From the cult-classic Philadelphia to Copella juice and Tyrell’s crisps…The middle-class kitchen staples may not be as good for you than cheap own-brand alternatives
Spending money on expensive, brand-name food products instead of own-brand alternatives can often feel like a well-deserved treat.
But in reality, the cheaper version can often contain fewer calories and tasteless ingredients.
Take Philadelphia, for example. It may be a cult classic, but unlike Sainsbury’s 95p Stamford Street Co Soft Cheese it contains a stabilizer, has more calories per serving and costs £2.25.
The same can be said for Asda’s £2.48 Bird’s Eye Crispy Chips, which contain a cocktail of potential nasties such as sodium bicarbonate and disodium diphosphate, unlike the £2.20 version which contains just three ingredients.
Healthy-looking options are not exempt, either. For example, Tyrrell’s Parsnip, Beetroot and Carrot Vegetable Crisps are more calorie dense than Tesco Ready Salted Chips and cost £1.65 more.
Read on to find out which mid-range kitchen ingredients aren’t as healthy as they seem and what alternatives are available…
Philadelphia vs Sainsbury’s Stamford Street Co Soft Cheese
Sainsbury’s cheaper Stamford Street Co Soft Cheese contains fewer ingredients than Philadelphia
Philadelphia 165g
Price: £2.25
Contents: Full Fat Soft Cheese, Salt, Stabilizer (Carob Gum), Acid (Citric Acid)
Calories per serving: 68kcal
Stamford Street Co. Soft Cheese 200gr
Price: 95p
Contents: Full Fat Soft Cheese (Cow’s Milk), Citrus Fiber.
Calorie per serving: 61kcal
Bird’s Eye Crispy Chips vs Asda Plain Cut Chips
Asda’s Plain Cut Chips have fewer ingredients and calories per serving than Bird’s Eye Crispy Chips
Bird Eye Crispy Chips 900gr
Price: £2.48
Contents: Potato, Sunflower Oil, Modified Potato Starch, Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Salt, Dextrin, Risers (Sodium Bicarbonate, Disodium Diphosphate), Dextrose, Pepper Extract, Turmeric.
Calories per serving: 192kcal
Asda Plain Cut Chips 1.5kg
Price: £2.20
Contents: Potato, Sunflower Oil, Dextrose
Calories per serving: 138kcal
Copella Cloudy Apple Juice vs Sainsbury’s Pressed Apple Juice
Sainsbury’s Pressed Apple Juice contains fewer calories than Copella Cloudy Apple Juice
Copella Cloudy Apple Juice 900ml
Price: £2.75
Contents: Apple Juice, Antioxidant: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
Calories per serving: 69kcal
Sainsbury’s Pressed Apple Juice 1L
Price: £2
Contents: Apple Juice (100%)
Calories per serving: 61kcal
Sabra Houmous Extra vs Tesco Houmous
While Tesco’s cheaper option has fewer ingredients, it has 41 more calories per serving compared to Sabra Houmous Extra.
Sabra Houmous Extra 200gr
Price: £2.55
Contents: Cooked Chickpeas (Water, Chickpeas, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Carbonate), Rapeseed Oil, Sesame Paste, Water, Pine Nuts, Olive Oil, Salt, Acid, Spices, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate)
Calories per serving: 110kcal
Tesco Houmous 300gr
Price: £1.50
Contents: Cooked Chickpeas, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Tahini Paste, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Garlic, Salt
Calories per serving: 151kcal
Branston Baked Beans with Tomato Sauce vs M&S Baked Beans
M&S Baked Beans cost less than half the price of Branston Baked Beans with Tomato Sauce
Branston Baked Beans with Tomato Sauce 410g
Price: £1
Contents: Beans, Tomatoes, Water, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Reduced Sodium Sea Salt, Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Red Pepper, White Pepper, Spices, Flavors
Calories per serving: 175kcal
M&S Dried Beans 400gr
Price: 45p
Contents: Dried Beans, Tomatoes, Water, Sugar, Corn Flour, Salt, Vinegar, Onion, Pepper Extract, Red Pepper, Onion Oil, Hot Pepper Extract, Garlic Extract
Calories per serving: 166kcal
Tyrrell’s Parsnip, Beetroot and Carrot Vegetable Chips with Sea Salt and Tesco Ready Salted Chips
Tyrrell’s Parsnip, Beetroot and Carrot Vegetable Crisps contain more calories than Tesco Ready Salted Chips, despite being made with a range of vegetables.
