Prices in supermarkets are soaring and as the cost of living crisis bites, people are looking to save money in any way they can. One way to keep costs low is to buy tinned food - with many supermarkets offering own brand ranges of popular products.
But can you survive on grub in a can alone? I thought I'd take this to the test and lived on a diet of tinned food for a week.
While I enjoyed some meals, others were pretty grim and by the end of the week, I craved nothing but a fresh salad.
Read more:
I soon realised that the pyramid of food exists for a reason, and a lack of fresh green vegetables affected my relationship with food and my mood. I will be incorporating more tins into my weekly shop, as the bill for 10 meals of tins was £17, a huge difference to my normally £30 food shop.
Monday:
For my lunch on Monday, I opted for a favourite of mine, with a twist. I’m a big fan of fish and decided to have spaghetti hoops with tinned mackerel in tomato sauce. I’ve eaten these tins many times before but never together.
The tomato mackerel added a new depth to the hoops. Some people turn their noses up at mackerel, as they find it a bit too oily and fishy. But it is a really healthy fish - it's packed full of protein and vitamins.
For a lunch that only cost 85p, it was tasty and filling.
Disaster struck on Monday night when I was defeated by the corned beef tin. The little pulley on the side snapped and I found myself resorting to ancient methods to prise the corned beef from the tin: scissors and knives.
Eventually, I managed to open a corner of the can and a teaspoon was my weapon of choice in freeing the beef.
My nana makes an excellent corned beef and potato pie which has always been a favourite of mine and I was looking forward to a sloppy version of this tea. Served with peas, it was delicious, filling, and only cost £1.16 per portion.
Tuesday:
Filling, but nothing special. I went for tinned ravioli, the Bramwell brand at Aldi. While many different shops offer alternatives to this meal-in-a-tin, I’ve always been particularly fond of Heinz.
Aldi’s brand was fine, the sauce was more of a soup but it did the job of being a lunch, cost only 55p and was, supposedly, one of my five a day.
Sausage and mash is a favourite of mine so the idea that I could have mashed potatoes with pre-boiled new potatoes was an absolute plus for me: it would save so much time. I decided to have tinned meatballs, mash, and peas for tea, which cost 72p a portion.
I mashed the tinned potatoes, only adding a dash of milk to smooth them out and a pinch of salt for flavouring and managed to get smooth fluffy potatoes that were flavourful.
The meatballs, on the other hand, were less impressive and held no real flavour while the gravy was watery and thin. There were some leftover meatballs that I offered to my dogs. They did not eat them.
Wednesday:
I went classic on Wednesday lunchtime: Heinz beans and sausages, which cost £1.70 from ASDA. While I am happy to eat a whole variety of foods, I draw the line at any baked beans that aren’t Heinz.
It’s a classic lunch, and enjoyed with a slice of buttered white bread, and something I eat regularly. For hump day lunch, it was exactly right.
Dinner, I opted for salmon, roasted potatoes and carrots. The tinned potatoes roasted well and had a good crunch. The carrots were as good as tinned carrots always are, a touch of sweetness but quick to microwave.
The salmon, however, was the downfall here. My flatmate was sure to mention how ‘potent’ it was and sadly, the existence of the salmon’s spine in the tin freaked me out. Tinned salmon is a very different beast to fresh, and while it's great mixed in to sauces and stews, alone, it was not for me.
This meal cost £2 a portion.
Thursday:
Lunch was a simple and tasty affair, a nice tin of cream of chicken soup. Chicken soup is an absolute winner, and a meal I tend to eat when I’m feeling a bit unwell. It’s a treat of a tin. Healthwise, it’s high in salt and low in calories, something I’m finding with a lot of these meals. But, a good price at only 49p.
For dinner on Thursday, I decided to be creative and mix a few tins together. I had the choice between making a chilli or a bolognese and I opted for bolognese (swapping beans for spaghetti hoops). In this instance, I used ASDA’s essential hoops, costing only 16p. The tinned tomatoes, which I used half a tin of, were 28p. The Princes meat and onion in a tin, was one of my most expensive tins, costing £2, but again I only used half a tin.
This dinner was actually a favourite of mine. The tin of toms took some of the sweetness away from the spaghetti hoops and the beef and onion filled out the flavour nicely.
It was quick, easy to make and, if I’d used all of the tins would have made enough for three portions, which cost 81p each.
Friday:
Friday was my big finale day, and I decided to treat myself to a slice of bread - not in a tin, to enjoy for lunch with my last tin of mackerel. Mackerel on toast is an absolute classic, cheap and cheerful affair and while the side of peas I enjoyed it with might not be the most obvious option, I like a veggie with every meal. The mackerel cost 69p.
For dinner, I went all out for my pièce de résistance and bought a Fray Bentos chicken pie. My dad has swore by Fray Bentos for years and told me repeatedly how much I’d love it. Strangely, despite his apparent love of the tinned delight, I’d never had one before.
I was impressed, the pastry on top was golden and crunchy, while underneath it stayed soggy and I do love soggy pastry. The chicken filling was coated in gravy and subtly reminded me of my tinned chicken soup. However, I couldn't eat more than a few mouthfuls.
Perhaps, it was too many tins, but despite it being tasty, the pie was a little nauseating.
Final thoughts:
Following my final meal, I reflected on my week of tins. While I do know that in the future I will be adding more tins in my diet, for the time being I’m not sure I can stomach anymore.
The added salt, which is a common form of preservative in tinned foods, was too much for me as I tend to have a generally very low salt diet. Meanwhile, the traditional tomato sauce which comes with a lot of tinned meals, despite being ‘one of your five a day’, does not replace the need for fresh veg.
Throughout the week, I have felt nauseous at the thought of opening another tin for tea and hungry despite eating a plate or bowl full of food. Despite trying to remain positive about the money I saved and the chance to be creative with my food, I don't think this diet is sustainable. Now, pass me the lettuce.
READ NEXT:
