- yesterday
In this brand-new programme, Joe Swash investigates the meal deal phenomenon to find the most surprising revelations about this uniquely British consumer obsession.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Lunchtime! Lunchtime!
00:03Ah, the meal deal.
00:05It's a great British lunchtime obsession.
00:07Yo, I get this smoothie for £2.80 and two other items. Come on now.
00:14Last year we spent £6.2 billion on meal deals.
00:18That means we ate roughly £5 million every day.
00:22The sandwiches alone, if you laid them end to end, would go round the moon three times.
00:27Wow.
00:28I want to find out whether meal deals could be good for your pocket.
00:31Go and find me the best meal deal money can get.
00:34And for your health.
00:35Having two or three hundred at lunch just isn't going to cut it.
00:38And what your favourite combinations are.
00:40Oof.
00:41The meal deal is lit.
00:43Wait for it. Soup in the meal deal.
00:46Who's going for that?
00:47As I get inside the supermarkets, see how new meal deals are made.
00:52I'm learning here as well Lucy.
00:54And discover the future.
00:56Oh wow.
00:57To find out what is behind the bargain.
01:01How about that?
01:02Stop it.
01:08I'm investigating the phenomenon that transformed the way us Brits eat lunch.
01:13And firmly placed itself into our culture.
01:16The meal deal.
01:17The meal deal.
01:19Meal deal time is back baby.
01:22Let's get a meal deal.
01:24Well Keir Starmer, he said that sandwiches are a great British institution.
01:29Wow.
01:30James Corden.
01:31Deep blue.
01:32Yeah.
01:33Golden brown.
01:34Gets an egg and croissant.
01:35Yeah.
01:36Pink.
01:37If there was a bottle of Prosecco in the meal deal, pink would get it.
01:38Yeah.
01:39Maybe like a baby bell.
01:40Yeah.
01:41I've already found out that there are more than 20 million possible meal deal combinations
01:47for us to choose from.
01:50And with us Brits spending more than 6.2 billion pounds last year on meal deals, there's way
01:55more to this lunchtime obsession for me to uncover.
02:02In this episode, I'll be revealing the results of my poll to find out which main snack and
02:09drink came out on top.
02:10And my poll has shown your favourite sandwich is.
02:14I'll be inside Tesco headquarters meeting the team that scours the world for new products
02:19to put into the meal deals.
02:20This is another product that we picked up in America.
02:23And it's a spicy salted egg salmon skin snack.
02:26Oh.
02:27I'll be finding out that meal deals could be the new way to get you a lunchtime protein
02:32fix.
02:33Mia's meal deal had 50 grams of protein, which is absolutely amazing.
02:38And I'll be heading into the future to find out how meal deals might look to my grandkids.
02:43The future of the meal deals, when we're looking forward, they could be completely plastic
02:48free.
02:49Absolutely.
02:53One thing is clear.
02:5425 years after it was invented, the meal deal was a lot more than the simple sandwich,
02:59packet of crisps and a fizzy drink.
03:02And it all started at Boots.
03:05I imagine that there was no idea when this was first introduced in 1999, that the concept
03:12of a meal deal would be so well known now.
03:14And that has become an absolute part of people's working day.
03:19And really, it is just a symbol of how lunchtime culture has changed in the last 30 years.
03:26And as our diet and tastes have changed, the meal deal has just kept evolving.
03:32We've gone through American subs and muffins and popcorn to Italian and Mediterranean inspired.
03:39And now we have sushi, which is very popular.
03:43We're seeing the rise in vegan food choices.
03:46I think we've seen big trends around protein.
03:50People have been trying to get a protein packed lunch.
03:53We've also seen massive slavery trends where people really want a sweet and savoury.
03:59And it's not just the food we eat that's evolved.
04:02A recent study found a whopping 82% of office workers eat lunch at their desks,
04:08with nearly half dining al disco most days.
04:12So the big shift in the last 20 years has been, again, around time constraints.
04:17And then in the mid-2000s, we had self-scan.
04:21So literally, scan yourself and go.
04:23Choose what they need and be back at their desks as quickly as possible.
04:29So with stiff competition on the high street to win part of this multi-billion pound meal deal market,
04:36every year, hundreds of new items appear on the meal deal aisle.
04:41And according to my poll, 22% of you lot love trying the new things on offer.
04:47Yo, four different dragon roll options.
04:50They have them as an addition.
04:52Wait for it. Soup in the meal deal.
04:55But I want to find out who decides which new products get added to our meal deal.
05:00And how do they know what we want to eat next?
05:02So food retailers will always be looking at trends that are coming down the line in terms of our changing food tastes.
05:11And that is, in and of itself, really, really attractive to consumers.
05:20Today, we'll be in Welling Garden City at HQ of Tesco, where thousands of people work tirelessly around the clock to make sure the shelves are full in the 3,700 stores around the country.
05:32I'm here to meet the people whose job it is to predict the future.
05:39Hello.
05:40Hi Joe.
05:41You must be Cassie.
05:42I am.
05:43How are you?
05:44Welcome to Tesco.
05:45Come on through.
05:47Your job absolutely fascinates me.
05:50It's a really interesting space to work.
05:52Cassie is Tesco's head of product direction.
05:55Oh, wow.
05:56She's one of the people influencing how our meal deals change from year to year.
06:02So, yeah, we try to inspire product developers a lot to help them understand what's coming in the future.
06:10Yeah.
06:11That's the role of my team.
06:12So, as head of product direction, I'm all about looking at the direction of travel for food.
06:18So, how far ahead are you looking?
06:20So, I'm looking anywhere from 18 to 36 months, but I also collaborate with other parts of the business that are looking even further out in terms of technology, packaging, ingredients, so we can all come together and co-create what the future might look like.
