People keeping an eye on sugars
You want to compare the amount of sugars shown in the nutritional information and spot any sweetening ingredients in a prepared recipe. A claim on the front of the pack is no substitute for checking both.
Who are these options for?
People who need a quick lunch
You’re looking for chickpeas that are already cooked to put a meal together, or a legume-based dish to heat up. Saving time doesn’t mean you can skip checking the ingredients and salt content.
People who prepare meals in advance
You can plan ahead to cook dried pulses and choose the other ingredients for your lunches yourself. With dried chickpeas, in particular, you’ll need to allow time for soaking and cooking.
What should you check before choosing?
For a legume-based lunch, first decide whether you want to prepare ahead, put a meal together quickly or choose a ready-made dish. Then compare the nutritional information of products intended for the same use, bearing in mind the difference between dried and cooked products.
Dried pulses to cook
Choose these if: you prepare several lunches in advance and want to decide which ingredients to add.
Bear in mind: dried chickpeas need to be soaked and cooked before serving.
Plain tinned or jarred pulses
Choose these if: you want to quickly put together a salad or bowl with pulses that are already cooked.
Check: salt content and drained weight vary between products.
Prepared plant-based meal
Choose this if: you want a ready-made lunch that’s quick to prepare.
Check: the recipe may contain other grains, fats, salt or allergens.
| Priority | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g for products intended for the same use, then check the ingredients in prepared recipes. | If my main priority is limiting sugars in my lunch, I want to know how much they actually contain rather than rely on a claim on the front of the pack. Around 40% of consumers would put this first. |
| Preparation time | Distinguish between dried pulses that need cooking, pulses that are already cooked in tins and meals to heat up; check how much is ready to use. | When my lunch break is short, I prefer a format I can serve without having to plan ahead for cooking. Speed would be the top priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| What’s in the meal | Check the fibre and protein, where shown, as well as the ingredients, salt and portion size. | If I’m building a lunch around pulses, I want to be able to compare its nutritional information and choose what to add. Around 30% of consumers would put the meal’s ingredients first. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Confusing ‘no added sugars’ with ‘sugar-free’
A product can say ‘no added sugars’ while still listing sugars in its nutritional information. On its own, this claim isn’t enough to help you choose between two recipes.
Compare the ‘of which sugars’ line per 100 g on a like-for-like basis, and read the ingredients list.
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Choosing a quick option without checking the salt
Plain tinned pulses and prepared meals can have different recipes. A low sugar content doesn’t tell you how much salt they contain.
For every ready-to-serve product, check the salt alongside the sugars and ingredients.
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Planning on dried chickpeas for an immediate lunch
Unlike chickpeas that are already cooked, dried chickpeas need to be prepared before you add them to a meal.
Save them for lunches you’re preparing in advance. If you need to put a meal together straight away, check for a product that’s already cooked.
You’ll need to allow time for soaking and cooking before the day you plan to eat them.
Brands and retailers to know
Carrefour / Carrefour Bio
Dried chickpeas give you the freedom to choose which ingredients to add during preparation.
- Carrefour’s listing for a bag of dried chickpeas shows just one ingredient: chickpeas.
- Check the nutritional information and ingredients for the specific product you’re considering.
E.Leclerc / Notre Jardin
The retailer lists both dried and ready-cooked chickpeas from its Notre Jardin brand.
- The Notre Jardin listing gives 0.3 g of sugars and 0.4 g of salt per 100 g drained.
- These figures apply to this particular product, not every tinned product sold by the retailer.
Auchan
The chickpea range includes dried and ready-cooked products, which may have different recipes.
- The choice of formats lets you compare cooking at home with putting a meal together quickly.
- Read the ingredients list and check the salt in each product: the details of one tinned product don’t apply to the whole range.
ALDI
The retailer lists a tinned chickpea product.
- This format can help you put a lunch together without having to cook dried chickpeas.
- Check the label on the product you choose to compare sugars, salt and ingredients.
Bjorg
The brand offers, among other things, a prepared dish combining quinoa and chickpeas.
- Bjorg says this dish is ready in 2 minutes.
- The recipe includes wheat bulgur, so check the ingredients if you need to avoid gluten.
Joybuy products to consider
These products include chickpeas ready to serve, pulses to prepare and frozen edamame to add to a meal. First choose a format that suits the time you have for preparation, then compare the information for each product.
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GÜNES VADIS Chickpeas 820 g
An option to consider if you want to quickly put a lunch together with chickpeas that are already cooked.
Check the nutritional information for this product, particularly the salt. Lupin is listed in the allergen information.
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GÜNES VADIS Chickpeas 540 g
This format of pre-cooked chickpeas is handy for putting together a lunch without having to cook dried pulses.
Check the label for the nutritional information and ingredients: salt and sodium metabisulphite are listed for this product.
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Valle Del Sole Chickpeas 900 g
Dried chickpeas to consider if you can prepare your lunches in advance and choose which ingredients to add.
Check the soaking and cooking instructions on the packaging. The figures for the uncooked product aren’t directly comparable with those for cooked chickpeas; possible traces of gluten are listed.
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Valle Del Sole Lentil Mix 350 g
These lentils are worth considering for making a salad or soup in advance.
The title suggests a mix, while the description lists green lentils. Check the ingredients on the packaging, as well as the preparation instructions and whether the nutritional information relates to the product before or after cooking. Possible traces of soya and gluten are listed.
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Asian Choice Soybean Edamame 500 g
Edamame to consider as pulses to add to a meal, bearing in mind that they need to be prepared.
This product contains soya. Store at −18 °C or below and do not refreeze after thawing; check the preparation instructions on the packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘no added sugars’ mean ‘sugar-free’?
No: this claim doesn’t mean that a product contains no sugars at all. To compare two products, check ‘of which sugars’ in the nutritional information on a like-for-like basis, as well as their ingredients lists.
Should you choose dried or ready-cooked chickpeas for lunch?
Choose dried chickpeas if you can plan ahead for preparation. If you want to put a lunch together without that extra step, ready-cooked chickpeas are more convenient. Compare the sugars in products in the same state, rather than directly comparing a figure per 100 g of dried chickpeas with one per 100 g of cooked chickpeas.
Why check the salt if my priority is limiting sugars?
Because sugars and salt tell you about two different aspects of a recipe. A plain tinned product or prepared meal might meet your criteria for sugars while still containing salt that you need to consider separately.
Does a legume-based meal that’s ready to heat contain only pulses?
Not necessarily: the Bjorg quinoa and chickpea recipe mentioned here also contains wheat bulgur. Check the ingredients for the specific dish, particularly if you need to avoid certain allergens, rather than assuming what it contains from the name of the pulses.