To offer small portions of pulses without being left with lots of leftovers, start with a small tin or a multipack of individual portions that you can open separately. A larger pack is more suitable if your household can use it all once opened; dried lentils, on the other hand, need to be cooked. None of these formats guarantees that your child will enjoy the meal.
If you want to offer lentils or chickpeas without opening a large pack, individual portions sold separately or in a multipack let you open only what you need. Auchan and Carrefour stock multipacks like these; the format alone doesn’t tell you whether your child will like them.
Ready-cooked pulses can be added to soup, mash or a salad without first cooking them from dried. Manger Bouger lists these dishes as ways to serve pulses.
A multipack of individual portions and a large pack aren’t suited to the same needs. Before choosing, check the drained weight and the storage instructions for once opened. The amount you’ll need depends on the meals your household plans to make.
First, decide between ready-cooked pulses for a quick meal and dried pulses that need cooking. For ready-to-use products, choose a pack size that matches the amount your household will use.
Worth considering: when one small portion is enough to try a recipe or add to a meal.
Bear in mind: a multipack contains several portions, but the ingredients and whether your child likes them need to be assessed for each product.
Worth considering: when several people will be eating the same pulses, or when you can use the leftovers for another meal soon afterwards.
Bear in mind: once opened, the contents should be used according to the product’s specific instructions.
Worth considering: for a planned meal when you want to cook the lentils or chickpeas yourself.
Bear in mind: they’re not a substitute for ready-cooked pulses when you need to put a meal together straight away.
| What matters | What to check | Consumers concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping leftovers to a minimum | Check the drained weight of each portion and the instructions for once opened. | When trying pulses for the first time, I’d rather open a small amount than leave a large tin partly used. Around 40% of consumers would prioritise this need. |
| Preparing a meal quickly | Check whether the pulses are ready-cooked or dried and need cooking, then see whether the product is plain or prepared. | When deciding on a meal at the last minute, I need a ready-cooked product I can add to my dish. Around 30% of consumers would put this convenience first. |
| Adapting the recipe | Read the product name, ingredients and allergen information on the packaging before choosing a plain or prepared product. | If I want to choose the texture or seasoning myself, the ingredients matter more than the format. This would be the priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Planning several meals | Compare the amount of pulses available and the number of portions, and take the storage instructions into account. | When several people will be eating the same product, I look for a pack size that suits the meals we have planned. Around 10% of consumers would prioritise having enough for the family. |
The amount shown on the pack doesn’t tell you how much you’ll use once it’s open. Instructions for once opened vary from product to product.
Choose a pack size your household can use, and follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
Some of the contents may go to waste if they aren’t used within the stated time.
Plain lentils and a prepared lentil dish may contain different ingredients and serve different purposes in a meal.
Check the product name and ingredients list. Choose a plain product if you want to decide on the texture and seasoning yourself.
For pulses stored in liquid, the total weight and drained weight are not the same.
Check the drained weight to compare the amount of pulses in tins or jars.
A small portion makes it easier to try something without opening a large pack, but the format can’t predict whether your child will enjoy the recipe.
Choose an amount that suits the meal you have planned, then adapt the preparation to your household’s preferences without expecting the product to guarantee a particular result.
Carrefour stocks lentils in 265 g and 530 g packs, as well as a Carrefour Classic' multipack of 3 × 130 g.
Auchan stocks chickpeas in a multipack of 3 × 125 g and lentils in a multipack of 3 × 130 g, among other products.
ALDI stocks All Seasons chickpeas in a 265 g pack and Les Jardins de Laylah lentils in a 400 g pack, as well as Fleurs des Champs prepared lentils.
Lidl’s Goldensun range includes dried lentils, split peas, white beans, chickpeas and kidney beans.
Bjorg stocks a 250 g quinoa and chickpea dish, among other products; one of the brand’s lentil stews is also available in Auchan’s range.
This selection includes two single packs of chickpeas for quick meals and dried lentils for a planned meal. If you’d rather open just one small portion at a time, check how much you need before choosing one of these formats.
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For a chickpea-based meal, this single 540 g pack is a good choice if your household can use the amount once opened. Check the drained weight, ingredients and instructions for once opened on the packaging.
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This single 820 g pack is better suited to a shared meal or several meals prepared close together than to trying a small amount. The description mentions lupin: check the allergen information and storage instructions on the packaging before use.
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These 500 g of dried lentils need to be cooked, so they’re better suited to a planned meal than a tin you can open at the last minute. The description says they take around 20 to 25 minutes to cook and may contain traces of gluten; check the packaging for details.
For children aged 4 to 17, Manger Bouger says pulses can be offered according to their appetite. This guidance doesn’t set the same portion size for every child, nor does it mean a child has to finish the contents of a tin.
Rinsing can be part of the preparation: a Lidl recipe says to rinse and then drain the chickpeas. Check the product instructions too, and adapt this step to the recipe you’re making.
Follow the storage conditions and time limit given for the product you’ve bought. For its 3 × 125 g chickpeas, Auchan says to transfer the opened contents to a suitable airtight container, keep it in the fridge and eat them within two days. This instruction shouldn’t automatically be applied to other products.
Check the name of each product, its ingredients list, nutritional information and net quantity, as set out in the DGCCRF’s labelling guidance. To compare the amount of pulses stored in liquid, also check the drained weight. If allergens are a concern for your household, check the information on the packaging of the product you choose.