You’re keeping an eye on salt
When choosing a tin or jar, check the salt per 100 g rather than relying solely on claims such as ‘plain’ or ‘organic’. Anses recommends reading food labels to find out what foods contain.
Who are these options for?
You’re limiting added fat
You’re looking for plain lentils, chickpeas or beans to use in your own dish, without confusing them with recipes that contain fat or sauce. Notre Jardin product information from E.Leclerc shows why this distinction matters.
You want a quick meal you can season yourself
You prefer pulses that are ready to use straight from the tin, while still wanting to choose what you add to your dish. The ingredients list helps you tell a simple product from one that has already been seasoned.
What should you compare?
Plain dried pulses to cook
Choose these: if you can plan ahead for cooking and want to control what you add to your recipe.
Bear in mind: the preparation time and the instructions for the specific product.
Plain tinned or jarred pulses
Choose these: if you need pulses that are ready to use in a quick meal.
Check: the salt content of the exact product, even if the recipe seems simple.
Cooked pulses
Choose these: if you prefer a recipe that’s already seasoned.
Bear in mind: added ingredients can affect fat and salt values; check the figures for the specific product you choose.
To compare nutritional values, start with products of the same type and check whether the figures refer to the dried, prepared or drained product.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Salt | Compare salt per 100 g across similar products and read the ingredients list. | When I choose a convenient tin, I want to know its salt content rather than rely on the word ‘plain’ alone; around 42% of consumers make this a priority. |
| Added fat | Check fat per 100 g and look for oils or fats in the ingredients of cooked recipes. | When making a dish with pulses, I prefer to choose any added fat myself; this is a priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Time and format | Check the drained weight of a tin or the cooking instructions for a dried product. | When I need to prepare a meal quickly, a tin that’s ready to use saves me cooking time, even if I still need to choose the seasoning; around 25% of consumers prioritise this time saving. |
Common pitfalls to avoid
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Assuming ‘plain’ or ‘organic’ means low in salt
Even a simple recipe can contain salt. E.Leclerc’s product information for Notre Jardin plain lentils lists 0.8 g of salt per 100 g.
Compare the ‘salt’ line on the label of similar products you’re considering.
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Comparing a cooked recipe with plain pulses without checking the ingredients
At E.Leclerc, Notre Jardin plain lentils contain 0.3 g of fat per 100 g, compared with 3.2 g for the recipe in the same range that contains 4% goose fat.
If you want to limit added fat, check the ingredients and nutritional values for each recipe. Then, if a plain option suits your needs, choose the seasoning yourself.
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Forgetting how much of a tin you’ll actually serve
The net weight includes the covering liquid, while the drained weight, when shown, tells you how much pulse remains after draining.
Check both figures to choose the right size for your recipe. Draining or rinsing the pulses doesn’t remove the need to check the stated salt value.
Brands and ranges to know
Carrefour / Carrefour Bio
Carrefour offers chickpeas in tins and jars, among other options; one Carrefour Bio product contains salt from Noirmoutier.
- Carrefour’s product information for this option lists chickpeas, water and 0.69% salt from Noirmoutier in the ingredients.
- A short ingredients list alone doesn’t tell you how much salt a product contains: check its nutrition declaration too.
Notre Jardin (E.Leclerc)
The range includes plain and cooked lentils, which should be compared according to the recipe.
- According to E.Leclerc product information, plain lentils contain 0.3 g of fat per 100 g.
- They also contain 0.8 g of salt per 100 g. The goose-fat recipe contains 3.2 g of fat per 100 g: figures for one product don’t apply to the whole range.
Auchan
The Auchan range includes plain pulses as well as cooked recipes.
- These formats let you choose between a base to season yourself and a dish that’s already prepared.
- To compare salt and fat, check the ingredients and nutritional values for the specific product.
Fleurs des Champs (Aldi)
Aldi’s range includes green lentils and dried white beans in 500 g packs.
- Choosing dried pulses lets you control the salt and fat added during preparation.
- Check the ingredients and nutritional values on the exact pack before comparing it with another product.
Goldensun (Lidl)
Lidl’s organic dried pulse range includes lentils, chickpeas, split peas and beans.
- The choice of pulses lets you pick a base to suit the recipe you have in mind.
- Check the ingredients and nutritional information for the variety you’re buying.
Dried pulses to cook from Joybuy
These products are dried lentils and mung beans that you cook and season yourself. They’re a plain base to prepare, rather than a ready-to-use tinned option. To compare their salt and fat content, check the values per 100 g and note which state of the product they refer to.
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ETHIQUABLE Organic Green Lentils, 500 g
Prepare plain lentils and choose your own seasoning as they cook. This dried product needs to be cooked before eating; check the nutritional values on the packaging and note which state of the product they refer to.
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TRS Red Split Lentils, 2 kg
Cook dried lentils and choose how much of each ingredient to add. The 2 kg pack is a dried product that needs preparing: check the cooking instructions and the nutritional values for the dried product on the packaging.
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Sunlee Whole Mung Beans, 400 g
For a recipe where you choose the seasoning, as long as you can plan ahead for preparation. These dried mung beans need soaking and cooking; follow the instructions on the pack.
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Vivien Paille Green Lentils, 500 g
Prepare a plain lentil base and add salt or fat yourself to suit your recipe. Allow time for cooking and check the pack instructions before you start.
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VDS Green Mung Beans, 900 g
Cook mung beans and choose the seasoning yourself. This is a dried product: check the preparation instructions and nutritional values on the 900 g pack.
Frequently asked questions
Are plain tinned lentils always low in salt?
No. E.Leclerc’s product information for Notre Jardin plain lentils lists 0.8 g of salt per 100 g. Compare this figure across similar tins rather than judging the salt content by the product name or its Nutri-Score alone.
What should I check when choosing dried pulses and limiting fat?
Check the fat per 100 g and the ingredients list for the exact product. A cooked version may contain ingredients that aren’t in a plain one: according to E.Leclerc, the recipe for Notre Jardin lentils with goose fat contains 4% goose fat.
Should I choose dried pulses over tinned ones to control salt?
With dried pulses, you can choose how much salt to add during preparation, but they need cooking. Plain tinned pulses save you that step; to choose between them, compare their salt values and ingredients with those of similar products.
Is the claim ‘reduced salt’ enough to help me choose?
No. It doesn’t mean the product is salt-free. Check the salt per 100 g and the ingredients list for the specific product, then compare products in a similar state of preparation.