For customising savoury crêpes
You’re looking for plain lentils to drain and season to suit your chosen filling, rather than a ready-made recipe.
Who is this option for?
For keeping leftovers to a minimum
You’re comparing drained weights and looking for a tin sold individually, without assuming that a smaller size is a single serving.
For making a filling quickly
A recipe that already includes vegetables or sauce could suit you, as long as its ingredients and seasoning work with your crêpes.
What should you look for?
When choosing a tin of lentils for Candlemas, first decide how much you need, then consider how much control you want over the seasoning. Each percentage below refers to consumers who would consider that factor their main priority.
| Criteria | What to check | Which consumers? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and leftovers | Compare the drained weight and check whether the pack contains one tin or a multipack. | If I’m only making a small batch of crêpes, I want to avoid opening more lentils than I need. Around 40% of consumers would make minimising leftovers their priority. |
| A base you can customise | Read the ingredients to tell plain lentils apart from an already seasoned recipe, and check the allergen information too. | If I want to choose the herbs and sauce for my filling myself, I prefer to start with plain lentils. This freedom to season them would be a priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| A ready-prepared recipe | Check which vegetables or sauce the recipe contains, as well as the salt content per 100 g. | When I’m making the filling at the last minute, I prefer a ready-made recipe to a sauce that needs preparing separately. Around 30% of consumers would put the convenience of this option first. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Comparing total weight instead of drained weight
The total weight of a tin, including its liquid, isn’t the same as the amount of lentils left after draining. The DGCCRF states that the drained net weight must be shown for food sold in a covering liquid.
Use this information to plan your filling. If there are more lentils than you need, decide how you’ll use the leftovers too.
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Confusing a small tin with a multipack of small tins
Carrefour lists a 265 g tin separately from a pack of 3 × 130 g tins. The weight of one unit doesn’t tell you how the product is packed.
Check how many tins are included before choosing a size for a single meal.
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Treating a ready-made recipe like plain lentils
Auchan’s 400 g prepared lentils contain carrots and onions, among other ingredients, and have a salt content of 0.93 g per 100 g. They don’t give you the same freedom to season the dish as a plain lentil base.
If your crêpe recipe already includes a sauce or vegetables, read the ingredients before choosing a tin.
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Assuming an online listing matches the label on every tin
Auchan states that the ingredients and country of manufacture for its plain lentils may vary depending on the online grocery service and the date of purchase.
If an ingredient, allergen or country of origin matters to you, check the label on the product you actually receive.
Brands to know when comparing sizes
These products give you a basis for comparing quantities and recipes. The details below apply to the products mentioned, not to every tinned product from each brand.
Bonduelle
Bonduelle offers plain lentils with a drained weight of 530 g, as well as lentils cooked in very little juice with a drained weight of 265 g.
- The 265 g product is ready-cooked and labelled for use in hot or cold dishes.
- It lists a serving size of 130 g, so the whole tin isn’t automatically a single serving. The brand also warns that this product may contain soya and cereals containing gluten.
Carrefour Classic'
Carrefour lists Classic' lentils in 265 g and 530 g tins, as well as a multipack of 3 × 130 g.
- The 265 g tin gives you a compact size to compare with the 530 g tin.
- The 3 × 130 g pack contains several tins, so check the pack size if you’re looking for just one.
Auchan
Auchan’s range includes plain lentils with a drained weight of 530 g, and 400 g prepared lentils with carrots and onions.
- The ready-prepared recipe states its salt content: 0.93 g per 100 g.
- For its plain lentils, Auchan says that the ingredients and country of manufacture may vary depending on the online grocery service and the date of purchase.
d'aucy
The 530 g drained-weight ready-prepared lentils are described as grown and made in France, and should be drained before use.
- This quantity could work for a meal for several people, or for another planned use for the leftovers.
- The country of origin and weight mentioned apply to this specific product, not to every d'aucy size.
Fleurs des Champs (ALDI)
ALDI offers Fleurs des Champs ready-prepared lentils in a 530 g tin.
- This product is worth considering if you have plans for more than just one small filling.
- A 530 g tin won’t suit the same needs as a small, single tin.
An option for a ready-prepared filling
This tin of ready-prepared lentils with carrots and onions is an option for a filling that’s already made for savoury crêpes. If you’d rather season plain lentils yourself, compare the ingredients before choosing.
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Cassegrain Ready-prepared Lentils with Carrots and Onions, 265 g
Worth considering if you want a filling that already contains vegetables rather than a plain base to season yourself. The listed size is 265 g; check the drained weight and the number of tins in the pack to work out how much you’ll have to use.
Frequently asked questions
Which weight should you compare when planning a lentil filling?
If the lentils are sold in a covering liquid, compare their drained net weight: this tells you how much you’ll have after draining. The DGCCRF states that this information must appear on the labels of the relevant foods.
How should you store tinned lentils after opening?
Follow the storage instructions on the tin you’ve bought. The guidance for the Bonduelle and Auchan products mentioned here recommends refrigerating the contents in a suitable container after opening, and eating them within two days or 48 hours, depending on the product.
Do ‘Bolognese-style’ lentils always contain meat?
No, the description alone doesn’t tell you. Bonduelle says that its ‘Bolognese-style Lentils’ product contains no meat. For any other recipe, check the ingredients on the tin.
Are the country of origin and ingredients the same at every online grocery service?
Not necessarily for Auchan plain lentils: the retailer says that their ingredients and country of manufacture may vary depending on the online grocery service and the date of purchase. Check the label on the product you receive if these details affect your choice.