When preparing a meal with canned tuna for a fussy child, start with the texture they’ll accept and the amount you plan to serve. Tuna in spring water lets you choose what to add, while a product that’s already drained saves you a step and means there’s less liquid to mix into the dish. A small tin makes it easier to manage leftovers; a larger pack is suitable if you’ll use the tuna quickly and store any surplus according to the packaging instructions. In every case, check for the fish allergen, the drained weight and any bones before serving.
If your child turns down tuna when it’s too wet or served in large chunks, compare products that need draining with those described as already drained. You can then flake the fish and mix it into a dish they enjoy. Changing how you prepare it doesn’t guarantee they’ll eat the tuna.
Tuna in spring water can be mixed with a side dish you choose at mealtimes. If you want to keep preparation to a minimum, check the ingredients and preparation instructions on the tin.
If your child eats only a little fish, the drained weight can help you choose between a small tin and a pack to share. If there’s any left after opening, the product’s storage instructions become especially important.
For this meal, first decide which texture will work in the dish you have planned, then choose how much preparation is needed and how much to open. Whatever you choose, always check the label before serving tuna to a child.
| What to consider | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Texture and taste | How the tuna is presented and how much liquid needs draining; check the pieces before serving, too. | If my child doesn’t like large chunks or liquid in their dish, I want to be able to adjust how I mix in the tuna. Around 42% of consumers would put texture and taste first. |
| Quick preparation | Whether it says ‘already drained’ or gives draining instructions, as well as which ingredients to add to the dish. | When I need to put a meal together quickly, I prefer to know whether the tin needs draining. Speed would be the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Portions and leftovers | The net drained weight, fish allergen and storage instructions after opening. | If my child only eats part of the tin, I need to plan how much to serve and what to do with the rest, while checking for allergens. Managing portions and leftovers would be the main priority for around 25% of consumers. |
For tuna packed in liquid, the net drained weight tells you how much product remains after draining. The DGCCRF states that this information must appear on the label in this case.
Compare drained weights before deciding how many tins to open for the meal.
Storage instructions after opening vary by product. The product information for Auchan Pouce, Auchan Cultivons le Bon and Saupiquet gives different storage times, ranging from 24 to 48 hours in the fridge.
Transfer any leftovers to a suitable food container and follow the storage time shown on the product you’ve bought. If you don’t expect to use the surplus within that time, choose a smaller amount.
Opening a large tin for one small portion could mean throwing the rest away.
Tuna is a fish. The DGCCRF reminds consumers that allergens must be clearly highlighted in the ingredients list of pre-packed foods.
If your child is allergic to fish, don’t choose canned tuna. For any product, check the ingredients list again, especially if it contains a sauce or seasoning.
Manger Bouger recommends eating a variety of fish, including oily fish; a tin of tuna on its own doesn’t provide that variety. Anses also states that methylmercury contamination varies between species.
Keep tuna as one of several meal options and offer a variety of fish, depending on what your child will accept.
The range includes tuna in spring water and a product that Petit Navire describes as already drained.
A product of whole MSC-certified tuna in spring water is sold in a pack of three 140 g tins.
Carrefour describes its whole tuna in spring water as a pack of two tins, each with a net drained weight of 140 g.
E.Leclerc’s product information describes 93 g of net drained albacore tuna in spring water.
Auchan’s product information describes two 140 g products of skipjack tuna in spring water, sold under the Pouce and Cultivons le Bon ranges.
Lidl featured a Petit Navire pack of four 190 g tins in an offer dated 2 October 2026.
These two Petit Navire products let you choose between 140 g of white tuna in brine and 112 g of MSC-certified white tuna in spring water. For a child’s meal, choose mainly according to how you plan to prepare it, and check the drained weight, allergen information and storage instructions after opening on each pack.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you plan to add tuna in brine to a dish and choose the accompanying ingredients yourself.
Pack size shown: 140 g. Check the drained weight on the packaging to plan how much to serve, and inspect the pieces before giving them to a child.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you prefer tuna in spring water so you can choose what to add to the dish yourself.
Pack size shown: 112 g. Check the drained weight before deciding on a portion, and follow the packaging instructions for any leftovers after opening.
Serve an amount that’s right for their age rather than the contents of a whole tin. Manger Bouger gives around 50 g of fish as a guide for children aged 4 to 6, increasing gradually to around 100 g by the age of 11. The drained weight on the tin can help you work out how much will be left after the meal.
No. It mainly saves you the draining step specified for that product. If your child is bothered by liquid, this type may be easier to mix into a familiar dish, but it can’t guarantee they’ll like the taste or the pieces of fish.
Transfer it to a suitable food container and put it in the fridge, following the instructions on the tin you’ve bought. As examples for these specific products, Auchan says to use its Pouce tuna within 24 hours and its Cultivons le Bon tuna within 48 hours. Auchan’s product information for the Saupiquet pack also gives a 48-hour storage time.
Check the ingredients, fish allergen, quantity and storage instructions. For a product packed in liquid, the DGCCRF says the net drained weight must also appear on the label. Use this figure to compare how much tuna you’ll have.
No, tuna can be one of several options. Manger Bouger recommends eating a variety of fish, including oily fish. Anses reminds consumers that methylmercury contamination levels differ between species.