Start with tuna in spring water rather than brine if cutting down salt is your priority: the NHS recommends tinned fish in water for that purpose. Compare the salt figures on the exact tins before choosing; a no-drain pack can make a desk lunch easier to prepare, but its wording does not establish that it contains less salt.
If tuna is going into a sandwich, wrap, salad or jacket potato, start by comparing water-packed tins with their brine-packed alternatives. Check the salt declaration on the tuna and on anything else you add to lunch.
A no-drain format can avoid dealing with liquid at a shared desk. Check the pack size and salt declaration as well as the handling instructions: no-drain describes preparation, not salt content.
Convenient individual tins can make it easy to lose track of tuna across several meals. The Food Standards Agency advises these groups to have no more than four cans of tuna a week or two tuna steaks a week.
Choose the packing style that works at your desk, then compare the exact tins rather than treating their front-of-pack descriptions as salt measurements.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Salt | The NHS recommends tinned fish in water instead of brine when cutting down salt. Compare salt per 100g and per serving or tin on the products you are considering; traffic-light labels can help with an initial comparison. | I want to cut down salt without choosing a tin solely because it says spring water or no drain. |
| Desk preparation | Check whether the pack says no drain or gives draining directions. Tesco and Waitrose list John West no-drain spring-water multipacks in 3x100g chunks and 3x60g steaks. | There is nowhere convenient to pour away liquid when I make lunch at work. |
| Portion size | Compare the number of tins, tin size and drained weight where stated. Tesco lists spring-water chunks in 4x145g and 3x80g packs; a smaller tin may fit a single lunch differently from a larger one. | I would rather open an amount that suits my lunch than plan around part of a larger tin. |
| Weekly frequency | If you are pregnant or trying for a baby, count tuna across all meals. The Food Standards Agency advises no more than four cans a week or two tuna steaks a week for these groups; the packing liquid does not change that guidance. | Tuna appears in several of my lunches, so I need to keep track across the week. |
Water is the NHS-recommended starting point over brine when cutting down salt, while no drain tells you about handling. Neither description identifies which particular tin has the lower salt figure.
Compare the salt declaration per 100g and per serving or tin on the exact packs.
Sauces, cheese and other fillings can add salt to a tuna sandwich or wrap. The NHS adult limit of 6g of salt a day includes salt already in food and salt added to it.
Check the labels of the ingredients you use alongside the tuna, especially sauces and ready-made fillings.
A desk-lunch tin still counts towards the weekly tuna guidance for people who are pregnant or trying for a baby.
The Food Standards Agency advises these groups to have no more than four cans of tuna a week or two tuna steaks a week; count tuna in salads, sandwiches and other meals together.
These ranges illustrate pack formats to compare; a brand name or retailer listing cannot establish the salt content of a particular tin.
Tesco Groceries lists own-label tuna chunks in spring water in 4x145g and 3x80g packs.
Sainsbury's lists own-label tuna chunks in spring water in a 4x145g pack alongside branded water-packed options.
Tesco Groceries and Waitrose & Partners list John West no-drain spring-water formats, including 3x100g chunks and 3x60g steaks.
Sainsbury's lists Princes tuna chunks in spring water in a 4x145g multipack.
Asda Groceries has an online tuna category that shoppers can use to examine individual products.
These spring-water tuna packs cover no-drain chunks and standard tinned chunks for desk lunches. Compare their exact salt labels before deciding whether a pack meets your reduced-salt aim.
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The no-drain format is relevant if disposing of liquid at your desk is awkward. The pack contains three 100g tins; compare its salt declaration with other tins rather than treating no drain as a salt claim.
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This four-tin spring-water pack is an option when you can accommodate the pack's preparation directions at work. Each tin is 125g; check those directions and compare the salt label before buying.
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This 145g spring-water tin is a single-tin option for a desk lunch. Compare its salt declaration with other packs and check the preparation directions if draining at work would be inconvenient.
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This 160g spring-water tin calls for draining before use, so plan for a place to dispose of the liquid at work. Check the exact pack's salt declaration when comparing it with other tins.
Do not assume that every spring-water tin has less salt than every brine-packed tin. The NHS recommends choosing tinned fish in water instead of brine when cutting down salt; compare the salt per 100g and per serving on the exact products to make your choice.
Start with the salt declaration per 100g, then check the figure for the amount you plan to eat. GOV.UK says traffic-light labels can help compare salt at a glance; also check sauces and fillings if they will be part of the lunch.
No-drain describes how the tuna is prepared, not its salt content. Use it as a handling consideration for a desk lunch, then compare the salt declaration on the exact tin.
The Food Standards Agency 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. Count tuna eaten in lunches and other meals together; choosing spring water does not change that guidance.
No. The NHS says fresh and canned tuna do not count as oily fish, so choosing a tuna tin does not fulfil the oily-fish part of its fish guidance.