04 November 2023 , 16:41
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This year’s seasonal supermarket sandwiches may leave folk reaching for roomier Christmas jumpers.
Nutrition experts warn shoppers to be cautious of the calorie-packed Yuletide snacks, which are bursting with fat and sugar as well as flavour. Many of the sarnies take a big bite out of an adult’s daily recommended allowance of 2,000 calories, 70g of total fat and 20g of saturates, 90g of sugar and 6g of salt.
One of the most indulgent offerings is Asda ’s £3.30 Festive Feast, a tortilla wrap filled with turkey, sausage, stuffing and gravy. It has 34g of fat, which is nearly half of the recommended daily amount, and 774 calories – more than three Mars Bars or 16 Quality Street chocolates. By further comparison, a McDonald’s Big Mac has 493 calories and 24g of fat.
Asda's indulgent Christmas wrap has a whopping 34g of fatElsewhere, Waitrose offers a 558-calorie Christmas Brie & Cranberry sandwich with 12.8g of saturated fat – 64% of the recommended daily intake. Sainsbury’s Pigs Under Blankets, with cranberry chutney, has 460 calories and its 1.65g of salt is almost a third of the suggested daily intake. Even saltier is Tesco ’s Turkey & Trimmings sandwich, with 1.91g and 467 calories. But this is topped by the supermarket’s Finest Pigs Under Blankets sarnie, at 592 calories – equal to almost three Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts – and 2.71g of salt. And Tesco’s 446-calorie Brie & Cranberry sarnie has 11.2g of saturated fat – more than four KFC fillet burgers.
Waitrose Brie and Cranberry sandwichThe National Obesity Forum’s Tam Fry said: “Understanding food labels is particularly important in the festive season. Manufacturers kid themselves they are giving you treats but ingredients are frequently unhealthily excessive.” Nutritionist Hannah Hope added: “As with all processed foods, be careful of intake. Christmas sandwiches are high in fat, salt and sugar. Approach these as the treat they are marketed as.”
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Asda said: “All our sandwiches are clearly labelled and we offer a range of healthier choices.” Waitrose said: “Our sandwich has only good ingredients.” Sainsbury’s said: “We clearly label products with nutritional information to help customers make informed decisions.” Tesco declined to comment.