Regular solo meal-preppers
If tuna features in several lunches or dinners, separate unopened tins let you take one from the cupboard at a time. Check the drained amount per tin against your usual recipe.
Who these packs suit
Smaller-portion planners
If one standard tin leaves tuna unused, a smaller tin or no-drain format may fit the meal more closely. Compare the stated amount per tin rather than the multipack’s total weight.
Packing-medium and sourcing checkers
If spring water, brine, oil or sourcing information affects your choice, read the details for the exact variant. A claim attached to one product should not be assumed to cover a whole brand range.
What matters when choosing
Start with the amount of tuna you use in one meal, then check the packing medium and any opened-tin instructions.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Separate tins for repeat meals | Check the tin count and drained weight per tin. A 4 × 145g net pack can contain 4 × 102g drained tuna, as Tesco and Princes listings show. | If I regularly make a substantial tuna lunch, I want unopened tins ready for separate meal occasions. About 40% of consumers put that repeat-meal need first. |
| Amount used at one sitting | Compare the amount in each tin with your recipe; check whether a smaller pack is drained or no-drain tuna. | For a lighter sandwich or salad, I would rather open an amount I can use than store part of a tin. A smaller meal quantity is the main concern for about 30% of consumers. |
| Packing medium and sourcing | Read the exact variant’s ingredients and nutrition panel per 100g drained. Check sourcing statements on that product’s pack. | When the recipe calls for a particular packing medium, I need to know whether the tuna is in water, brine or oil; sourcing may also affect my choice. About 30% of consumers prioritise those product details. |
Buying pitfalls
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Reading net weight as the amount of tuna
The weight printed for a tin can include its packing liquid. Tesco’s and Princes’ 4 × 145g listings, for example, state 102g drained tuna per tin.
Use drained weight when deciding whether one tin fits a meal, and compare products on the same stated weight basis.
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Counting tins without planning for leftovers
A multipack keeps its unopened tins separate, but opening one still starts the storage period given on its label. The cited Tesco, Asda, Princes and M&S instructions call for refrigerated leftovers to be used within two days.
If one tin is too much, consider a smaller format or plan another meal within the stated period. Follow the exact pack’s transfer and storage instructions.
Tuna left unused beyond its stated storage period may have to be discarded.
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Treating every packing medium alike
Asda lists 109 kcal and 1.0g fat per 100g drained for its brine chunks, versus 160 kcal and 6.4g fat for its sunflower-oil chunks. Both cited variants list 0.90g salt per 100g drained.
Choose the medium for the recipe, then compare energy, fat and salt on the exact variant’s label rather than assuming that oil or brine determines every value.
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Assuming a sourcing claim covers every variant
The Marine Stewardship Council’s February 2026 UK review found its ecolabel on some, but not all, shelf-stable tuna products it examined. A brand name alone does not identify which tin carries a particular claim.
If certification matters to you, check the logo or sourcing statement on the exact pack you intend to buy.
Brands to consider for these formats
Tesco
Tesco lists own-label 4 × 145g multipacks in spring water and brine, as well as a smaller 3 × 80g spring-water pack.
- Its cited standard four-packs state 102g drained tuna per tin, which helps with meal planning.
- If you use less than a tin, follow the pack’s instructions for transferring and refrigerating leftovers.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists own-label 4 × 145g tuna chunks in spring water or brine, an oil-packed four-pack and a 3 × 80g spring-water option.
- The smaller format gives shoppers another tin size to compare with a standard four-pack.
- Check the chosen pack’s drained amount and medium; the formats are not interchangeable measures of a meal portion.
Asda
Asda lists own-label 4 × 145g tuna chunks in brine and sunflower oil.
- The cited product panels give energy, fat and salt values per 100g drained for comparing those two variants.
- Those figures apply to the named products; read the label of the variant you buy.
John West
Relevant listings include a 4 × 125g spring-water multipack and a smaller 3 × 100g no-drain format.
- Sainsbury's lists the 4 × 125g spring-water variant at 102g drained per tin.
- No-drain and conventional drained-tuna amounts should be checked on their own stated bases.
Princes
Princes’ cited spring-water and brine four-packs contain 4 × 145g tins, with 102g drained tuna per tin in the Tesco listings.
- The stated drained amount makes the cited four-pack formats straightforward to assess against a recipe.
- Princes’ opened-tin instructions call for refrigeration and use within two days; check the instructions on your pack.
M&S
M&S lists an individual 160g spring-water tuna tin and a separate 640g tuna-chunks product.
- An individual tin offers a format to assess for one meal without assuming that the larger product contains multiple tins.
- Check the 640g product’s pack structure and drained amount before treating it as a multipack for separate meals.
Tuna multipacks on Joybuy
These tuna multipacks offer four or six conventional tins, or three no-drain tins, for planning separate single-person meals. Match the amount in each tin to your recipe rather than choosing by total pack size alone.
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John West Tuna Chunks in Spring Water, 4 × 125g
Consider this four-tin pack if a substantial amount of tuna suits each separate meal. Sainsbury's lists the matching 4 × 125g spring-water format at 102g drained per tin; check this pack’s instructions before deciding how to use or store an opened tin.
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John West No Drain Tuna Chunks in Spring Water, 3 × 100g
The three 100g no-drain tins are an option when you want a smaller ready-to-use amount for each meal. Compare their stated tin amount with conventional tuna’s drained weight on the relevant labels rather than treating the measures as identical.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Brine, 6 × 145g
Six tins may suit a routine that calls for tuna on several separate occasions. Each tin is labelled 145g net; check its drained weight if the amount of tuna in one meal determines your choice.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Spring Water, 6 × 145g
This six-tin spring-water pack offers separate tins for recurring meals. The stated 145g is the net amount per tin; check the drained amount on the pack before matching it to a single-portion recipe.
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Princes Tuna Chunks in Brine, 4 × 145g
Four separate brine-packed tins may suit recurring meals that use one tin at a time. Each is labelled 145g net; check this brine variant’s drained weight rather than assuming it matches a spring-water listing.
Common questions
Does a 4 × 145g pack provide four single portions?
Not automatically. The cited Tesco, Asda and Princes listings contain 102g drained tuna per tin, while Tesco and Asda also give a half-tin reference serving of about 51g. Compare the drained amount with what your meal uses rather than equating one tin with one portion.
How should I store tuna left after opening a tin?
Follow the exact pack’s instructions. The cited Tesco, Asda, Princes and M&S product information calls for unused tuna to be transferred from the tin, covered, refrigerated and used within two days.
How do brine and sunflower-oil tuna differ on the nutrition label?
Check values for the exact products on a matching basis. Asda lists 109 kcal and 1.0g fat per 100g drained for its brine chunks, compared with 160 kcal and 6.4g fat for its sunflower-oil chunks; both cited variants list 0.90g salt per 100g drained.
What tuna guidance applies during pregnancy or when trying for a baby?
The NHS advises people who are pregnant or trying for a baby to have no more than four cans of tuna a week or two tuna steaks a week because tuna can contain mercury. A multipack does not change that weekly guidance.