingredients you add, such as bread, mayonnaise or crackers, against the needs of the people eating the lunch.