For a savoury Pancake Day filling, you need not start with a specialist reduced-sugar tuna: plain spring-water and brine examples listed by Princes Food and Drinks and ASDA Groceries declare 0g sugars or less than 0.5g per 100g. Choose the liquid and can format for the filling you are making, then check the exact tin’s sugar and salt declarations, fish allergen information and any sauces or toppings you add.
If you want to control the sweetness of a tuna filling, start with an unflavoured tin and consider the ingredients you add to it. Plain spring-water and brine examples listed by Princes Food and Drinks and ASDA Groceries declare 0g sugars or less than 0.5g per 100g.
If you are filling several pancakes, a no-drain format removes a preparation step. ASDA Groceries lists John West No Drain tuna as ready to eat and declares 0g sugars per 100g for that product.
Low declared sugars do not tell you the salt content. The plain Princes and John West examples listed by Princes Food and Drinks and ASDA Groceries declare between 0.80g and 0.90g salt per 100g, depending on the product.
For a savoury filling, choose between plain spring-water and brine tuna according to the base you want; consider no-drain packaging separately if preparation time matters. Check the exact pack rather than assuming that its liquid or format determines every nutrition value.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars in the filling | Read sugars per 100g on the exact tin, using a drained value where specified. Check sauces and toppings separately. | I want a savoury filling without overlooking sugar in the tuna or the ingredients mixed into it. About 40% of consumers put this sugar check first. |
| Preparation time | Look for an explicit no-drain instruction if you want to skip draining; check the can size too. | When I am assembling several pancakes, I want fewer preparation steps. About 30% of consumers make quick assembly their primary concern. |
| Leftovers and pack size | Compare the number and size of cans with what you plan to use, and follow the pack’s after-opening directions. | A tin that is larger than my filling needs leaves me with tuna to store or use in another meal. For about 30% of consumers, managing portions and leftovers comes first. |
Plain tuna examples from Princes Food and Drinks and ASDA Groceries declare 0g sugars or less than 0.5g per 100g. A sweet sauce, chutney or topping is a separate ingredient in the finished pancake.
Check the exact tin’s nutrition declaration, then read the labels of any prepared ingredients you plan to add.
The checked plain spring-water and brine products have low declared sugars, but their salt values vary by product. The liquid on the front of the can does not replace a check of the nutrition panel.
If salt matters to your choice, compare the per-100g salt figures on the tins you are considering.
ASDA Groceries’ directions for the checked tuna products say to refrigerate unused contents and use them within two days. Its Asda spring-water multipack also specifies transferring leftovers to a suitable non-metallic container.
Match the can size to the pancakes you plan to fill, and follow the storage directions on the product you open.
An unfinished can may go to waste if you cannot use the remainder within its stated after-opening period.
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 tin’s sugar declaration does not change that guidance.
Consider tuna eaten across the week, not just the portion used in a pancake filling.
Its checked tuna chunks in brine offer a plain tuna, water and salt option for a savoury filling.
The checked products include conventional spring-water chunks and a separate No Drain format for a filling you want to assemble quickly.
Its checked own-label spring-water four-pack is another plain-tuna option for making more than one filling.
These plain brine, spring-water and no-drain tuna packs offer different can formats for savoury pancake fillings. Check the nutrition and preparation instructions on the exact product before choosing.
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A four-can brine pack to consider when making several savoury fillings. Each can is labelled 145g; check the exact pack’s sugar, salt and draining instructions.
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Consider this no-drain spring-water format when you want to assemble pancake fillings without a separate draining step. The pack contains three 100g cans; check its nutrition and after-opening directions.
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A single brine tin to consider if you want to open one can for a savoury filling. The labelled size is 145g; check its drained quantity, nutrition declaration and storage directions for any remainder.
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A single spring-water tin for a savoury filling whose other flavours you plan to add yourself. The labelled size is 145g; read the exact pack for sugars, salt, draining and leftover storage.
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A four-can spring-water pack to consider when preparing more than one savoury filling. Each can is labelled 125g; if avoiding draining matters, check this pack’s own instructions rather than assuming it is a No Drain product.
Not necessarily: plain tuna examples listed by Princes Food and Drinks and ASDA Groceries declare 0g sugars or less than 0.5g per 100g. Read the exact tin’s nutrition panel and check any sauce or topping separately.
No. Checked plain products listed by Princes Food and Drinks and ASDA Groceries declare between 0.80g and 0.90g salt per 100g while also declaring 0g or less than 0.5g sugars per 100g. Compare both lines on the pack you intend to use.
Follow the directions on the exact pack. ASDA Groceries advises refrigerating leftovers and using them within two days for the checked products; its Asda spring-water multipack also specifies transferring unused tuna to a suitable non-metallic container.
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. That weekly guidance applies regardless of whether the tuna is packed in brine or spring water.
Tuna is fish, and the checked product ingredient lists identify fish. A tuna filling is unsuitable for someone with a fish allergy; check the labels of the other filling ingredients as well.