06:36So, this is where our future meal deals are going to be coming from.
06:41Very much so, yeah.
06:42Some of these products on these shelves I've never seen before, so I can only assume they're from around the world.
06:49Yeah.
06:50So, can you talk me through some of them?
06:51Yeah.
06:53So, snacking is a huge part of the meal deal, and it's so interesting to see whether people go for fruit or whether they go for something that's maybe more traditional, like crisps.
07:02Yes.
07:03Over in America, we saw this brand, Wild.
07:05It's been out for a while, but it is protein chips that are made with chicken breast, egg white, and chicken bone broth.
07:14So, they are a lot healthier than the everyday crisp you might get with a meal deal these days.
07:19They are healthier, and they have got natural protein in there as well.
07:22Yeah.
07:23So, the next one is around mushrooms.
07:26I've got to say, I'm a huge mushroom fan.
07:28They are only going to become more popular, really, but their benefits for mental and wellbeing, brain health, are really starting to become more documented.
07:38In LA, they put shots of mushrooms into coffee on a morning.
07:42One such mushroom is called Lion's Mane, and among its health claims, new research says it could potentially help in the treatment of early Alzheimer's.
07:51So, the future of the mushroom is bright?
07:53It's very, very bright.
07:54Good.
07:55This is another product that we picked up in America, and it's a spicy salted egg salmon skin snack.
08:00Oh!
08:01So, that's lots of new things all in once, so it's got lots and lots of heat in it.
08:05The salmon skin is dried, and then it's seasoned with this spicy salted egg.
08:10Yeah.
08:11So, that is a little explosion of flavour, and it's just something that I think is really fun.
08:15I love a bit of crunchy salmon skin when it comes to my food, so this one might be right up my street.
08:21Could we see any of these in our meal deals this time next year?
08:25We've got big launches coming up for summer soon, and so you might see elements of some of these.
08:30I'll be looking out for those crispy salmon skins.
08:32Remember, you heard it here first.
08:34I'm also here to meet Eileen, Head of Product Development.
08:37Eileen and her team taste hundreds of new products every week.
08:43And they are also looking at ways to make the meal deal classics even better, and that includes the BLT, a constant in the Tesco top 10 bestseller list.
08:53So, as an example of the forensic work we'll go through with just a simple bacon, lettuce and tomato product, we will look at and really drill down all the raw materials that go into that product.
09:06So, the softness of the bread, the creaminess of the mayonnaise, the juiciness of the tomato, the lettuce and the bacon.
09:14We will forensically go through each part of that raw material to make sure it's delivering in the sandwich.
09:20Nobody wants a soggy sandwich, do they, Joe?
09:23They definitely don't.
09:25So, what we've done is we've actually developed our own variety of tomato.
09:30Can I please stop you there?
09:32Of course you can.
09:33I have a little bit of a love-hate relationship with a tomato.
09:35Find a tomato in a sandwich makes it slight, slightly.
09:39And we've had that feedback from our customers.
09:41Some tomatoes leak 12% of their moisture into the bread.
09:45A right soggy mess.
09:46But varieties developed, especially for the sandwich industry, can cut that down to just 3%.
09:52We did have a tomato gate here at Tesco.
09:55Come on, tell me.
09:56Where we couldn't get the tomato right, and obviously that was what was available,
10:01and that's what led us to work with our supplier to actually develop our own unique tomato.
10:10What makes this tomato different from other tomatoes?
10:13So, I couldn't tell you every secret.
10:15Tell me what you can tell me.
10:18It is the juiciness and the size of it.
10:21Do you mind if I have it?
10:22No, of course not.
10:25Mmm!
10:26That is a lovely tomato.
10:28That is sweet.
10:29It's got a nice little salty back note to it.
10:31Yeah, we're really pleased with that.
10:33So, the BLT looks amazing, but what about other, like, new products coming through that you can talk about?
10:38We're obviously seeing high protein and health coming in, but we're also seeing where people buy the product.
10:45Okay.
10:46So, like, vending machines.
10:47We're seeing that a lot in Korea.
10:49Choose your nudes.
10:50Pay for your nudes.
10:52You could just order a meal deal sat at home.
10:58You can get it delivered within minutes.
11:00Yeah.
11:01It could also be delivered by a drone.
11:03Wow.
11:04And you could actually ask AI to select your meal deal.
11:07How about that?
11:08Stop it.
11:09If you think about how digital has changed how we shop for things, maybe in future we'll be using our own shopping agents or assistants to negotiate on our behalf for whatever the best deal might be amongst all the supermarkets.
11:27Just take me to what I need quickly and make sure it's right for me.
11:32And that's what the agent is really going to revolutionise, I think, in terms of how we buy what we buy going forward.
11:38I won't have to do nothing soon.
11:40Yeah, that's it.
11:41I'll just sit in my chair and watch a bit of football.
11:43AI sorted it out for me.
11:44Yeah.
11:45Coming up.
11:49I delve further into the future of meal deals to find out if plastic packaging could soon be a thing of the past.
11:57A material of the past.
11:58A start of the future.
12:00And I put some meal deal fans to the test to see if meal deals can ever be healthy.
12:05Free!
12:06There's some meal deals that take you past like a thousand calories.
12:09Like, and you eat it and you're just not full of that at all.
12:15I'm finding out what our meal deals might look like in the future.
12:24But the future isn't just about the food.
12:27It's also about the packaging it arrives in.
12:30With UK homes chucking away over a hundred billion bits of plastic packaging every single year.
12:3638% in my poll say they considered how eco-friendly the packaging is before they make their choices.
12:46But there's an even bigger problem.
