For regular sandwiches and pasta bakes, start with multipack chunks and compare the drained quantity on a like-for-like basis. Choose no-drain tuna when skipping preparation matters, or a particular cut, liquid or sourcing statement when it matters to the dish or your purchasing priorities. Those features do not, by themselves, establish better value for every meal.
If tuna is a regular basket item, the number of tins and the quantity available after draining matter more to your comparison than pack size alone. Tesco Groceries and Sainsbury's list tuna using unit measures that need checking before they are compared.
For a sandwich, salad or work lunch, avoiding the draining step may be the reason to choose a different format. John West describes its No Drain spring-water chunks as ready to use.
When the tuna will remain visible in a salad or simple dish, the named cut and the sourcing statement on the exact tin may shape your choice. Marks & Spencer, for example, describes its spring-water chunks as pole-and-line caught under its Forever Fish policy.
Decide first whether the tuna is mainly for routine mixed dishes, a quick meal with little preparation, or a dish where its cut and sourcing matter.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Usable quantity | Compare the number of tins and their drained weights where stated. Keep net and drained-weight measures distinct. | If tuna goes into frequent sandwiches or cooked meals, I want to know how much I can use after draining each tin. About 40% of consumers would put comparable usable quantity first. |
| No-drain convenience | Check that the exact variant is labelled no-drain, along with its tin size and packing liquid. | For a desk lunch, I may prefer to open the tin and add the tuna straight to my meal. That ready-to-use format would be the primary need for about 30% of consumers. |
| Cut and sourcing | Read the cut and liquid on the tin; check any sourcing statement or certification on that product. | When tuna is prominent in a salad, I care about the specified cut or a sourcing statement I can check. For about 30% of consumers, one of those details would lead the choice. |
A tin packed with liquid does not necessarily provide its full stated net weight as tuna. Tesco Groceries uses a drained-weight measure for some listings, so unlike measures can distort a comparison.
Check which weight each measure describes, particularly when comparing multipacks for a recipe that uses drained tuna.
A no-drain pack removes a preparation step, while a specified cut may matter when the pieces remain visible. Neither distinction necessarily changes a filling mixed into a pasta bake.
Choose the format for the meal: consider no-drain tuna for immediate use, and check the cut for salads or simple dishes where the pieces remain noticeable.
The NHS says fresh and canned tuna do not count as oily fish. Packing tuna in oil does not change that classification.
Do not use the packing liquid as a shortcut for deciding whether a fish counts as oily fish under NHS guidance.
Its range includes No Drain chunks as well as other tinned-tuna formats.
Princes lists chunks, drained tuna, sandwich tuna, steaks and Ocean Select products.
Tesco Groceries lists own-label and branded tuna in different cuts, liquids and pack formats.
Sainsbury's lists own-label tuna chunks in spring water and brine alongside branded options.
Asda Groceries carries branded tinned tuna, including a John West No Drain sunflower-oil multipack.
M&S lists spring-water chunks and other tuna formats, including products for shoppers interested in stated sourcing.
These tins cover multipack chunks in spring water, brine and sunflower oil, plus a No Drain spring-water pack. Match the format to the meal, then compare the quantities stated for the exact products.
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For lunches where draining is inconvenient, this No Drain spring-water format comes in three 100g tins. Check its quantity against conventional chunks if the amount of tuna for each meal is your main concern.
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This six-tin pack suits keeping spring-water chunks on hand for regular sandwiches, salads or pasta. Each tin is labelled 145g; check drained weight when comparing the tuna available for a recipe.
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These spring-water chunks come in four 125g tins for routine meals such as sandwiches, salads or pasta. Unlike the separate John West No Drain pack shown here, this product is not identified by its title as a no-drain format.
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For regular meals where brine-packed chunks suit the recipe, this pack contains four 145g tins. Keep its packing liquid and drained quantity in view when comparing it with spring-water chunks.
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Choose this four-tin pack if sunflower oil is the packing liquid you want for the dish; each tin is labelled 145g. Check the basis on this pack's nutrition label before comparing its figures with values stated per 100g drained for another product.
Check the number of tins and the drained weight where it is stated, rather than treating net weight as the amount of tuna you will use. Compare similar cuts and packing liquids when those differences matter to your recipe.
The liquid and the nutrition figures differ for the specific Princes chunks compared here: Princes lists 99 kcal and 0.5g fat per 100g drained for its spring-water product, versus 180 kcal and 9.5g fat for its sunflower-oil product on the same basis. Both list 23.5g protein per 100g drained. Check the figures on the exact tin you choose.
Yes, within the limit given by NHS pregnancy guidance: no more than four cans of tuna or two tuna steaks a week. The guidance concerns tuna consumption, not the relative quality of particular tins.
No. The NHS states that fresh and canned tuna do not count as oily fish; a tin packed in oil should not be mistaken for an oily-fish option on that basis.
Follow the instructions on the exact product. Marks & Spencer says to transfer unused contents of its spring-water chunks to a non-metallic container, refrigerate and eat within two days; Asda Groceries lists refrigeration after opening and consumption within two days for a John West No Drain sunflower-oil product.