For lunch between work sessions, choose pre-cooked chickpeas or lentils if you want to put a meal together quickly, or a pouch that’s ready to heat if you need an even quicker option. Dried pulses that need cooking are better suited to meals planned in advance. Then compare the quantities you’ll use, the ingredients and the storage instructions for your chosen product.
Between meetings, you need a ready-cooked base or a meal that can be heated in a few minutes. Manger Bouger recommends tinned and jarred foods for quick recipes; Bjorg says its quinoa and chickpea dish is ready in two minutes.
You cook in advance, so you can allow time for soaking and cooking when needed. Manger Bouger notes, for example, that lentils don’t need soaking, while dried chickpeas and beans do.
You’d like to alternate between salads, soups and ready-made dishes rather than sticking to one type of preparation. Carrefour and Aldi offer assortments that include lentils and chickpeas in different formats.
Choose these: to put together a salad or serve pulses with another dish, without soaking or a long cooking time at lunchtime.
Bear in mind: check the drained weight and follow the product’s storage instructions after opening.
Choose these: if you’re preparing several meals in advance and want to choose the recipes yourself.
Bear in mind: Manger Bouger says chickpeas, dried beans and broad beans need to be soaked for at least 12 hours before cooking.
Choose these: when you want a hot meal with very little preparation. Bjorg says its quinoa and chickpea dish is ready in two minutes.
Bear in mind: the recipe is already prepared, so check its ingredients and allergens. The Bjorg product mentioned contains wheat bulgur.
To compare these formats for a work-from-home lunch, start with your main priority: the time you have, preparing several meals or how much you’ll use.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation time | Whether the product is ready-cooked or needs cooking; preparation and heating instructions on the packaging. | When I have a short break, I want to be able to put lunch together or heat it up without starting a long cooking process. Around 42% of consumers put speed at the top of their list of needs. |
| Meal variety | Varieties to suit your recipes; soaking and cooking requirements for dried products. | If I prepare my lunches in advance, I want to use my dried pulses in different recipes while allowing time for preparation. Versatility is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| How much you’ll use | Drained net weight for tins; number of portions and instructions for storage after opening. | Whether I’m having lunch on my own or using a pack over several meals, I want to choose an amount I can actually use. Matching the format to portion sizes comes before other criteria for around 25% of consumers. |
They don’t meet the same need as a pre-cooked product. Manger Bouger says dried chickpeas, like dried beans and broad beans, need to be soaked for at least 12 hours before cooking.
Plan ahead; for an impromptu lunch, keep some pre-cooked pulses in the cupboard too.
Soaking and cooking take time before the product is ready to use.
The total weight of a tin doesn’t necessarily match the amount of drained pulses. A pouch may also contain one or several portions.
Check the drained net weight if it’s shown, then look at the recommended portion and the instructions for storage after opening.
A ready-made dish may contain other ingredients. The Bjorg quinoa and chickpea dish mentioned in this article includes wheat bulgur, for example.
Check the ingredients list and allergens for the exact product before choosing it.
Carrefour’s range includes chickpeas and lentils, including products from its Classic’ and Bio ranges.
E.Leclerc DRIVE describes Marque Repère as a range of everyday products, available subject to local arrangements.
Auchan’s dried pulses range includes different types of lentils, split peas and beans.
Lidl’s Goldensun range includes several organic dried pulses, including lentils and chickpeas.
Aldi offers ready-to-eat Fleurs des Champs tinned lentils.
Bjorg offers a 250 g quinoa and chickpea dish, which it says is ready in two minutes.
These chickpeas and dried pulses to cook offer two ways to plan lunches at home: put a meal together with chickpeas, or prepare lentils and beans in advance. Check the cooking instructions and quantities you’ll need for each product.
Image unavailable
If you’re planning a chickpea lunch, check whether this product is ready to use or needs preparing first. The pack is listed as 820 gr; check the drained weight and storage instructions after opening so you can plan your portions.
Image unavailable
If you’d like a different size of chickpeas for your lunches, this product is listed as 540 gr. Compare its drained weight, ingredients and instructions for use with those of the format you’re considering.
Image unavailable
These split red lentils are better suited to a meal planned in advance than a lunch that’s ready straight away. The pack contains 2 kg; check the cooking instructions and plan to use this size over several meals.
Image unavailable
This 500g pack of red lentils could be used for lunches prepared in advance. Allow time to cook them, and check the packaging for preparation instructions so you can choose the right quantity for your recipe.
Image unavailable
These black-eyed beans are suitable for lunches you’ve planned ahead. The pack contains 900g; check the soaking and cooking instructions before counting on them for your lunch break.
Choose pre-cooked pulses to put a meal together without a long cooking time, or a dish that’s ready to heat if you’d like a hot lunch. Bjorg says its quinoa and chickpea dish is ready in two minutes; check the ingredients and instructions for the product you choose.
No. Manger Bouger says lentils and split peas don’t need soaking, unlike chickpeas, dried beans and broad beans, which it recommends soaking for at least 12 hours before cooking. Always follow the instructions for the specific product too.
According to the DGCCRF, a best-before date can pass if the packaging is intact. Check that this is the date shown on your product: it should not be confused with a use-by date.
Follow the storage conditions and time limit shown on the product you’ve opened. For example, the Joybuy product page for Bonduelle cooked chickpeas says to keep them refrigerated and eat them within two days of opening. This guidance does not apply to all tinned products.