Tyrrells Parsnip, Beetroot and Carrot Vegetable Chips with Sea Salt 40gr
Price: £2.75
Contents: Mixed Root Vegetables in Variable Ratios (Parsnip, Carrot, Beetroot), Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt
Calories per serving: 157kcal
Tesco Ready Salted Chips 6X25g
Price: £1.10
Contents: Potatoes, Vegetable Oils, Salt.
Calories per serving: 135kcal
Weetabix vs Sainsbury’s Wheat Biscuits
Weetabix is more than twice the cost of Sainsbury’s Wheat Biscuits, despite having the same number of calories and almost the same ingredients.
Weetabix 24 Original Cereal Pack
Price: £3.50
Contents: Whole Grain Wheat, Malted Barley Extract, Sugar, Salt, Niacin, Iron, Riboflavin (B2), Thiamine (B1), Folic Acid, Vitamin D
Calories per serving: 133kcal
Sainsbury’s Wheat Biscuits 24 Pack
Price: £1.80
Contents: Whole Wheat, Malt Extract, Sugar, Salt, Niacin, Iron, Riboflavin, Thiamine, Folic Acid.
Calories per serving: 133kcal
Blue Dragon Original Thai Sweet Chili Sauce vs Tesco Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
Tesco Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce contains a similar number of ingredients to Blue Dragon Original Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce but is cheaper and contains fewer calories
Blue Dragon Original Thai Sweet Chili Sauce 250ml
Price: £2.45
Contents: Water, Red Pepper, Sugar, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Ground Garlic, Pickled Garlic [Garlic, Water, Salt, Acid (Acetic Acid)]Modified Tapioca Starch, Acid (Acetic Acid), Salt
Calories per 100 grams: 230kcal
Tesco Sweet Chilli Dip Sauce 290gr
Price: £2.35
Contents: Water, Sugar, Modified Tapioca Starch, Red Pepper, Dried Garlic, Red Pepper, Acidity Regulator, Garlic, Yellow Onion, Salt, Dried Red Pepper, Color (Paprika Extract).
calories per 100g: 168kcal
Cadbury Hot Chocolate Instant Jar vs Stamford Street Co. Instant Hot Chocolate Drink
Cadbury Hot Chocolate Instant Jar is more expensive and contains more calories than Stamford Street Co Instant Hot Chocolate Beverage
Cadbury Hot Chocolate Instant Jar 300gr
Price: £4
Contents: Sugar, Reduced Fat Cocoa Powder, Whey PowderGlucose Syrup, Fat Free Milk Powder, Palm Oil, Milk Chocolate (Milk, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Vegetable Oils (Palm, Shea), Emulsifier (E442), Flavoring), Anti-caking Agent (E551), Salt, Milk Protein, Acidity Regulator (E501), Thickener (E407), Flavoring, Emulsifier (E471), Stabilizer (E339)
Calories per serving: 115kcal
Stamford Street Co. Instant Hot Chocolate Drink 400g
Price: £1.65
Ingredients: Whey Powder, Sugar, Reduced Fat Cocoa Powder, Glucose Syrup, Coconut Oil, Lean Cow Powder, Flavoring, Thickener: Xanthan Gum; Salt, Stabilizer: Potassium Phosphate.
Calories per serving: 107kcal
