Choose a single tin in spring water if you can drain it and expect to finish it at lunch; compare drained weight and the nutrition panel rather than judging the portion by the weight on the front of the tin. A no-drain can is worth considering when you have nowhere convenient to dispose of liquid, but check whether it is sold only in a multipack. If you are comparing salt, read the figure on the exact product: spring-water tins do not all have the same declaration.
A single tin can be added to a sandwich, salad or jacket potato. Check the drained weight if you intend to use the whole tin: Tesco Groceries lists 102g drained weight for its 145g spring-water tin. The weight on the front of a tin includes its packing liquid.
A no-drain can avoids having to tip away packing liquid during a short break. Check the weight of each can and whether the product is a single tin or a multipack; the John West no-drain example listed by Sainsbury's comes as three 60g cans.
Read the salt figure and sourcing statement on the particular tin. Tesco Groceries lists 0.90g salt per 100g drained for its spring-water tuna, while Sainsbury's lists 0.12g per 100g drained for its own-label spring-water version. A catch-method statement or certification mark answers a different question from the nutrition panel.
Start with how you will open, drain and use the tin during your break, then compare portions and labels on products that fit that plan.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion and pack | Check whether the listing is for one tin or several. Compare net weight with drained weight where both are stated: Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's list 102g drained for their respective 145g Tesco and Princes spring-water tins. | I want enough tuna for my lunch without having to store part of an opened tin. If I only want to buy one can, I need to spot multipacks before choosing. |
| Draining | Check whether the tin is packed in spring water, brine or oil, or is labelled no-drain. For easy opening, check the physical pack rather than assuming it has a ring pull. | There may be no convenient place to drain liquid between lectures, so a no-drain can could be easier to use. If I can prepare lunch beforehand, a tin that needs draining remains an option. |
| Nutrition and ingredients | Compare figures on the same basis, such as per 100g drained, and read the ingredients. Tesco Groceries lists 24.9g protein and 0.90g salt per 100g drained for its spring-water tin; Sainsbury's lists 26.1g and 0.12g respectively for its own-label version. | If salt or the ingredients matter to me, I need the declaration on the exact tin. The words ‘spring water’ alone do not tell me its salt figure. |
| Sourcing | Look for a product-specific MSC certification statement or a stated catch method. Check the current label, as a sourcing claim does not describe the portion, salt declaration or opening method. | I want to know which sourcing claim applies to the can I am buying, while making my lunch-format and nutrition comparisons separately. |
| Leftovers | Read the opened-pack instructions and arrange refrigeration if you will not finish the tin. Sainsbury's specifies one day for its own-label example; Tesco Groceries specifies two days for its example. | If I cannot refrigerate leftovers after lunch, choosing a portion I expect to finish avoids having to carry an opened tin. |
Retailer labels for specific spring-water tins differ: Sainsbury's lists 0.12g salt per 100g drained for its own-label tin, while Tesco Groceries and ASDA Groceries each list 0.90g for theirs.
If salt is part of your decision, compare the per-100g drained declarations on the tins you would actually choose between.
A multipack still provides individual cans for separate lunches, but it does not match a plan to buy just one tin. The John West no-drain example listed by Sainsbury's contains three cans.
Check both the number of cans and the quantity in each before choosing a pack.
Opened-pack instructions vary by product. The researched Sainsbury's own-label tin specifies use within one day after refrigeration; Tesco Groceries, ASDA Groceries and several branded examples specify two days.
If you expect leftovers, follow that tin's instructions for transferring, covering and refrigerating them, or choose a portion you expect to finish.
An MSC mark or pole-and-line statement concerns sourcing; it does not establish a tin's salt level, drained portion or suitability for eating between lectures.
Check the sourcing statement alongside the nutrition panel, pack size and opening format.
These details concern the particular tins and ranges described by retailers, not every product carrying each brand name.
Sainsbury's lists a 125g spring-water tin with 102g drained weight, as well as a separate John West no-drain range.
Sainsbury's lists individual 145g Princes tins in spring water and in brine.
Tesco Groceries lists a 145g own-label skipjack tuna tin in spring water.
Its listed 145g own-label spring-water tin is described by Sainsbury's as pole-and-line caught and from an MSC-certified fishery.
ASDA Groceries lists a 145g own-label skipjack tuna tin in spring water.
M&S Food lists a 160g spring-water tin and describes its tuna as pole-and-line caught under its Forever Fish sourcing policy.
These options include single tins in spring water, brine and sunflower oil, plus a no-drain multipack whose individual cans could be used for separate lunches. Check the pack format against whether you want one tin for one lecture day or cans for later meals.
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A single spring-water tin for a lunch you can prepare or drain before eating. Check the can's drained weight if the amount of tuna after draining matters to you; follow its opened-pack instructions if you keep any leftovers.
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A single brine-packed tin if that packing medium suits your lunch. Compare its salt declaration with any spring-water alternative you are considering, and check the drained weight rather than treating 145g as the drained portion.
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A no-drain format for a break when disposing of liquid is inconvenient. This listing is for three 100g cans, not a single-can purchase; check that you want the additional cans and read the nutrition basis on the pack before comparing figures with drained tuna.
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A single tin packed in sunflower oil rather than spring water or brine. Decide whether that packing medium fits how you will prepare lunch, and check the drained weight if you need to compare the amount of tuna with another tin.
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A single 160g spring-water tin for a lunch ingredient. Check its drained weight and whether the nutrition figures refer to drained tuna before comparing its portion or per-100g values with another product; follow the pack's storage instructions for leftovers.
It can supply the tuna for a lunch, but 145g is the net weight, not necessarily the amount after draining. Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's each list 102g drained weight for their respective 145g Tesco and Princes spring-water tins. Consider what else you plan to eat with it rather than treating the tin as a complete meal.
Choose by the particular tin's ingredients, salt declaration and the packing medium you prefer, rather than assuming one name settles the comparison. Sainsbury's lists 0.12g salt per 100g drained for its own-label spring-water tuna, while Tesco Groceries lists 0.90g for its spring-water tuna and Sainsbury's lists 0.9g for its Princes brine tin.
Follow the instructions on your tin and arrange a suitable container and refrigeration if you expect leftovers. Sainsbury's tells buyers of its own-label spring-water tin to transfer unused contents to a non-metal container, refrigerate and use them within one day; Tesco Groceries gives a two-day period for its listed tin after transfer, covering and refrigeration.
Yes. NHS pregnancy guidance says to have no more than four cans of tuna or two tuna steaks a week. The Food Standards Agency explained in November 2024 that the can-based recommendation uses a medium-sized can with around 140g drained weight as its reference, so check the drained size rather than assuming differently sized cans match that reference exactly.
No. The NHS states that fresh and canned tuna do not count as oily fish, so a tuna lunch should not be counted as an oily-fish serving.