Supermarket budget food as good as premium lines

Supermarket budget food as healthy as premium lines

If you're feeling hard done by this Christmas because you plumped for your supermarket's budget range, instead of splashing out on Taste the Difference or Tesco's Finest, then stop.

A new report from Which? magazine has put paid to any belief that supermarkets premium ranges are superior, by claiming that budget ranges from the big stores are just as healthy as the premium products.

According to the magazine report the pretty packaging - and price - is about all you really get for your money. Which? states 'Value' or 'Basics' packs of fresh fruit and vegetables can be significantly cheaper but just as tasty and nutritious as the more 'up-market produce'.

The magazine surveyed 2,645 shoppers about which supermarket ranges they prefer and analysed the labels of 54 ready meals from Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Asda and Tesco.

A quarter of those questioned chose the premium lines, believing they were better for them. However Which? reports that cheaper ready meals are often lower in fat than the more luxurious lines, and ultimately said the supposedly up-market ranges are more expensive, simply because of minor differences in their cosmetic appearance, rather than in taste or nutritional value.

Surveying ready meals, Which? said the premium versions were often 'the highest in fat and saturates per 100g while the budget meals were the lowest'.