With school returning and the cost of living crisis in full flow, many parents will be feeling the pinch and becoming concerned by the increasing cost of items that make up the average school lunchbox.
However, if you shop around enough, lunchboxes can be filled for next to nothing. Emma Gill, parents editor at Manchester Evening News, shopped at all the major supermarkets and ultimately discovered that a lunchbox could be made up for just 74p.
Gill's aim was to make a ham sandwich and include a tube yoghurt, a packet of crisps and a Royal Gala apple for as little as possible, using like-for-like products.
She visited Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl and opted for own-brand items where possible.
Overall - with two pieces of bread, 40g (four slices) of ham and 6g of margarine used for the comparison - it was Aldi that came out as the cheapest, at 74.5p for the entire lunchbox. While none of them came above £1, there have been some big price increases since a similar comparison back in February, when both Aldi and Lidl were cheapest, coming in at 62p.
Overall, the majority of products have gone up in price.
Among the most notable increases are the cost of spread, ham and apples, with a pack of Royal Gala apples rising at every single supermarket, the largest hike being a whopping 30p at Morrisons.
And there's "shrinkflation" happening too - with Tesco and Lidl reducing their pack sizes to five apples from six, yet still putting the price up by 10p and 20p respectively.
The cost of ham has risen in all but one supermarket, with a rather surprising 30p hike at Aldi, where the 400g pack now costs £1.89, compared with Lidl's £1.69.
The most expensive is Sainsbury's at £2.80 pack, a marked difference on the budget ham used in the previous comparison, which was £1.59 and is now £1.69.
Asda's price has reduced from £2.25 to £2 as part of its 'Price locked' promotion. Yet it's Asda that has had the largest increase on spread, with its 500g tub of Brilliantly Buttery rising from 84p in February to £1.10, while others have increased theirs too, Tesco and Sainsbury's both by 25p and Aldi and Lidl by 16p.
Overall it was Sainsbury's that came out as most expensive, at 97.7p for the lunchbox, closely followed by Morrisons at 95.5p.
Here's how the supermarkets ranked in price - full price of products and total lunchbox price
Sainsbury's
Bread - loaf 70p / slices 7p
Spread - 500g £1.25 / 6g 1.5p
Ham - 400g £2.80 / 40g 28p
Tube yoghurt - pack of six £1 / 16.6p
Crisps - pack of six £1 / 16.6p
Apple - pack of six £1.70 / 28p
Total 97.7p
Morrisons
Bread - loaf 85p / slices 7.7p
Spread - 500g £1 / 6g 1.2p
Ham - 400g £2.25 / 40g 22.5p
Tube yoghurt - pack of six £1 / 16.6p
Crisps - pack of six 99p / 16.5p
Apple - pack of six £1.89 / 31p
Total 95.5p
Tesco
Bread - loaf 80p / slices 8p
Spread - 500g £1.10 / 6g 1.3p
Ham - 400g £1.69 / 40g 16.9p
Tube yoghurt - pack of six £1 / 16.6p
Crisps - pack of six £1 / 16.6p
Apple - pack of five £1.70 / 34p
Total 93.4p
Asda
Bread - loaf 80p / slices 8p
Spread - 500g £1.10 / 6g 1.3p
Ham - 400g £2 / 40g 20p
Tube yoghurt - pack of six £1 / 16.6p
Crisps - pack of six £1 / 16.6p
Apple - pack of six £1.50 / 25p
Total 87.5p
Lidl
Bread - loaf 65p / slices 6.5p
Spread - 500g 85p / 6g 1p
Ham - 400g £1.69 / 40g 16.9p
Tube yoghurt - pack of nine £1.09 / 12p
Crisps - pack of six 85p / 14.1p
Apple - pack of five £1.39 / 27.8p
Total 78.3p
Aldi
Bread - loaf 65p / slices 6.5p
Spread - 500g 85p / 6g 1p
Ham - 400g £1.89 / 40g 18.9p
Tube yoghurt - pack of nine 99p / 11p
Crisps - pack of six 85p / 14.1p
Apple - pack of six £1.39 / 23p
Total 74.5p
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