12:49Packaging is actually only about 7% of the sustainability issues in the industry.
12:54One of the biggest concerns which affects packaging is the risk of food waste.
13:00Because food waste has got the biggest carbon footprint of most things.
13:04But packaging needs to work to stop food waste.
13:08If it doesn't keep it fresh you're going to end up with more food waste.
13:11So it's a very delicate area to deal with.
13:14The UK produces around 10.7 million tonnes of food waste each year.
13:22With an estimated value of 22 billion pounds.
13:25But if we can't keep using plastic to keep our food fresh.
13:29I want to know what's the alternative.
13:31So I've come to Cambridge where some very clever scientists have found a solution.
13:41Hello.
13:42Hi there.
13:46Obviously with the convenience of the meal deal.
13:48Comes the downside of the packaging.
13:50And the little birdie tells me that you guys are trying to combat that problem.
13:54There's plastics in our everyday items.
13:59And sometimes they're quite hidden.
14:01So things like your takeaway box.
14:03Your coffee cup.
14:05And then your favourite meal deal sandwich.
14:07That packaging also has plastic in it.
14:11The plastic triangle sandwich box first became common in the 1980s.
14:16When the sandwich started being mass produced.
14:19But even the mostly cardboard ones you see now.
14:21Contain more plastic than you may think.
14:24Mark.
14:26Yes.
14:27Tell us what sort of plastics are hidden within these packaging.
14:30So I've got a great example to show you.
14:32Okay.
14:33So.
14:34Here.
14:35I've pre-soaked a sandwich box in water.
14:37Right.
14:38And as you can see.
14:39I can essentially take.
14:41You know.
14:42All this plastic lining.
14:43Which is.
14:44You know.
14:45Present in a sandwich box.
14:46So.
14:47This highlights the extent.
14:48That plastic is present.
14:50In takeaway boxes like sandwich packages.
14:52So you.
14:53If you'd submerged that into water as well.
14:55You'd get the same plastic film that comes off of it.
14:58Yes.
15:00All food containers have some sort of plastic.
15:03So when we as consumers.
15:05Are buying something.
15:06And you look at this.
15:07You think.
15:08Oh that's amazing.
15:09Because.
15:10It's recyclable.
15:11And.
15:12Really.
15:13There's hidden plastics in that as well.
15:14A hundred percent.
15:18So what are you going to replace them with.
15:20This is a completely plastic free sandwich box.
15:22That you've got there.
15:23The.
15:24The coating inside the sandwich box.
15:26Is our morrow coating.
15:27The.
15:28The window is made from our morrow film.
15:30Making this a completely plastic free sandwich box.
15:33The plastic window is very important to supermarkets.
15:37If we can't see.
15:38We won't buy.
15:39The reason to have that plastic window.
15:42Is that.
15:43People like.
15:44They shop with their eyes basically.
15:45So you.
15:46You want to see what you're buying in the sandwich.
15:48Is it well filled.
15:49Is it got.
15:50Nice ingredients.
15:51And so forth.
15:52So you can't get rid of the plastic window.
15:53And what is it made from.
15:55It's made from plants.
15:56It makes no sense to me.
15:58That the supermarkets are not knocking your door down.
16:00We've already managed to reduce our use.
16:03Of single use plastic shopping bags.
16:05By a huge.
16:0698 percent.
16:07Since the 5p charts.
16:09Was introduced in supermarkets in 2015.
16:12So this could be another huge step forward.
16:15So what I'm really interested in really.
16:18Is how you make this stuff.
16:20Why do you.
16:21Make one film yourself.
16:22I can make it myself.
16:23Yeah.
16:24Oh let's have a go.
16:25Only if you trust me enough.
16:26Not to blow up.
16:27The laboratory.
16:28If you just try to pour.
16:31The liquid.
16:32On this side.
16:33As uniformly as you can.
16:35So this is all the plant based materials.
16:37That you've taken out.
16:38Yes.
16:39Just plants.
16:40What sort of plants.
16:41Are you using with this at the moment.
16:42I know.
16:43Our materials can be extracted from.
16:44A variety of plants.
16:45Like.
16:46Grape seed.
16:47And peas.
16:48Potato.
16:49Corn.
16:50And the properties of these materials.
16:52Are pretty much exactly the same.
16:53Regardless of the plants.
16:54They're being made from.
16:55If you just like turn.
16:57This knob to the right.
16:58And then.
16:59It's like a rolling pin.
17:00Absolutely.
17:01And actually.
17:02This is pretty much exactly the same.
17:03How it will be made on a much larger scale.
17:04So you can upscale this.
17:05To make sheets and sheets of this stuff.
17:06Yes.
17:07We've already coated.
17:08Kilometers of paper.
17:09Using our material.
17:10Kilometers of the stuff.
17:11Yeah.
17:12Yeah.
17:13Absolutely.
17:14Okay.
17:15So what happens now.
17:16So once we've coated the glass.
17:17With our material.
17:18Then this will need to get dried.
17:19Okay.
17:20So actually there.
17:21We've actually got a sheet.
17:22Which has already been dried.
17:23So if you pull it from.
17:24One of the edges.
17:25Then you can peel.
17:26The entire sheet.
17:27Wow.
17:28Look at that.
17:29And that is the sheet.
17:30That you use.
17:31For the packaging.
17:32For the inside of the cups.
17:33And the boxes.
17:34And the outside of the film.
17:35For the sound.
17:36Exactly.
17:37That's amazing.
17:38Yeah.
17:39And that's not all.
17:40These guys use similar techniques.
17:41To make a film.
17:42To replace the wrapping.
17:43Found on sachets.
17:44And other types of packets.
