For a quick lunch at work, choose plain, ready-cooked lentils if you can drain them and put your meal together. A ready-made recipe needs fewer additions, but it’s worth checking the ingredients carefully. If you can’t refrigerate an opened tin, choose a pack you can finish there and then rather than a large tin intended for several meals.
Ready-cooked lentils make it easy to prepare a salad at work without cooking, as long as you can drain them and have the other ingredients you need. Bonduelle says its lentils, cooked in very little juice, can be eaten hot or cold.
A 530 g pack may suit you if you’re planning several lunches and have a fridge to store the remainder as instructed on the tin. Packs of this size are available from Carrefour Classic’, Auchan, E.Leclerc Eco+ and ALDI; check the preparation instructions and drained weight for each one separately.
A ready-made lentil recipe means you won’t need to bring as much seasoning to work. However, check the ingredients, allergens and salt content for the specific product you choose: ready-made recipes are not interchangeable with plain lentils.
For lunch at work, start with what you’ll be able to prepare there. Then choose a usable quantity and check the ingredients for the exact recipe.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing them at work | Check whether the lentils are already cooked, whether they can be eaten cold and what’s needed if you want to heat them. | Without a kitchen at work, I’m looking for something I can eat cold or heat quickly. Around 40% of consumers put ease of preparation first. |
| Pack size you can use | Check the net drained weight and storage instructions after opening before choosing a tin to split across several meals. | If I don’t finish the tin at lunch, I need to be able to keep the rest chilled. Managing pack size is the main concern for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ingredients | Check the ingredients, allergens and salt content per 100 g for the product you’ve chosen. | When choosing between plain lentils and a ready-made recipe, I want to know exactly what’s in my portion. Around 30% of consumers prioritise ingredients. |
For lentils in a covering liquid, the net weight and net drained weight are not the same. The DGCCRF states that the net drained weight must be shown in this case.
Check the drained weight on the label to choose a quantity that suits your lunch or the meals you’re planning.
Carrefour Classic’ plain lentils list soaked lentils, water and salt. Auchan’s recipe with goose fat contains other ingredients, including milk, so the word “lentils” alone doesn’t tell you what’s in a ready-made recipe.
Check the ingredients, allergens and nutrition information on the tin you choose, particularly the salt content per 100 g.
A tin intended for several meals means you’ll need to store anything you don’t eat properly. For its lentils cooked in very little juice, Bonduelle says they can be kept for up to 48 hours after opening at 4 °C or below.
If there’s no fridge at work, choose a quantity you can finish. Otherwise, follow the storage instructions for the specific product you’ve bought.
Some of the contents may go to waste if you can’t store them after opening.
The best-before date applies to the product in its intact packaging. It doesn’t replace the storage instructions for after opening.
Check the condition of the tin before opening it, then follow the storage conditions and time limit given for the opened contents.
These products show how pack sizes and recipes can differ. Check the label on the exact product before choosing.
The brand offers ready-cooked lentils, including a “cooked in very little juice” variety designed to be eaten hot or cold.
Carrefour’s plain lentils are sold in a tin with a net drained weight of 530 g.
The range includes plain lentils and ready-made recipes, which should be compared as separate products.
E.Leclerc lists a 530 g tin of Eco+ lentils.
ALDI lists a 530 g tin of prepared lentils.
Yes, if they’re ready-cooked and the instructions say they can be eaten cold. Bonduelle’s lentils cooked in very little juice are one example. Check the instructions on your tin and bring something to drain them with if needed.
Store the leftovers according to the instructions for the product you’ve bought, rather than leaving an open tin in a drawer. For its lentils cooked in very little juice, Bonduelle says they can be kept for up to 48 hours after opening at 4 °C or below.
Not necessarily. The DGCCRF says a product may still be eaten after its best-before date if the packaging is intact, although its taste may have changed. This doesn’t replace the storage instructions for after opening.
No. A ready-made recipe can be very different from plain lentils. Carrefour Classic’ lists soaked lentils, water and salt for its plain variety, while Auchan’s lentils cooked with goose fat contain milk, among other ingredients. Check the ingredients and allergens on each tin.