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Shop-bought sandwiches can be fatty and expensive.
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Fatty sarnies feel the crunch
Gabrielle Fagan30/ 7/2008
TAKE-AWAY sandwiches, that lunchtime staple for millions of workers, may be the latest victim of the credit crunch. Cash-poor employees are increasingly trying to save money by making a `fake-away' - a sandwich they've made at home but which they bring into work.
Sainsbury's sales of lunch boxes were up by one third while sales of its sandwich bags were up by a quarter in the last month.
Spokeswoman Alison Austin says that for under £4 - the average cost of one sandwich and a drink from a store - customers could buy ingredients for two week's worth of packed lunches.
She says: "Buying the ingredients on the weekend and planning ahead or using leftovers can save a huge amount. We think fake-aways are here to stay - you know what food's going into them and you can use up food that would otherwise be sent to landfill."
But economy might not be the only reason for a Bring Your Own (BYO) sarnie.
Fat
This week's Channel 4's Dispatches programme investigated the 2.7bn shop sandwiches sold annually in the UK and revealed that one bought on the high street contained more fat than a cheeseburger, while another brand contained as much salt as several packets of crisps.
Researchers measured levels of fat, saturates and salt in 100 sandwiches against the traffic light system created by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) designed to help consumers.
A product is given a red light for fat, "something we should be trying to cut down on" according to the FSA, if its fat content is more than 20 per cent. Researchers claimed that while only 14 per cent of Boots sandwiches earned a red light for fat, 69 per cent of Greggs sandwiches, 68 per cent of Pret A Manger's and 47 per cent of Marks & Spencer's sandwiches earned a red light.
M&S's British Oakham Chicken and Pancetta Caesar sandwich allegedly contained almost 45 grams of fat - nearly a third more than in a Big Mac. And Subway, the UK's fastest growing sandwich chain, reportedly got a red light for 93 per cent of its sandwiches because of the salt content.
The company's 12-inch meatball marinara was found to contain the amount of salt equivalent to that in eight packets of ready salted crisps.
If economy and health concerns lead you to shun high street sandwiches, you could find inspiration for making your own tasty fake-aways in new book Sandwiches, Panini And Wraps. Author Dwayne Ridgaway says: "People love sandwiches because they're the easiest and most portable meal there is.
"Nowadays there are so many types from wraps, clubs, and pittas to panini."
Chicken's our favourite ingredient in Britain, with 30 per cent enjoying it as a filling, according to the British Sandwich Association,
After that we love cheese (including ploughman's) followed by ham, egg, tuna, prawn, and bacon.
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| Company | Typical APR |
| Platinum Exclusive Loan | 7.8% |
| Sainsbury's Personal Loan | 7.9% |
| Halifax (Semi-exclusive) | 8.6% |
| Bank of Scotland (Semi-exclusive) | 8.6% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 8.7% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Savings Account |
5.50% |
|
SAINSBURYS FINANCE Internet Saver |
3.50% |
|
FIRST DIRECT Everyday e-Saver |
2.75% |
|
ALLIANCE & LEICESTER Online Tracker |
6.00% |
|
ABBEY Instant Access Saver (Special Issue 2) |
6.00% |
|
ING DIRECT Savings Account |
6.00% |
|
ALLIANCE & LEICESTER eSaver - Issue 2 |
6.30% |
|
ABBEY eSaver Direct |
6.00% |
|
POST OFFICE Instant Saver |
3.75% |
2/08/2008 at 00:21