17:45And because it's made from plants.
17:46It's completely edible.
17:47Do you want to give it a go.
17:48We've turned that film into.
17:49An edible protein sachet.
17:50Okay.
17:51Pop your protein sachet.
17:52Into your shaker.
17:53Yeah.
17:54Top it up with water.
17:55About three quarters full.
17:56Give it a good shake.
17:57And whilst you're shaking it.
17:58That sachet.
17:59Is dissolving.
18:00Breaking down.
18:01Breaking up.
18:02We've created zero waste.
18:03And we've created zero waste.
18:04And we've created zero waste.
18:05To replace the wrapping.
18:06To replace the wrapping.
18:07To replace the wrapping.
18:08Found on sachets.
18:09And other types of packets.
18:10And because it's made from plants.
18:11It's completely edible.
18:12Do you want to give it a go.
18:13We've turned that film into.
18:14An edible protein sachet.
18:15Okay.
18:16Pop your protein sachet.
18:17Into your shaker.
18:18Yeah.
18:19Top it up with water.
18:20About three quarters full.
18:21And we've created.
18:22Zero waste packaging.
18:23Oh there we go.
18:24So you can pour it.
18:25Into the glass.
18:26And give it a taste.
18:30That's incredible.
18:31And as you can see.
18:32The sachet is completely dissolved.
18:33Oh well.
18:34Down the hatch.
18:35Chin chin.
18:38Yeah.
18:39That's amazing.
18:40When you think about.
18:41The amount of packaging.
18:42A protein shake comes in.
18:44But some of them.
18:45When you get them.
18:46They come in these big old boxes.
18:47Made of plastic.
18:48And lids on them.
18:49We can just.
18:50Absolutely bypass.
18:51All of that.
18:52With just these sachets.
18:53Mm.
18:54So the future of the meal deals.
18:55When we're looking.
18:56Forward.
18:57They could be completely.
18:58Plastic free.
18:59Absolutely.
19:00A material of the past.
19:01The start of the future.
19:02Aside from creating.
19:06All of that packaging waste.
19:08The meal deal.
19:09The meal deal.
19:10Also gets a pretty bad rap.
19:11For being unhealthy.
19:14I think the concern.
19:15Is that if we make choices.
19:16Really quickly.
19:17And we're rushed.
19:18And we are.
19:19Then we might be.
19:20Choosing products.
19:21That are contributing.
19:23Towards excessive.
19:24Dietary intakes.
19:25Of sugars.
19:26Salt.
19:27Saturated fat.
19:28And perhaps even calories.
19:29And the reason.
19:30That's a concern.
19:31Is because.
19:32Of its impact.
19:33On health.
19:34In my poll.
19:35A very impressive.
19:3656 percent.
19:37Of you's lot.
19:38Are checking your labels.
19:39Before you buy.
19:40Your meal deal.
19:41Well done.
19:42And.
19:43You's lot.
19:44I've got a lot.
19:45To say.
19:46About the options.
19:47Available.
19:48Of healthy options.
19:49Because I'm quite healthy.
19:50Eating myself.
19:51There's some meal deals.
19:52That take you past.
19:53Like a thousand calories.
19:54Like.
19:55And you eat it.
19:56And you're just not full.
19:57Like at all.
19:58There's definitely more.
19:59Options.
20:00Now there were before.
20:01But.
20:02It depends what you're in the mood.
20:03I guess.
20:04Yeah.
20:05Meal deal.
20:06Is the real thing.
20:07Yes.
20:08To keep you strong.
20:09And healthy.
20:10But what I really want to know is.
20:11Can you be a fan of the meal deal.
20:12And stay healthy.
20:13So.
20:14I'm here in Salford.
20:15For a bit of a challenge.
20:16With some meal deal fans.
20:17Mia.
20:18Salford.
20:19Salford.
20:20Salford.
20:21Salford.
20:22Salford.
20:23And for some expert advice.
20:24Nutritionist Lucy.
20:26That looks like a good choice.
20:28When we're in a rush.
20:30Making healthy choices is hard.
20:32How many calories do we really need at lunch time?
20:35Are we getting enough protein?
20:37And how much salt is too much?
20:41So we're sending Jesse, Mia and Sally.
20:44Dashing down the aisles.
20:45To pick up three different meal deals.
20:47And then.
20:48Lucy can tell us.
20:49Where we're all going wrong.
20:58Come with you's lot.
20:59Grab yourselves a basket.
21:00And I'll let you know what we're doing.
21:02Okay.
21:03So.
21:04The rules are.
21:05You've got three minutes.
21:07To find me three different meal deals.
21:10I want one meal deal low in salt.
21:14I want one meal deal that comes in at 600 calories.
21:17And I want another meal deal that's high in protein.
21:20Okay.
21:21I've got me whistle.
21:23I've got me stopwatch.
21:24Are you ready?
21:25On my whistle.
21:26On your marks.
21:27Get set.
21:28Here they go.
21:29The fresh out.
21:30Low in salt.
21:31High in protein.
21:32600 calories.
21:33So Lucy, what would be your golden rule when it comes to a meal deal?
21:36Lots of colour.
21:37And you know what?
21:38A use by date.
21:39That is either today or tomorrow.
21:40Because if it's got a long use by date.
21:41It probably means there's loads of salt in there.
21:42It's probably more processed.
21:43So fresh is best.
21:44Oh my gosh.
21:45This is effort.
21:46I'm learning here as well, Lucy.
21:47Love it.
21:48I'm going to be looking at my new meal deal in a completely different way.
21:49I feel like I can't even read that number.
21:50I don't even know.
21:51Is there anything you have to do with that?
21:52I don't even know.
21:53I don't even know.
