For repeated school sandwich fillings, a 4 x 145g pack provides more tuna by net weight than a 3 x 100g no-drain pack; choose the smaller format if skipping the draining step matters more to your routine. Compare drained quantities where stated and check the packing liquid and salt information for the exact product. Tuna is not suitable for a child with a fish allergy, and the school’s packed-lunch rules also need checking.
A larger multipack can keep several tins ready for separate lunches. Compare the net quantity and, where stated, the drained quantity: the 4 x 145g examples listed by ASDA and Sainsbury’s contain more by net weight than the 3 x 100g John West pack listed by Tesco.
John West’s 3 x 100g no-drain spring-water pack removes the draining step when making a filling. Check whether three smaller tins will cover the lunches you plan to make.
The tuna listings from ASDA and Joybuy declare fish. Do not pack tuna for a child with a fish allergy; read the current label of the exact product and check the school’s packed-lunch policy. Fish and shellfish are distinct allergen categories.
Work out how often you will make the filling, then compare pack quantity, preparation steps and the label of the tuna you would actually use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Pack quantity | Check the tin count and net weight; compare drained weight where stated. ASDA lists a 4 x 145g pack, while Tesco lists John West no-drain tuna in 3 x 100g tins. | I make tuna fillings on several school days, so I need to know how much the pack contains, not just how many tins are pictured. |
| Packing liquid | Check whether the exact tuna is in spring water, brine or oil, then read its ingredients and nutrition panel. ASDA lists 0.90g salt per 100g drained for its brine tuna; its sunflower-oil tuna lists 6.4g fat per 100g drained. | If I add other ingredients to the filling, I want to choose the tuna with the packing liquid and label details that suit that recipe. |
| Preparation | Check whether the tin needs draining and how much you intend to open at once. Tesco lists John West’s 3 x 100g product as no-drain; Joybuy’s Princes brine product gives draining instructions. | On a rushed morning, skipping a draining step may matter more to me than having larger tins. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen statement on the exact pack. ASDA and Joybuy listings for the tuna products discussed here declare fish; also check any additional allergen wording. | Before tuna goes in the lunchbox, I need to know whether my child can eat fish and whether the exact product suits their allergy requirements. |
| Opened tuna | Follow the pack’s instructions after opening. Joybuy’s John West and Princes product pages direct users to refrigerate unused tuna and consume it within 2 days; the Princes page also says to transfer leftovers to a sealed container. | If I open a tin for one lunch, I need a plan for the remainder and for keeping the prepared lunch appropriately stored. |
Three 100g tins and four 145g tins supply different net quantities. Net weight also does not necessarily tell you how much tuna remains after draining.
Check the tin sizes and compare drained quantities when the labels provide them. Consider how many fillings you expect to make from an opened tin.
Labels can differ even within a pack format. ASDA’s brine tuna lists 0.90g salt per 100g drained, while ASDA’s sunflower-oil tuna lists 6.4g fat per 100g drained. Ingredients added to the sandwich change the finished filling.
Read the exact tin’s nutrition panel and consider the whole filling you plan to prepare.
The tuna products discussed here declare fish. The Food Standards Agency identifies fish as an allergen category; a product’s other ingredients or precautionary wording must be checked separately.
Do not pack tuna for a child with a fish allergy. Read the current label rather than relying on a previous purchase or assuming what a shellfish warning would mean for the exact product.
Joybuy’s Princes listing distinguishes cool, dry storage before opening from instructions to seal and refrigerate unused tuna and consume it within 2 days. The child’s school may also have its own packed-lunch rules.
Follow the opened-product instructions, plan how the prepared filling will be kept, and check the school’s policy before packing tuna.
These examples show pack formats and label details to compare; a brand name alone does not establish the contents of every product in its range.
ASDA Groceries lists an own-label 4 x 145g tuna-chunks pack in brine.
Sainsbury’s lists own-label spring-water and brine tuna in 4 x 145g packs, as well as a smaller 3 x 80g spring-water pack.
ASDA Groceries lists Princes brine and spring-water tuna chunks in 4 x 145g packs.
Tesco lists John West No Drain Tuna Chunks with a Little Spring Water in a 3 x 100g pack.
M&S Food describes its 640g spring-water tuna as a four-pack.
Tesco’s tinned-tuna range lists Princes 4 x 145g, John West no-drain 3 x 100g and Tesco own-label 3 x 80g products.
These Joybuy options include four-tin packs in different packing liquids, a smaller no-drain pack and a spring-water multipack whose outer-pack contents are worth confirming before purchase.
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Four tins suit a household making tuna fillings on several occasions. The ASDA listing for this Princes variant states 23.5g protein and 0.90g salt per 100g drained; Joybuy instructs users to drain it before use.
Contains fish. Joybuy directs users to transfer leftovers to a sealed container, refrigerate them and consume them within 2 days. Check the pack’s drained quantity if comparing how much tuna remains after draining.
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The no-drain format skips a preparation step, while the three 100g tins provide less net weight than a 4 x 145g pack. Joybuy lists tuna, water and salt as ingredients and states 27g protein and 0.80g salt per 100g.
Contains fish. Joybuy says to refrigerate unused tuna after opening and consume it within 2 days.
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This four-tin option is packed in sunflower oil. Check whether that packing liquid suits the sandwich filling you intend to make, and use the exact pack’s nutrition panel when comparing it with water- or brine-packed tuna.
Contains fish. Check the current label and the drained quantity if the amount of tuna after draining matters to your choice.
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This spring-water four-pack offers a different tin size from the 4 x 145g examples. Check how much of a 125g tin you expect to use for each filling and compare drained quantities where stated.
Contains fish. Read the exact label before packing it for school and follow its instructions for any tuna left after opening.
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The product name identifies 145g spring-water tuna and says “6 Packs”. Confirm the outer-pack contents and total net quantity on the product page or pack before planning repeated lunches around it.
Contains fish. Check the current label for allergen and opened-product storage instructions, and look for a drained quantity if comparing it with other multipacks.
No. The tuna products discussed here declare fish and are not suitable for a child with a fish allergy. Read the current ingredients and allergen statement on the exact product, including any precautionary wording; do not assume fish and shellfish warnings mean the same thing.
No. The 4 x 145g packs listed by ASDA and Sainsbury’s contain more by net weight than the 3 x 100g John West no-drain pack listed by Tesco, but a smaller pack may fit a household that uses less tuna or wants to skip draining. Check the drained amount where stated and consider how much you will open for each filling.
Choose according to the filling you plan to make, then compare the exact products’ ingredients and nutrition panels. Princes’ spring-water and brine listings at ASDA state 0.85g and 0.90g salt per 100g drained respectively; ASDA’s sunflower-oil tuna lists 6.4g fat per 100g drained. The figures apply to those products, not every tuna packed in the same liquid.
Follow the exact pack’s storage instructions. Joybuy’s John West and Princes product pages say to refrigerate unused tuna and consume it within 2 days; the Princes page also instructs users to transfer leftovers to a sealed container. Unopened-tin cupboard instructions do not apply once the tin is open.