The best-value lunchtime meal deals revealed: How to save more than £5 at Tesco or Sainsbury's on your sandwich, snack and drink

By MARK DUELL, DEPUTY CHIEF REPORTER (DIGITAL) Published: 01:43, 3 April 2026 | Updated: 01:44, 3 April 2026 Since the lunchtime meal deal was first pioneered by Boots in the late 1990s, the do-it-yourself combination has become a British cultural staple. Most major supermarkets now offer the deal with customers deciding on one of the millions of possible combinations for a sandwich or salad, snack and a drink. Now, the Daily Mail can reveal the best possible value meal deal options at Tesco and Sainsbury's and how you can make the biggest saving on your lunch. The deal at Tesco is marginally cheaper, at £3.85 with a Clubcard or £4.25 without; and the most expensive combination is £9.30 - representing a £5.45 saving. The Sainsbury's option is £3.95, with no discount for Nectar, and savvy shoppers can save up to £5.35 from buying the most expensive combination, also worth £9.30. At Tesco, which launched its deal in the early 2000s, the most expensive mains in the standard deal both cost £3.45 - The Gym Kitchen Korean BBQ Chicken Wrap and the Tuk In Curry In A Naan Butter Chicken; then the £3.40 gluten-free Free From BLT. This is followed by five sandwiches all at £3.25 - the Cheese Triple; Chicken Triple; Chicken Club; Sausage, Bacon and Egg Triple; and Ham, Cheese and Chicken Triple. The best-value snack is one of the ice-creams, such as the Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Sandwich 120ml or the Cornetto Max Hazelnut and Chocolate, both at £2.50. The biggest possible discount on a £3.85 Tesco meal is £5.45, from a total of £9.30. This is made up of the Tuk In Curry In A Naan Butter Chicken at £3.45, the Cornetto Max Hazelnut and Chocolate at £2.50 and the Optimum Nutrition high protein 330ml chocolate shake at £3.35 The Tesco meal deal receipt shows how Clubcard users can save £5.45 on a total of £9.30 Tesco's deal is marginally cheaper than Sainsbury's, at £3.85 with a Clubcard or £4.25 without These are followed by three types of Kind Protein 50g snack bars all priced at £2.40 – the flavours being caramel nut, crunchy peanut butter and dark chocolate.  Optimum Nutrition high protein 330ml chocolate shakes are the most expensive drink option within the deal at Tesco at £3.35, followed by regular Costa coffees at £3.20. Emmi 370ml chilled Caffe Latte coffees are not far behind, priced at £2.95, while four 300ml Naked smoothies – Blue, Gold, Green and Fire Machine - are priced at £2.90. At Sainsbury's the priciest sandwich is slightly higher at £3.55 - the Summer Picnic Triple which includes chicken and bacon; egg and cress; and ham and cheese. There are then four options at £3.50 – the Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese; Beef and Horseradish with Rocket; Free From Chicken Mayo; and Free From Egg & Cress. For the snack, the most expensive is the 125ml Cadbury Flake ice cream at £2.75 - followed by other ice creams at £2.50 including Magnum and Cornetto, and The Curators Original Beef Biltong 28g. Kind Protein bars are also available for £2.40. A 473ml can of Red Bull is the top priced drink at £3.00, followed by five other Red Bull products of the same size and five 300ml Naked Smoothies all at £2.90. The price of the Sainsbury's deal had been fixed at £3 since at least 2014 before it was hiked to £3.50 in May 2021, then £3.75 in July 2024 and £3.95 in July 2025. The price of the Sainsbury's lunchtime meal deal rose to £3.95 in July last year, up from £3.75 At Sainsbury's the most expensive sandwich within the meal deal is priced at £3.55 - the Summer Picnic Triple which includes chicken and bacon; egg and cress; and ham and cheese For the Sainsbury's snack, the most expensive is the 125ml Cadbury Flake ice cream at £2.75 A 473ml can of Red Bull is the top priced drink within the Sainsbury's meal deal at £3.00 Tesco's meal deal price was at £3 for over a decade until February 2022, when it went up to £3.50. In October 2022 it rose to £3.90 or £3.40 for Clubcard holders. The next rise came in August 2024 when it increased to £3.60 or £4.00, and the most recent hike came in August 2025 when the price rose to £3.85 or £4.25. In comparison to the rivals, the Co-Op meal deal is £4.10 or £3.75 for members; Morrisons charges £4; Waitrose has a deal for £5; and Asda offers one for £3.74. Tesco also offers a luxury meal deal option for £5.50 or £6 which offers Tesco Finest sandwiches; while the equivalent Sainsbury's luxury option is priced at £5.50. Tesco said: 'The Tesco meal deal is great value and the ideal way to grab lunch on-the-go at just £3.85 for a main, snack and drink when bought with a Clubcard. With more than 20million possible combinations, there is something to suit every taste.' The chain said the most popular Tesco meal deal last year was the Chicken Club Sandwich as the main; the Protein Egg Pot as side; and a can of Red Bull as the drink. More than 80 per cent of Tesco shoppers use a Clubcard when buying a lunchtime meal deal. The pricing in the customer's favour - meaning if their selection adds up to less than £3.85, or £4.25 without a Clubcard, they will only pay the price of the items. A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: 'Our meal deals are all about giving customers great choice and great value. Whether they're picking up something quick or treating themselves, we offer some of the biggest savings across the range.'  Yesterday, data showed grocery price inflation held steady at 4.3 per cent in March amid fears that the figure is 'likely to increase' as the Middle East conflict continues. Each additional 1 per cent on the rate of inflation could add more than £50 to the annual supermarket bill for the average household, Worldpanel by Numerator warned. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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