21:54I don't even know.
21:55I don't even know.
21:56I don't even know.
21:57I don't even know.
21:58I don't even know.
21:59I don't even know.
22:00I don't even know.
22:06There's something out there that will surprise people with the amount of protein it contains
22:09and not knowing that it does.
22:10Well, I think everyone's really familiar with like animal proteins.
22:13But things like grains, quinoa, chickpeas, lentils, beans, they're all really good protein sources.
22:19Protein packed meal deals are very popular right now.
22:22Tesco's top combo of 2024 was a chicken club sarni, a Coke and an egg protein pot
22:29with a total of 41 grams of protein.
22:32Does anyone know where the egg is?
22:34Egg!
22:35But if you look at sugar content, a 500 milliliter Coke has 53 grams of sugar.
22:41That's 23 grams over the recommended daily amount.
22:44And that's why people are so confused, right?
22:47It can be really, really difficult to make healthy choices, especially in three minutes plus.
22:50Can I have water twice?
22:52There we go.
22:55Five.
22:56Oh, my God.
22:58Three.
23:00Two.
23:02One.
23:03Well done, everybody.
23:04I feel stressed.
23:06You're stressed?
23:07Because I'm very competitive.
23:08The 600 calorie one, I feel like I lost count.
23:12I feel like I could have made slightly better choices.
23:15Let's get our baskets and let's find out who the meal deal master is.
23:21Come on, you lot.
23:22Let's go.
23:23Let's go.
23:24I can't wait to see what Lucy thinks of the guys' choices.
23:28We're going to start by finding out who got closest to 600 calories.
23:33Who got closest to 600 calories?
23:34Who is the winner?
23:35So, everyone did really well with this one.
23:37So, tell me, why is 600 calories important?
23:39The whole point of this challenge was to try and get the guys to really think about making
23:42lunch a full meal.
23:43To try and get to like 600 calories.
23:45You know, we need 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day.
23:48So, having 200 or 300 at lunch just isn't going to cut it.
23:52You're going to get to 2, 3 o'clock and you're going to be reaching for the biscuit tin.
23:55Who got the closest to 600 calories?
23:58Who is the winner?
24:00So, everyone did really well with this one.
24:03But the winner of the challenge is Sally with 638.
24:07She was just 38 calories off, which is amazing.
24:09So, well done, Sally.
24:10Well, well, well.
24:11Well done, Sally.
24:12There you go.
24:13Coming in second, we have Jessie at 480.
24:20Jessie could get closer to 600 by swapping the fruit for sushi or chicken bites.
24:25And then third Mia, 380 your meal was.
24:29So, a little bit shy on calories there.
24:31The fruit is healthy, but a hummus dip or yogurt would give Mia's calories a boost.
24:36Let's move on to the protein.
24:39And our winner of the protein challenge.
24:42Drum roll, please.
24:43It is Mia.
24:45Well done, Mia.
24:46Hey!
24:47So, Mia's meal deal had 50 grams of protein, which is absolutely amazing.
24:51Come on, Mia.
24:54Coming in second, Jessie, you had 40 grams of protein.
24:59I think the fruit juice let you down there, Jessie.
25:03And Sally came in just under 30 grams.
25:06Walter's healthy, but grab a protein shake next time, Sally.
25:10Obviously, this challenge was about getting the most protein possible in a meal deal.
25:13But the average person does not need 50 grams of protein at lunch time.
25:17The exact amount depends on your fitness level and goals.
25:20But if you're focusing on your protein intake, a quick calculation is 0.75 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
25:28I think per meal, around 15, 20 grams is a really, really good target.
25:33So, to be fair, all of the meals hit that mark really, really well.
25:36Well done, Yula.
25:37Well done, guys.
25:38You all done very well.
25:39Shall we move on to the salts?
25:41So, I think we all need a little bit of salt.
25:44That's healthy.
25:45But the more processed food you eat, the more foods have been treated.
25:48Your salt content will rocket up pretty quickly.
25:50So, some really good choices here by the guys.
25:52But the lowest salt meal deal, which is just over a gram, is Sally.
25:57Oh, Sally!
26:00Running away with it!
26:01Congratulations!
26:02The key here, she's opted for a tuna sandwich.
26:06So, it's not processed meat, it's not ham or bacon or anything like that.
26:09It's as fresh as you can probably get with a sandwich.
26:12And Mia comes in second with 2.68 grams.
26:15Then Jessie just behind with a total of 2.72 grams.
26:20To stay below the recommended daily maximum of 6 grams,
26:24it's a good idea to avoid higher salt snacks like sausage rolls and Cornish pasties.
26:29Right, Lucy, the gang have done amazing.
26:31But I'm sure there's a lot of people out there that make the same mistake as I do.
26:34So, I like to have like a ham and cheese wrap, ready-sorted crisps.
26:38Yeah.
26:39And maybe like a diet fizzy drink.
26:40Okay.
26:41Where would you change my combination?
26:43Crisp used to be the only thing you could get in a meal deal.
26:45Yeah.
26:46But now it's, you know, there's eggs, there's fruit, there's yoghurt.
26:48There's so many different things that we can choose.
26:50So, maybe you just need to start scrutinising those shelves a bit more.
26:52I would replace my crisps with some eggs.
26:54Perfect. Lovely.
26:55What about the drink?
26:56Diet fizzy drinks, low in calorie, but they have a lot of sweetener in them.
26:59And sweetener does kick off cravings.
27:01Then I think I would have gone for an oasis as a compromise to the fizzy drinks.
27:06Perfect.
27:07That's yours.
27:08That would be my compromise.
27:09And now, sandwich-wise, I would have gone for a cheese and ham wrap.
