For a quick desk lunch, check the ingredients and sugars line on the exact tin rather than assuming spring water means less sugar. Plain tuna in water, brine or oil can list 0g sugars; a no-drain pack addresses the practical problem of opening tuna where there is no place to drain it. If you can drain a standard tin, compare its portion size and storage instructions before choosing a convenience format.
The right format depends on whether you can drain a tin, how closely you check ingredients and what else matters in your lunch.
If there is no sink or suitable place to pour away liquid, a no-drain pack removes that preparation step. John West describes its No Drain Tuna Chunks in Spring Water as ready to eat; check the pack size against what you expect to finish.
Plain tuna and seasoned tuna need separate label checks. Princes lists 0.0g sugars per 100g drained for its plain spring-water and sunflower-oil chunks, while sugar appears in the ingredients of its sweet-chilli tuna.
A zero-sugars figure does not tell you about energy, fat or salt. Compare those figures on the same per-100g basis if they affect your choice of packing liquid or the rest of your lunch.
Check sugar and ingredients first, then choose a format you can open, eat and store appropriately at work.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and ingredients | Read both the ingredients and “of which sugars” per 100g. Check flavoured tins separately for sugar-containing sauces or seasoning. | I want to know what is in this particular tin, rather than treating “in spring water” or “reduced sugar” as an answer. |
| Preparation at work | Check whether the exact pack says no-drain or instructs you to drain it. Look at the individual can size, not just the multipack size. | With no sink near my desk, I would rather open a portion without disposing of packing liquid. |
| Other nutrition figures | Compare energy, fat and salt using the same declared basis, such as per 100g drained. Do not use the sugars figure as a substitute for the rest of the panel. | Zero sugars matters to me, but I also want to compare what water, brine and oil versions contribute to my lunch. |
| Portions and leftovers | Check the amount in each can and the opened-pack refrigeration instructions. Plan for a way to store leftovers if you will not finish it. | A smaller can may be more practical when I cannot put an opened portion in a fridge. |
| Sourcing information | Look for an MSC label or a specific sourcing statement on the exact product; do not assume it applies to every tuna tin from the brand. | If sourcing affects my choice, I want to check the claim on the pack I am buying. |
Princes lists 0.0g sugars per 100g drained for both its plain spring-water and sunflower-oil chunks. The packing liquid alone does not establish a sugar difference.
Compare the ingredients and sugars figures for the exact tins, using the same per-100g basis.
Princes lists sugar among the seasoning ingredients of its sweet-chilli tuna, unlike the plain examples. A flavoured tin needs its own label check.
If your requirement is a stated 0g sugars, check both the nutrition panel and ingredients before choosing a flavour.
The reviewed John West, M&S and Tesco packs instruct shoppers to refrigerate opened leftovers and use them within two days. That matters when lunch is eaten away from a fridge.
Choose a can size you expect to finish, or make sure you can follow the exact pack’s storage instructions.
Leftovers that cannot be stored as directed may have to be discarded.
Plain tuna can list zero sugars across different packing liquids while its other nutrition figures differ.
Once you have checked sugars, compare energy, fat and salt on a like-for-like basis and consider what you will add to the lunch.
These examples describe specific reviewed products, not the nutrition or sourcing of every tin in a brand’s range.
Its No Drain Tuna Chunks in Spring Water 3 x 100g pack is relevant when draining at work is inconvenient.
Its reviewed products illustrate why plain and flavoured tins should be compared separately.
Its reviewed Tuna Chunks in Spring Water provides a plain option in a 160g tin and a 640g four-pack.
The reviewed Stockwell & Co Tuna Chunks in Brine 145g is a plain brine-packed example.
These options cover a named no-drain spring-water multipack and plain spring-water or brine tins for lunches where you can manage the packing liquid. Check each product’s current label for sugars and opened-pack instructions.
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The named no-drain format is the option here for opening tuna at a desk without dealing with packing liquid. The pack contains three 100g cans; check the label for sugars and follow its instructions for any opened leftovers.
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Four separate 125g cans allow you to open one for a lunch. If avoiding the draining step is essential, confirm the format of these individual cans rather than assuming they are part of the No Drain range.
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This four-can brine multipack suits separate lunches when you have somewhere to drain the tuna. The product information instructs you to drain it before use and to refrigerate opened leftovers.
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A single 145g brine-packed can may suit a lunch you expect to finish in one sitting. Confirm the opening and draining instructions if you will eat it away from a kitchen; refrigerate any leftovers as directed on the pack.
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This single 145g spring-water tin is another portion-size option for a desk lunch. Check its draining instructions if you cannot dispose of liquid at work, and follow the pack’s directions for opened leftovers.
No. Princes lists 0.0g sugars per 100g drained for its reviewed plain spring-water and sunflower-oil chunks, but its sweet-chilli tuna lists sugar in the seasoning and less than 2.0g sugars per 100g. Check the ingredients and sugars line on the exact tin.
Not necessarily. The reviewed plain Princes spring-water and sunflower-oil chunks both list 0.0g sugars per 100g drained. If the packing liquid affects your choice, compare energy and fat as well as sugars on the same declared basis.
A no-drain tin removes the step of pouring away packing liquid, which is useful when there is no suitable place to do that at work. John West describes its reviewed 3 x 100g spring-water pack as ready to eat; a standard tin remains an option if you can drain it and manage any leftovers.
Follow the exact pack’s storage instructions. The reviewed John West, M&S and Tesco products direct shoppers to refrigerate opened leftovers and consume them within two days; M&S and Tesco also specify transferring unused contents to a non-metallic container.