WHICH SHOP OFFERS THE CHEAPEST MEAL DEAL?

With the cost of living crisis still in full swing many Brits are looking for ways to make their pennies stretch further.

For those that don’t have the time to make a packed lunch, a meal deal can offer a cost-effective way to eat during your lunch break.

It means you know how much you’ll spend each day, with many deals offering a set price for a hefty meal.

Despite the cost of items rising across the board, many supermarkets still offer cheap meal deals as well as ways to save even more money on your choices.

So which supermarket offers the best deal?

Tesco

Tesco technically offers the best meal deal, offering shoppers a main, a snack and a drink for £3.40– but only if you have a Clubcard.

For non Clubcard users, a meal deal is a bit pricier, at £3.90.

Tesco also recently launched premium meal deal, which offers a premium main, a snack and a drink for £5 for Clubcard holders and £5.50 for non-Clubcard holders.

Sainsbury’s

If you don’t have a Clubcard, your best bet is to get a meal deal from Sainsbury’s, which will set you back £3.50 after the price rose in 2021 from £3.

You can select a main – whether it be a sandwich, pasta, wrap, or pastry – and a snack and drink as part of the deal.

The meal deal covers hot food, Costa Coffee, and breakfast options in some selected stores.

You can also use any Nectar points you accumulate to purchase your meal deal even cheaper.

Asda

At Asda there is not a set meal deal price, instead, the supermarket offers three items for the price of two for you to create your own lunch.

According to Which, the price range for the Asda meal deal ranges from around £3 to £5.

Of the mains, snacks, and drinks you can choose from, there are a number of vegetarian and vegan choices.

For the best value for money, you could buy three sandwiches for the price of two to save for lunches throughout the week.

Morrisons

The price of a Morrisons meal deal is £3.50 if you are a Morrisons More customer, and £4 if you are not.

It offers a main meal, a drink, and a snack.

Of these options, there are numerous vegetarian choices, two vegan mains and snacks, and two gluten-free choices.

Co-Op

At Co-Op, you can get a meal deal for £3.50 if you have a membership card, and £4 if you do not.

There are many options, including vegan and gluten free mains.

Additionally, students can get 10% off.

Aldi

Aldi does not have its own dedicated meal deal offer, though it is possible to piece together a cost-effective lunch from its existing selection.

The supermarket has its own ‘grab and go’ sections including a variety of sandwiches, wraps, pasta, drinks, and snacks.

You can spend as little or as much as you want, with some of the cheaper options being an 85p egg and cress sandwich, and a 35p bottle of water.

Lidl

Lidl also does not have its own meal deal offer.

However, the supermarket does offer a range of prepackaged sandwiches, wraps, snacks, and drinks as well as bakery options perfect for lunch.

Some sandwiches cost less than a pound, and with cost-effective drink and snack options, you can spend less than £3 for a meal deal.

Boots

The price of a Boots meal deal differs depending on where you shop.

In most stores, the cost is £3.60 with an advantage card and £3.99 without, though this rises to £4.50 with an advantage card in London and in airports and £4.99 without one.

You can choose a main, side, and drink as part of the deal which includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

What’s more, you can use Boots points collected via purchases to save additional money.

Waitrose

Waitrose is making its first forays into the meal deal market from August 30, although its own lunchtime offering is a little more expensive than some of its rivals at £5.

Their options include a range of sandwiches, sushi, salads and wraps, alongside fruit, cereal bars, juices and smoothies – all of which have previously been available in their Food To Go range, although not packaged together as a meal deal.

While it may cost more than its competitors, other meal deals such as those on offer at Boots can go as high as £4.99 – while it represents a decent discount given many of their sandwiches retail individually for £3 or more.

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