27:12So, ham tends to be processed, you know, it tends to be quite high in salt.
27:16Swap me sandwich.
27:17Come on.
27:18Reluctantly.
27:19Rainbow.
27:20So, you've changed my meal deal completely.
27:22There we go.
27:23Look at that.
27:24Healthy man.
27:25I feel healthy already.
27:27So, one thing we have noticed is that you really can get a healthy meal deal if you make the right choices.
27:32Absolutely.
27:33Right, guys.
27:34I think that's a wrap and I don't mean cheese and ham wrap.
27:40Let's get out of here.
27:43Joking aside, it is definitely worth knowing how to make healthy choices.
27:47And part of that is looking at the labels.
27:53Front of pack nutrition traffic light labelling appears on the front of products.
27:58So, we've got red indicating high levels of nutrients.
28:03We've got amber indicating medium and green indicating low.
28:08And the nutrients that appear on the front of pack traffic light label include fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt.
28:18You can find nutritional information on the back of most pre-packaged foods.
28:22But not all products have the more visible front of package red, amber and green traffic lights.
28:27What I'd love to see is the mandatory implementation of traffic lights because they are currently a voluntary system in the UK.
28:35And supporting people to use them is going to help people make healthier choices.
28:46Coming up.
28:48I'm in Cambridge to see which supermarket comes out on top of my very own wrap battle.
28:55It kind of tastes like a rubber ring, if you know what I mean.
28:58Have you had a rubber ring before?
28:59No, no, but like...
29:05Out of the ten best selling meal deal sandwiches in Tesco last year, eight of them contained meat.
29:13And that's not a surprise, because 72% of us Brits are meat eaters.
29:18But recent research has shown that we should be cutting down.
29:22We cannot continue eating what we are eating today.
29:26We have to reduce our consumption of carbon intensive protein.
29:32So, scientists at the University of Leeds are testing thousands of new plant-based proteins that might make it into our meal deals in the future.
29:43Our vision is to make alternative proteins mainstream for a sustainable planet.
29:49Who knows, in five to ten years down the line, we will see all this product and increasing our choices quite dramatically.
29:56Around 4.5% of us Brits are already vegan or veggies.
30:01But 23% of us are now fletchitarians.
30:04Eating meat and fish occasionally, but switching to vegan or veggie most of the time.
30:11So, whether you're a seasoned vegan, or just dipping your toe into plant-based eating, you've got choices.
30:17The real question is, what are the best?
30:19I went for the all-day breakfast sandwich, which is quite a meaty option.
30:24It looks horrendous.
30:26I feel like it's best described as stodgy.
30:28Definitely an acquired taste.
30:31Today is a first for me, because we're going to be going plant-based.
30:35I'm going to be trying a load of vegan wraps.
30:38And to help me decide which ones are the best, I'm going to be getting some help from the wonderful people of Cambridge.
30:44And of course, they all love a meal deal.
30:50Hello, you all right?
30:51Hi.
30:52I'm Jo, nice to see you.
30:53Nice to meet you, Jo.
30:54What is your meal deal go-to combination?
30:56Normally, chicken salad, sandwich, McCoy's crisps.
31:00Ooh.
31:01Yeah, and water.
31:02Nice.
31:03Very sturdy meal deal choice.
31:04Yeah, thank you.
31:05I love meal deals.
31:06You love a meal deal?
31:07Yeah!
31:08So, tell me, what is your favourite meal deal?
31:10I like a BLT sandwich, bag of salt and vinegar, McCoy's crisps.
31:15A Fanta.
31:17A lady of my own heart.
31:18Well done, you.
31:20It's time to get down to the taste test.
31:22I've gone for one of the favourite vegan flavours when it comes to meal deals.
31:26A plant-based hoisting duck wrap.
31:29Most of the supermarkets have this flavoured wrap.
31:32But today, I've got one from Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, Boots and Tesco.
31:40Let the wrap battle begin.
31:44Ching.
31:46Good texture.
31:47Good texture, yeah.
31:48Yeah, yeah.
31:49I'm confused that that's plant-based, to be honest with you.
31:52I'm a vegan, so yeah.
31:53Oh, you're perfect.
31:54We've got our first vegan.
31:55So this is going to be a perfect...
31:57Oh, my God.
32:01We do live by the five-second rule though, yeah?
32:03So we just blow it off, put it back on the plate.
32:06As well as the hoisting no-duck wrap, falafel features widely.
32:10While plant-based sarnies like no chicken pesto and hummus and veg salads are popular vegan options.
32:19OK, it's got more flavour than the first.
32:21OK, so this one's kind of more balanced.
32:25So it's not too sweet.
32:26But do you think it's a savoury as well?
32:28No, not your cup of tea.
32:30You can't even swallow it, can you?
32:31Mm-mm.
32:33It kind of tastes like a rubber ring, if you know what I mean.
32:37Have you had a rubber ring before?
32:38No, but like...
32:39Some supermarkets have started really innovating with flavours, like the Co-op's onion bhaji sandwich and Tesco's sagaloo wrap.
32:49And if you fancy a health shake, Huel is another vegan option.
32:54Oh no, that first one didn't taste like meat.
32:58I don't like that.
32:59That is like pate or something, that is.
33:01I don't know.
33:02It's alright, time for that one.
33:05It gives a little kick, like a little...
33:06So you like a little kick in your food?
33:08I love me some Caribbean food.
33:09Well-seasoned.
33:10Yeah.
33:11You know, the meat has to be nice and tender.
33:13It just has to be balanced in general.
33:15When it comes to nutrition, these no-duck wraps are all under 420 calories and below 9 grams of fat.
33:22With Sainsbury's the lowest at just 6.7 grams.
