Regular lunch planners
If you use tuna across several weekday lunches, the number of tins and the drained quantity help you judge how many portions a pack provides.
Who is choosing tinned tuna?
Nutrition-label readers
For salads, sandwiches, jacket potatoes or grain bowls, you can compare the packing medium, ingredients and nutrition values on the exact tin you intend to use.
Convenience and sourcing-conscious shoppers
A no-drain portion may be useful away from a kitchen. If fishery sourcing guides your choice, look for a label or statement on the specific product.
What matters when choosing?
Start with the amount of tuna you can use, then compare the label and preparation needed for your lunch.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable portion size | Compare drained weight and the number of tins; total weight includes the packing liquid. | If I plan several lunches, I want to know how much tuna each tin will provide once drained. About 50% of consumers put usable portion size first. |
| Nutrition and packing medium | Read protein and salt values on the exact tin, noting whether it is packed in spring water, brine or oil. | When I build a lunch around tuna, I want the packing medium and nutrition values to fit the meal I am making. Nutrition is the primary concern for about 30% of consumers. |
| Preparation and sourcing | Check whether the portion needs draining and whether the individual tin carries the sourcing label you want. | For a lunch away from a kitchen, less draining may matter most; for another shopper, the deciding detail is a product-level sourcing label. About 20% of consumers prioritise one of these needs. |
Checks that are easy to miss
-
Reading total tin weight as the tuna portion
A tin’s stated weight can include liquid, so tins of a similar size need not provide the same amount of drained tuna.
Check the drained weight and compare the number of portions you expect to use.
-
Assuming every packing medium has the same nutrition
Spring water, brine and oil are different product formats; flavoured versions can have different ingredients too.
Use the ingredients and nutrition panel of the exact variant, particularly when comparing salt, fat and energy per 100g.
-
Applying a brand’s sourcing claim to every tin
Certification and sourcing statements can vary between products in the same range.
If a particular certification matters to you, check for its logo or wording on the tin you are buying.
-
Treating tuna as the oily-fish portion
NHS guidance says a balanced diet should include two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish; tuna should not be relied on for that oily-fish portion.
Keep that distinction in mind when planning lunches across the week.
Brands to consider
John West
The range includes ordinary tuna chunks and no-drain formats.
- A no-drain pack is an option when draining lunch is inconvenient.
- Check the packing medium and portion size of the particular pack; no-drain products are not all the same variant.
Princes
Princes offers tuna chunks alongside other cuts and prepared formats.
- Its spring-water chunks list tuna and spring water as ingredients, according to Princes.
- Check the label separately for brine-packed, oil-packed or flavoured products rather than applying the spring-water details across the range.
Tesco
Tesco’s own-label range includes spring-water tuna chunks in multipacks.
- A multipack gives regular lunch planners several individual tins.
- Check the drained quantity and label of the pack you select; formats within an own-label range can differ.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's offers own-label tuna chunks, including spring-water multipacks.
- Sainsbury's said in 2023 that its own-label canned tuna was MSC-certified and pole-and-line caught.
- For a sourcing-led choice, confirm the current wording and logo on the exact pack.
Asda
Asda’s own-label range includes a 4 x 145g spring-water tuna multipack.
- The listed multipack provides individually packed tins for repeated lunches.
- Nutrition and sourcing statements on that product should not be assumed to apply to every Asda tuna tin.
M&S
M&S offers tinned tuna in spring water and olive oil.
- The spring-water product has its own ingredients and nutrition information for label comparison.
- Check sourcing statements by product: a claim attached to one M&S tin does not establish the details of another.
Tinned tuna selections on Joybuy
These selections cover spring-water chunks for planned lunches, a no-drain spring-water format and a brine-packed multipack. Compare their drained quantities and labels according to how you prepare lunch.
No image available
John West Tuna Chunks in Springwater 4 x 125g
This four-tin spring-water pack suits lunches prepared over several days. Check the drained quantity of each tin when planning portions.
No image available
Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Spring Water 145g (6 Packs)
The listed multi-can format may suit lunches planned in advance. Confirm the can count and whether 145g refers to each tin before deciding how many portions it provides.
No image available
John West No Drain Tuna Chunks in Springwater 3 x 100g
The no-drain format is relevant when preparing lunch without a convenient place to drain a tin. It comes as three 100g tins; check the pack’s nutrition basis when comparing it with drained tuna.
No image available
Morrisons Fad Free Tuna Chunks in Spring Water 145g
This single spring-water tin is an option when you want one tin rather than a multipack. Use its drained quantity to decide whether it fits the lunch you are making.
No image available
Princes Tuna Chunks in Brine 4 x 145g
This four-tin pack provides brine-packed chunks for repeated lunches. It is not the spring-water variant, so check its salt value and drained quantity against the other tins you are considering.
Questions about tinned tuna
Is spring-water tuna a useful lunch ingredient?
Spring-water tuna can be used in a salad, sandwich or jacket potato. Check the exact tin’s ingredients, portion size and nutrition panel rather than assuming that every spring-water product has the same values.
How do I compare the amount of tuna in different tins?
Use the drained weight when comparing tins you intend to drain, and check how many tins are in each pack. Total pack weight can include packing liquid.
Does tuna count as the oily-fish portion?
Do not rely on tuna for the oily-fish portion in NHS guidance. The NHS advises including one portion of oily fish within two weekly fish portions as part of a balanced diet.
What should I do with tuna left after opening a tin?
Follow the storage instructions on the exact pack. The checked M&S spring-water product and Joybuy’s Princes spring-water listing both advise refrigerating transferred leftovers and eating them within two days; the M&S instructions specify a non-metallic container.