For a quick lunch at university, choose lentils, chickpeas or beans that are already cooked, in a tin or jar, then check the drained weight and number of portions. Plain pulses let you choose the seasoning; a multipack of smaller portions can help cut down on leftovers, while a ready-made recipe means checking the ingredients and preparation instructions.
You need a ready-cooked base that you can prepare before you leave or put together without soaking or lengthy cooking. Manger Bouger lists tinned and jarred pulses among the options for preparing recipes quickly.
You’d rather open a smaller portion than have to store a large tin after lunch. Carrefour and Auchan both offer multipacks of smaller tins, and Auchan lists a Bonduelle multipack of 2 × 130 g.
You use lentils, chickpeas or beans as the base of your meal, then choose what to serve alongside them. The tin size should match the amount you actually plan to take with you.
Start by distinguishing ready-cooked pulses from products that need preparing. Then compare the number of units in a multipack, the drained weight and the instructions for the recipe you’ve chosen.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Quick preparation | Check whether the pulses are already cooked, and read the preparation or reheating instructions. | With no kitchen at university, I want to be able to put my lunch together without soaking or lengthy cooking. Around 33% of consumers prioritise speed. |
| Leftovers to store | Compare the number of tins in the multipack with the amount in each one. | If I’m only taking a small amount, I’d rather not open a large tin. For around 27% of consumers, cutting down on leftovers comes before other criteria. |
| Amount after draining | Distinguish the total weight from the drained weight, and check the stated number of portions. | When preparing my lunch, I need to know how much will be left once the liquid has been drained. This is the main criterion for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredients list and compare the nutritional information, especially the salt per 100 g. | When choosing between plain pulses and a seasoned recipe, I want to know what’s in my lunch. Around 20% of consumers prioritise the ingredients above all else. |
A bag of dried lentils or chickpeas won’t meet the same need as a tin when you need to put lunch together quickly.
For lunch today, look for information on the product confirming that it’s already cooked or explaining how to prepare it. Keep bagged pulses for a meal you can prepare in advance.
The Bonduelle multipack of 2 × 130 g listed by Auchan contains two individual portions: opening just one doesn’t mean you’ve used the whole multipack.
Check the amount in each tin and plan the other parts of your lunch around what you’re taking with you.
A recipe with sauce or added vegetables won’t have the same ingredients as plain pulses. You can’t judge what’s in them from the format alone.
Read the ingredients and compare the nutritional values on the same basis, for example per 100 g.
A range worth checking when comparing standard tins of lentils with smaller portions.
A 265 g reference for plain chickpeas listed by E.Leclerc.
Chickpeas available in several formats, so you can compare them based on how much space they’ll take up in your meal.
A brand to consider if you’re looking for ready-cooked chickpeas in smaller portions.
A range of bagged pulses to consider if you’re planning to cook before the day of your lunch.
This selection includes tinned and jarred lentils and chickpeas, as well as a ready-made recipe. Pack sizes range from 265 g to 820 g, so choose according to how much you can store as leftovers. For the recipe that needs heating, also consider whether you’ll have access to a way to reheat it.
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For a lunch built around lentils that are already seasoned. The tin contains 265 g; check the label for the drained weight and allergen information.
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Worth considering if you plan to use chickpeas for several meals rather than opening a smaller portion. The jar contains 540 g; have a suitable container and space in the fridge ready if you won’t use it all.
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For making a salad or another lunch where you choose the seasoning. The tin contains 400 g; check the drained weight and instructions for after opening if you plan to keep any leftovers.
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This size is better suited to making several portions than opening a tin for a single lunch. The tin contains 820 g; check the drained weight, allergen information and storage instructions for after opening.
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For a hot lunch if you have a suitable way to reheat it. The tin contains 400 g and the instructions say to heat for three minutes. This is a recipe with sauce, not plain chickpeas. Check the allergen information too.
It can be the base of your meal, but it won’t necessarily make up the whole lunch. To put together a vegetarian meal, you could serve it with vegetables and a grain-based food, adjusting the amounts to suit what you want to take with you.
Ready-cooked pulses can be added to a cold salad, as long as you follow the instructions for the product you’ve chosen. You can drain them and prepare your lunchbox before you leave if there’s no sink at university.
Follow the instructions on your tin and, if they say to, put any leftovers in a suitable container in the fridge. For its 265 g chickpea product, Auchan recommends an airtight container and eating the contents within two days. Don’t assume the same guidance applies to every product without checking.
A best-before date, usually shown with wording such as ‘best before’, is not a use-by date. Anses explains that going past this date doesn’t in itself mean there’s a health risk, although the product’s quality may change. Check the condition of the tin and the information on its label.