33:26Whereas Sainsbury's real duck wrap has similar calories, but 9.1 grams of fat.
33:31All plant-based.
33:32You're not just winding me up.
33:33All plant-based.
33:34I promise you, none of this is real meat.
33:36Tastes really nice.
33:39I think mine might be top so far.
33:41Oh!
33:43Graham's a vegan.
33:44He knows best, doesn't he?
33:50That takes it.
33:51Wow!
33:52Yeah.
33:53So the purple plate takes it.
33:54Yeah, the purple plate takes it.
33:56Would you ever eat a plant-based hoisting and duck wrap again?
34:00Yes, I would.
34:01Yeah!
34:02So what we've gathered from today is that there's definitely a firm favourite and it's not from Sainsbury's or Tesco's or Boots or even Waitrose.
34:14The favourite from our survey today is from Asda and I think the empty plate says it all.
34:20Well done Cambridge!
34:21And if you're a flexitarian, there's classic Reggie Sarnies like cheese and onion, egg and crisps and newer options like sushi, halloumi wraps and poke bowls.
34:33We've met some huge meal deal fans on our journey, but my poll has revealed that there's still a whopping 28% of yous lot that just don't like the options available in the meal deal, even though there are 20 million available.
34:54I mean, some people can just be so picky. And that's a real challenge for the supermarkets. So despite there being like 20 million combinations of a meal deal, some people are still not going to be happy.
35:10So how do you please them people?
35:11So I think, look, there's obviously a massive range here. We spend a lot of time looking at the customer data and trying to understand our customers and what it is they want. It's so important that we have something for everyone.
35:23But they can't be getting it right for everyone.
35:26In my poll, 35% of people we asked prefer to make their lunches at home.
35:32To find out if there's anything the supermarkets can do to tempt that 35% back into stores, I've set some meal deal sceptics a challenge.
35:41Normally, they all cook their lunches at home. But for one week only, can they survive on meal deals?
35:48We already know that there's a huge choice. But do they really have something for everyone?
35:55Hi guys, I'm Alice.
35:56I'm Cecile.
35:57My name's Nina.
35:58This is Souma Shree.
36:00Stay at home mom.
36:01And we are here to buy some meal deals for the week.
36:03Woohoo!
36:04Yay!
36:07Eating meal deals five days a week might not be as healthy as home cooking.
36:10But my willing volunteers are giving it a go to see what the supermarkets can offer.
36:17We're not generally big meal deal kind of people, so it's going to be really interesting.
36:22Looks good.
36:24I work as a living carer. I'm cooking for the elderly on a daily basis.
36:28That looks like my only sandwich option.
36:30I used to be in IT before, solving technical problems.
36:33You want this juice, are you sure?
36:36Yes.
36:37I don't generally get meal deals because they don't have anything for me.
36:40I need to be like low carb, low sugar, I'm veggie, because I have PCOS.
36:46So, life has transitioned that way.
36:48Welcome, mommy.
36:49Oh, did you bring me food? Come sit down beside me.
36:52And let's talk.
36:53I very rarely go for meal deals. I follow a vegan diet.
36:58I don't pre-plan anything, so I feel like this could work in my favour. Or not.
37:03We'll find out later if one week of meal deals changes their minds.
37:07Of those who don't buy meal deals in my poll, 27% of you don't like the available options.
37:17I don't think there are enough meal deal options out there.
37:20They need more variation, like pies in there. Get a little pie on my meal deal, I'd love that.
37:2616% of you say it's for health reasons.
37:29I'd say that the meal deals generally are not very healthy, but I don't think that anything that isn't a home-cooked meal is.
37:35But for those who do love the meal deal, 41% say it's because it saves you time.
37:41It's a very convenient way of having something to eat fairly fast.
37:46They're quick, easy, can grab them at most places.
37:50Yeah.
37:52But for Cecile, Alice, Sommer and Nina, will the convenience outweigh the negatives?
37:58I've got Bombay potatoes in bits.
38:00I have, is it a spicy chicken? What kind?
38:03Yes, a spicy chicken and couscous.
38:06Um...
38:08Not good. Not good.
38:09Not good.
38:11Coming up...
38:13Alice, Cecile, Sommer and Nina deliver their final verdict.
38:18And drum roll please, as I reveal which drink, snack and main reigns supreme.
38:23My poll has shown that your favourite sandwich is...
38:26I've already learnt that supermarkets are constantly looking for new ways to win part of the multi-billion pound meal deal market.
38:43But in recent years, they've been hit with new hurdles.
38:48The increase of working from home has certainly challenged those supermarkets to make sure that they give us a reason to get out of the office, the home office, and still go down to their local stores to buy something.
39:01Again, because we are more cost-conscious as well, we might be buying our lunchtime snacks and meals as part of our weekly shop and preparing them ourselves more often.
39:15So the food to go space and anyone offering meal deals have had to really compete much harder for our lunchtime spend.
39:24But have they done enough to convince any of my meal deal skeptics?
39:27Hmm...
39:30I would say, for me, I think that the meal deals are still lacking in low-carb options, especially in the snack category.
39:38For Cecile, it's a no.
39:40It was interesting to try.
39:42And, you know, I might have a meal deal now if I'm massively in a rush and I can't make my own food.
39:48But I don't think...
39:50I think I will always try and make my own food.
39:52Yeah.
39:54While Alice is on the fence.
39:55Overall, it was good.
39:57I don't know if it was my, like, if it's given me everything I need to go forth and conquer the day.
40:04For Nina, she's found the choice is limiting and notice a change in diet.
40:09It was either onion bhaji or falafel wrap. That was it.
40:13To me, that would bore the socks out of me if I was eating the same thing like that every day.
