When heading out for lunch, there is often no time to spare and choices have to be chosen at speed. It can be difficult to know where to go and the best options in the major supermarkets.
With that in mind, I tried meal deals from Tesco and Boots to see once and for all which option comes out on top. It's hard to beat Tesco when it comes to a meal deal for sheer choice alone.
There is truly something for everyone including snacks, salads, sushi, sandwiches and rolls. The list is endless and can also be used with a Clubcard so you can pick up points with your pasta.
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Selecting a single option can be really difficult due to the level of choice on offer but I decided to go classic with a free-range egg mayonnaise sandwich, Diet Coke and a snack pack of grapes. After all, I have to get at least one of my five a day in somehow.
There really is a huge amount of choice in Tesco including some branded chocolates. Confusingly, there are full price options dotted among the deal options so you need to keep an eye out for a sneaky expensive treat which is only revealed at checkout.
The sandwich was really fresh with an extremely light white sliced loaf filled with eggs that had a decent amount of mayonnaise which is important as no one wants a dry egg sandwich. The grapes were also a desk-friendly grazing option.
My option came to £3.50 which was confusing given the meal deal was advertised as £3. The reason for this is that Tesco have changed their policy, but not all of their signage, to say that it is now only £3 with a Clubcard and £3.50 without. Paper signs on the window advertised this but the actual kiosks and stands did not.
Now that I had my Tesco option - it was off to Boots to see what they could offer me. There wasn't as much choice as I would have liked but, in fairness, can a supermarket really take on a pharmacy when it comes to food?
I actually enjoyed more simple options on offer at Boots and opted for a cheese and onion sandwich on brown bread. The bread was lovely and fresh while the cheese was nicely complimented by the sharpness of the red onion.
I added a cheeky packet of Proper Chips sour cream and chive flavour lentil chips to the mix and another diet coke which makes me worry I may not sleep for a week after this review.
So which option was better? I have to say Tesco beat Boots hands down when it came to choice, taste and also dietary requirements. Boots, as a pharmacy, could do with introducing more options for gluten free, diary-free or low-fat.
That said, if you have limited time to choose something and prefer a 'no muss, no fuss' sandwich then Boots has you sorted with their paired back but tasty fare. Price-wise, the two are incredibly similar with a difference of 50p - but only if you have a Clubcard which, lets face it, is worth getting. After all, Every Little Helps and that 50p per day adds up fast.
