Your meal deal actually has more calories than a BIG MAC AND FRIES

You won’t want a chicken stuffing again


Exams are upon us and as you’re getting to the library early you’re more than certain to stop at the shops to grab yourself a classic lunch-time combo: the meal deal. 

Why do we love them? They’re cheap, you get a sandwich, snack and a drink all for a bargain price.

Following on from seeing how depressing 100 calories on a plate looks, we’re going to show you what’s in your glorious meal deal.

Here are six different combos from six different shops and broken down with the fat, sugar, salt and calorie content of each one.

Bear in mind the recommended daily salt intake is six grams for adults, sugar is 70 grams for men and 50 grams for women and calories should be around 2500 for men and 2000 for women. Saturated fat should be 30 grams for men and 20 grams for women.

Sainsbury’s Meal Deal: £3

Total saving: £1.34

Chicken and stuffing sandwich: £2.50
439 calories, 20g fat, 1.3g salt, 3.5g sugar

Walkers ready salted crisps
55p: 171 calories, 10.4g fat, 0.46g salt, 0.1g sugar

Coca-Cola bottle
£1.29: 105 calories, 0g fat, 0g salt, 27g sugar

Total
715 calories, 30.4g fat, 1.76g salt, 30.6g sugar — or more calories than a Big Mac (467) and small fries (229)

M&S Meal Deal: £3.56

Total saving: £0

M&S smoked ham & coleslaw sandwich: £1.45
408 calories, 17.7g fat, 1.53g salt, 3g sugar

M&S sea salt crisps: 81p
208 calories, 11.7g fat, 0.4g salt, 0.2g sugar

Coca-Cola: £1.30
105 calories, 0g fat, 0g salt, 27g sugar

Total
721 calories, 29.4g fat, 1.93g salt, 30.2g sugar — more calories than a large portion of cheesy chips (600)

Tesco Meal Deal: £3

Total saving: £1.10

Tesco ham & coleslaw sandwich: £2
359 calories, 10.4g fat, 2.1g salt, 9.3g sugar

McCoy’s salt and vinegar crisps: 79p
262 calories, 16g fat, 1g salt, 0.5g sugar

Coca-Cola Zero: £1.31
1 calorie, 0g fat, 0g salt, 0.05g sugar

Total
726 calories, 26.4g fat, 3.1g salt, 36.8g sugar — or more calories than a Whopper from Burger King (710)

Superdrug Meal Deal: £3

Total saving: £1.95

Chicken and Bacon Club sandwich: £3
545 calories, 25g fat, 2.35g salt, 5.4g sugar

Walkers prawn cocktail crisps: 60p
169 calories, 9.9g fat, 0.42g salt, 0.6g sugar

Coca-Cola Zero: £1.35
1 calorie, 0g fat, 0g salt, 0.05g sugar

Total
715 calories, 34.9g fat, 2.77g salt, 6.05g sugar — or more calories than an entire Margherita from Pizza Express (683)

Co-op Meal Deal: £3.25

Total Saving: 72p

Chicken, stuffing and onion sandwich: £2.65
420 calories, 12.5g fat, 1.6g salt, 2.1g sugar

Twirl: 63p
115 calories, 6.6g fat, 0.05g salt, 12g sugar

Pepsi: 69p
0 calolies, 0g fat, 0.01g salt, 36g sugar

Total
535 calories, 19.1g fat, 1.66g salt, 50.1g sugar — or more calories than ten Chicken McNuggets (480)

Waitrose Meal Deal: £4

Total saving: £0

Prawn mayo sandwich: £2.20
383 calories, 18g fat, 1.7g salt, 2.4g sugar

Squares crisps: 55p
112 calories, 5g fat, 0.61g salt, 1g sugar

Coca-Cola: £1.25
105 calories, 0g fat, 0g salt, 27g sugar

Total
610 calories, 23g fat, 2.31g salt, 30.4g sugar — more than a portion of crispy duck pancakes with hoisin sauce (537)

The best and worst:

Healthiest sandwich: Tesco ham and coleslaw

Unhealthiest: Superdrug chicken and bacon

Healthiest drink: Coca-Cola Zero

Unhealthiest: Coca-Cola

Healthiest snack: Twirl

Unhealthiest: McCoys salt and vinegar