If you’re planning several meals in advance, choose a 500 g bag of dried pulses. For a quick dinner, look at tinned or jarred pulses, or ready meals that just need reheating. The weight on the pack doesn’t always tell you how much you’ll be able to serve. And remember that the stated number of portions should be adjusted to suit your children’s appetites, as Manger Bouger advises for 4–17-year-olds.
A 500 g bag of lentils, split peas or dried beans gives you enough to cook a batch and divide it between dinner and other meals. Carrefour, Auchan and E.Leclerc stock products in this format, but you’ll need to allow time to prepare them.
Ready-cooked pulses in tins or jars save you having to cook them from dry. To work out how much to serve, check the drained weight if they’re packed in liquid. If it’s a seasoned recipe, check the ingredients too.
If your children eat different amounts, small portions and home-cooked dishes each give you a way to adjust what you serve. The portion size on the pack isn’t a fixed serving for children: Manger Bouger advises taking the appetite of 4–17-year-olds into account.
The main trade-off is between preparation time and flexibility over portion sizes. First decide whether you’ll cook the pulses in advance, serve them ready-cooked or buy a ready meal that just needs reheating.
Choose these if: you’re preparing several meals and want to make the recipe yourself.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to cook them and, depending on the pulse, soak them beforehand.
Choose these if: you want ready-cooked pulses without preparing a large bag of dried ones.
Bear in mind: the packing liquid can reduce the amount you’re actually able to serve.
Choose these if: you’re serving a small group or need a separate portion with very little preparation.
Bear in mind: you may need several packs for the whole family, and the recipe will contain other ingredients as well as pulses.
| What matters | What to check | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking for several meals | Weight of the bag of dried pulses and preparation instructions for the type you’ve chosen. | When I cook a large batch, I want to be able to divide it between several meals. Around 31% of consumers would put this need first. |
| Serving ready-cooked pulses | Drained weight if packed in liquid; ingredients if it’s a seasoned tin. | When I’m short on time in the evening, I’d rather start with cooked pulses than prepare a bag of dried ones. Around 25% of consumers would put this time-saving option first. |
| Adjusting quantities | Amount per pack and flexibility when serving, without assuming that the stated portions are child-sized. | If my children have different appetites, I want to serve each of them without relying on the number of portions printed on the pack. Around 25% of consumers would put this flexibility first. |
| Heating up a ready meal | Number of packs needed, ingredients list, stated allergens and salt per 100 g. | For a last-minute dinner, I’m looking for a meal I can heat up, even if I need several portions. Around 19% of consumers would put this need first. |
A 500 g bag of dried pulses and an 800 g tin aren’t the same kind of product, and they won’t necessarily provide the same amount ready to serve.
First check whether the product is dried, plain and ready-cooked, or prepared as a dish. For products packed in liquid, also compare the drained weight, as highlighted by the DGCCRF.
Auchan lists some 500 g products as containing several portions, but this doesn’t set how much to serve each child.
Use the figure to help plan your shopping, then adjust the amount you serve to your child’s appetite, in line with Manger Bouger’s guidance for 4–17-year-olds.
A ready meal may contain other ingredients and declared allergens. Its ingredients won’t be the same as those in a bag of plain dried pulses.
Compare the ingredients lists and nutrition information, particularly the salt per 100 g, using the nutrition information format described by the DGCCRF.
The retailer stocks products including 500 g bags of dried lentils and tins of white beans.
The Marque Repère Notre Jardin and Bio Village ranges include bags of dried pulses weighing 450 to 500 g.
The retailer stocks 500 g packs of dried pulses, quick-cook pouches, and larger tins or prepared dishes.
Goldensun’s range of organic dried pulses includes lentils, split peas, beans and chickpeas.
The retailer stocks 500 g packs of Fleurs des Champs green lentils or white beans, as well as some tinned pulses.
The brand’s products include a 250 g organic lentil and carrot dish, listed as ready in two minutes on its product page.
This selection includes bags of dried pulses to cook, as well as chickpeas and white beans in jars or tins. Choose according to how much preparation time you have, then compare the usable quantity and allergen information for each product.
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A bag of dried lentils to cook when you’re making dinner, with the option of saving any leftovers. Allow time to cook them before the meal, and check the pack for precautionary allergen information if a child has an allergy.
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This pack of chickpeas is a good option for a dinner when you don’t want to cook them from dry. Check the drained weight to work out how much to serve. Lupin is listed as an allergen, so check the label if this is relevant to your family.
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This jar of cooked chickpeas lets you prepare a meal without cooking dried pulses. Compare the drained amount with the number of people you’re serving and, if salt matters to you, check the figures on the label.
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A bag to consider if you’re cooking a batch to share between everyone at the table. These dried lentils need rinsing and cooking; check the pack for preparation instructions.
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This tin lets you use white beans for dinner without cooking them from dry. Check the drained weight and preparation instructions on the label. Sulphites are listed as an allergen.
No, this doesn’t automatically mean eight child-sized portions. Some products state how many portions they contain, but Manger Bouger advises adjusting the amount of pulses served to 4–17-year-olds according to their appetite.
First, check how much you’ll be able to serve. If the product is packed in liquid, compare its drained weight. The DGCCRF highlights this labelling information; you should also check the ingredients and any highlighted allergens.
Compare the ingredients before looking at the nutrition information per 100 g. The ingredients list, allergens and salt content help you tell a prepared dish apart from plain pulses. The DGCCRF states that nutrition information is given per 100 g or 100 ml.
Manger Bouger recommends serving pulses at least twice a week. For children aged 4 to 17, adjust the amount to suit their appetite rather than relying on a standard portion stated on the pack.