Everyday meal planners
If tuna regularly goes into pasta, sandwiches, salads or jacket potatoes, choose a packing liquid and can size that fit those meals. Check how much tuna remains after draining and how to store any leftovers.
Who is buying?
Multipack shoppers
When stocking a cupboard through an online order, compare drained weight as well as the number of cans. Check availability and any proposed substitution before confirming the basket.
Sourcing and label checkers
If a fishing method or MSC certification matters to you, look for the claim on the individual product. Read its ingredients, fish-allergen declaration and nutrition panel rather than relying on the brand name.
What matters when choosing?
For a tinned-tuna delivery order, decide which need takes priority, then check the details of the particular pack you intend to receive.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable quantity | Compare drained weight and can count; confirm availability for your delivery. | If I use tuna across several meals, I need enough fish in each can, not just a large-looking multipack. About 31% of consumers put usable quantity first. |
| Certified sourcing | Look for an MSC ecolabel or certified-fishery wording on the exact product; check the stated species or fishing method if relevant. | I want the sourcing claim to apply to the cans I actually order, rather than assuming it covers a whole brand. Certified sourcing is the primary concern for about 25% of consumers. |
| Meal format | Choose the packing liquid and piece format for the dish; compare ingredients and nutrition on the same stated weight basis. | For pasta, sandwiches or salads, I care whether the tuna comes as chunks or larger pieces and whether I will use its packing oil. About 25% of consumers prioritise that meal fit. |
| Portions and leftovers | Check can size, whether draining is needed and the label’s instructions for opened contents. | For a quick lunch, I may prefer a portion I can use at once rather than refrigerating the remainder of a larger can. Portion convenience comes first for about 19% of consumers. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Judging the pack by can count alone
The amount of tuna left after draining differs between products. Tesco’s own-label 160 g spring-water can lists 139 g drained, while a Princes 145 g spring-water can listed at Tesco gives 102 g drained.
Check drained weight per can before deciding how many cans your planned meals need.
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Applying one sourcing claim to every product in a range
An MSC claim belongs to the named product, not automatically to every can from its brand or retailer.
If certification is part of your choice, check the exact online listing and the pack delivered.
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Overlooking the packing liquid
Spring-water and sunflower-oil examples have different nutrition panels. Ocado lists 9.0 g fat per 100 g drained for M&S sunflower-oil chunks; Sainsbury’s lists less than 0.5 g per 100 g drained for its spring-water chunks.
Choose according to whether the liquid belongs in your intended dish, and compare the current labels on the same weight basis.
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Forgetting the opened can and the delivery basket
A can larger than the portion you need leaves contents to store, and online availability can change before delivery.
Choose a size you can use within the product’s stated refrigerated storage period, and review availability and substitutions before checkout.
An unsuitable substitution or an opened can you cannot finish can also lead to avoidable food waste.
Brands to consider
John West
Ocado lists John West chunks in spring water, sunflower oil and brine, alongside a smaller no-drain tuna-steak format.
- The listed formats offer a choice between standard multipacks and smaller portions.
- Check the size and contents of the exact no-drain product: Ocado’s listed steak example is 3 × 60 g, not the same product as every John West no-drain multipack.
Princes
Tesco lists Princes spring-water tuna chunks in 4 × 145 g and 8 × 145 g packs.
- The Tesco listing for the 8-pack specifies 102 g drained per 145 g can; the listed 4-pack carries an MSC certification statement.
- Check certification, drained weight and ingredients on the particular Princes pack you choose rather than applying one listing’s details to the full range.
Tesco
Tesco’s own-label spring-water skipjack chunks provide a 4 × 160 g multipack option.
- The named listing specifies 139 g drained per can and 0.8 g salt per 100 g drained.
- Check availability for your delivery and compare the current label with any alternative offered.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists a 4 × 145 g spring-water tuna product described as pole-and-line-caught skipjack from MSC-certified fisheries.
- The named product lists 0.12 g salt per 100 g drained and states its sourcing method.
- These figures and sourcing statements are specific to that listing; check the pack supplied with your order.
M&S
Ocado lists M&S spring-water tuna steaks and sunflower-oil tuna chunks as distinct choices of piece format and packing liquid.
- The steak multipack is described as pole-and-line caught; the oil-packed chunks list 9.0 g fat per 100 g drained.
- The steak listing warns that bones may be present. Check the ingredients and nutrition of whichever format you select.
Tinned tuna on Joybuy
These Joybuy selections cover spring-water and brine chunks for cupboard meals, sunflower-oil chunks and a no-drain portion option. Choose by the meal and pack size you need, then check the individual listing before ordering.
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John West Tuna Chunks in Springwater, 4 × 125 g
A four-can spring-water option for meals such as sandwiches, salads and pasta.
Check the drained weight on the listing if the amount of tuna per can matters to your meal plan.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Spring Water, 6 × 145 g
A six-can spring-water pack for households planning several tuna meals.
Compare its drained weight per can with other packs, and follow the product’s instructions for any leftovers after opening.
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Princes Tuna Chunks in Sunflower Oil, 4 × 145 g
Consider this four-can pack when sunflower oil suits the dish you have planned.
If comparing its nutrition panel with a spring-water product, check the stated weight basis on each label.
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John West No Drain Tuna Chunks in Sunflower Oil, 3 × 100 g
The no-drain format suits a quick portion when you also want sunflower oil in the meal.
This pack contains three 100 g cans. The product description warns that some bones may remain.
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Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Brine, 145 g (6-pack)
Consider brine-packed chunks if that packing liquid suits your sandwiches, salads or pasta.
Confirm the pack quantity and drained weight per can on the listing. The product description warns that some bones may remain.
Common questions
Should I compare tins by total weight or drained weight?
Use drained weight to compare how much tuna remains after the packing liquid is removed. Tesco’s 4 × 160 g own-label listing gives 139 g drained per can, while a Princes 145 g spring-water can listed at Tesco gives 102 g drained; check the figure for the particular pack you order.
Is spring-water tuna always lower in fat than oil-packed tuna?
Do not assume that every product has the same figures. For the named examples, Sainsbury’s spring-water chunks list less than 0.5 g fat per 100 g drained, while the M&S sunflower-oil chunks listed by Ocado give 9.0 g per 100 g drained. Compare current labels on the same weight basis.
What should I do with tuna left after opening a can?
Follow the instructions on that can. Sainsbury’s named spring-water product says to transfer leftovers to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and use within one day; the named Tesco and Princes examples state two days. Choose a can size that fits the instructions you can follow.
What if I need to check for fish allergens?
Tinned tuna contains fish. Check the allergen and ingredient information on the exact listing before ordering and on the delivered pack, as product information can change.