40:17Towards the end of the week, I started to feel bloated.
40:20So, for someone like me, I would say that I would use a meal deal as a last resort, not a first or a second.
40:28But busy mum's summer has been won over by the convenience.
40:33Meal deals have not only been my life saviour, they have given me the right thing, right portion and at the right time.
40:40Hi, mummy.
40:41So, there you have it. The meal deal isn't for everybody.
40:46And I guess the supermarkets might have to work even harder in the future if they want to tempt more customers through the doors.
40:53And that's the thing. We are ever evolving when it comes to the meal deal.
40:58Choice is very much key. It's the king.
41:02It's all about driving innovation and inspiration.
41:05So, we need to inspire and invigorate our ranges constantly.
41:10In this series, my poll has given me real insight into what you guys think about meal deals.
41:18I've learned that 41% of you rate convenience as the most important factor.
41:2419% of you love them for their value for money.
41:27And 88% use a loyalty card to get an even bigger saving.
41:3222% of you love trying new things.
41:3556% look at the labels before you choose.
41:39And 38% consider how eco-friendly the packaging is.
41:45But now, it's time to find out the most important result.
41:49So, here we come.
41:53We asked hundreds of people up and down the country to tell us what their go-to drink, snack and main combination is.
42:01My chicken after deep-fried, crispy.
42:03Gluten-free.
42:04Bacon and chicken sandwich. It's really good.
42:07Coconut water.
42:08Oof.
42:09It's a good one. We buy that.
42:10Caesar salad.
42:11Your breath smells crazy after that.
42:13Yeah, I mean, middle of the world.
42:15Who's going for that?
42:16It's lit.
42:18And it goes without saying, you all have your favourites.
42:22It's a Caesar wrap with the blue Twix's, specifically blue Twix's. They're better.
42:28And then a Dr Pepper, I reckon.
42:30Like a tuna sweet corn pasta pot.
42:34A tub of fruit and just like a simple bottle of orange juice.
42:38Chicken club with a sausage roll and coconut water.
42:41It has to be the ham and cheese.
42:43Probably ready salted and Pepsi Max, I think.
42:46My best meal deal is a cheese and ham roll. Get it heated up with a tea. Then we end up with a chocolate cookie, which is good.
42:58And now the results are in and counted and the wait is over.
43:01According to my poll, your favourite drink is...
43:11Are you ready for it?
43:14Cola!
43:16Thank you very much.
43:21Lovely jubbly.
43:23This one's no surprise.
43:25Us Brits drank £798 million worth of Coca-Cola in 2024.
43:31And a lot more than that if you include all the other types of cola.
43:35Now let's move along to the snack.
43:37I can tell you my poll has revealed that your guys favourite snack is...
43:46Ready for it?
43:51Ready salted crisps.
43:53My favourite too.
43:55Yes!
43:59Joint second came another favourite of mine, cheese and onion.
44:02And the much healthier option, the mango pot.
44:07Now, it's time to move on to the main part.
44:12The part we've all been waiting for.
44:15The sandwich.
44:17My poll has shown that your favourite sandwich is...
44:27The BLT!
44:29Yeah!
44:33I'll tell you what that tells me.
44:35Is that us Brits are traditionalists.
44:41The beloved BLT beat stiff competition from six other sandwiches that came in joint second.
44:47Including smoked salmon and cream cheese and prawn mayo.
44:51Well, I'm very happy with this decision because all of these choices are very much in my meal deal combination.
45:00But what do you guys think?
45:05Boring.
45:07I think a bit dead.
45:09BLT's a bit too standard for me.
45:11And I also think ready salted crisps are very boring.
45:14Thoughts on the BLT sandwich?
45:16Yeah, it's a really good balanced sandwich.
45:18Really tasty and you know what you're getting with British favourite, yeah.
45:20I'm not the biggest fan of bacon but...
45:22Yeah, no, they're alright though. I've got nothing against them.
45:24BLT is a pretty staple sandwich for English culture.
45:27Dead.
45:29That's rubbish, that.
45:31Reddy salted, that's crazy.
45:33Reddy salted, BLT, what is that?
45:35Bacon, lettuce, tomato, tomato, that's terrible.
45:38We voted for that.
45:40That's crazy.
45:41If I've learned one thing, it's that everybody has very passionate opinions when it comes to meal deals.
45:49I've also learned that the sandwiches we ate last year could easily stretch around the moon three times.
45:54And that we get a dopamine hit every time we bag that money saving deal.
45:59And with 20 million combinations to choose from, but one thing I can tell you is that the meal deal is definitely here to stay.
46:07Some very fancy Victoria sponges are aiming to be unrecognisable tomorrow.
46:23There's desserts in disguise at eight in Bake Off The Professionals back for a brand new series.
46:29Next tonight, chaos on a crane, bell ringing residents and a story that leaves officers sceptical.
46:34It's a busy one in Brighton for the Night Coppers.
46:36Star seat.
46:37Star seat.
46:38ιmpila numeric music
46:40Are you in the early days?
46:41No.
46:41Impro antes.
46:42Not doing it.
46:44So if you want to advertisement of the show.
46:46smarter than on a mare.
46:47Caught more listening.
46:48I'll throw it through through.
46:48It's a great light.
46:50Anyway.
46:50You already know what Mr.
46:50actoruu.
46:51Yes.
46:52What's your responsibility?
46:53Well, there's a great leader tried to know that.
46:55And Dave Long-ibrGANbar is the most part of the episode this season and the Nerd tanks,
46:58it's looking down in the episode of Art of Transfer Gold 3hoopper 3-888.
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47:02and the 1920s will help you tell us about the subject?
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