Supermarket Ham Taste Test: Budget Lunchbox Options Ranked
Making packed lunches daily can be tedious and costly if you don't shop wisely. Tired of repetitive cheese sandwiches, I decided to test wafer-thin ham from seven supermarkets to find the best and cheapest option for kids' lunchboxes. With choices ranging from cured to honey roast, I visited Asda, Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons, selecting the most affordable packs available.
My family and I evaluated each ham based on flavor, meat content, nutritional value, shelf life, and price. Here are our detailed findings from this taste test.
M&S Wafer Thin Ham
Priced at £2.50 for 125g (£2 per 100g), M&S ham comes from select British farms with higher welfare standards. It has a 10-day shelf life, the shortest among all brands, and contains 44 calories, 0.3g saturated fats, 0.7g sugars, and 0.53g salt per third of a pack. Made with 95% pork, it has a sweet, honey-roasted flavor. The thin, rounded slices fell apart easily, making it ideal for sandwiches and salads. We rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
Morrisons Savers Wafer Thin Cooked Ham
Costing £1.89 for 400g (47p per 100g), this ham has a two-week shelf life and 10 calories, 0.1g saturated fat, 0.2g sugars, and 0.13g salt per slice. Made with 70% pork from British and EU sources, the slices were difficult to separate and came in processed squares. It tasted watery and bland, requiring more per sandwich, so despite price-matching Aldi, it offered poor value. We gave it 2 out of 5 stars.
Sainsbury's Wafer Thin Ham
Stamford Street Co. ham costs £1 for 150g (67p per 100g) with a 15-day shelf life. Nutritional values per three slices include 21 calories, 0.2g saturated fat, 0.5g sugars, and 0.34g salt. Made with 77% pork from the EU and/or UK, it didn't taste processed. The thin, pink rounds had a good texture and worked well in sandwiches. We rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
Asda Wafer Thin Ham
Priced at £2 for 400g (50p per 100g), this ham has a 12-day shelf life and 62 calories, 1g saturated fats, 0.5g sugars, and 0.75g salt per eighth of a pack. Made with 79% pork from non-EU countries, it was pale, almost white, and dense like luncheon meat. The chewy texture and bland, watery flavor were unappealing. We gave it 1 out of 5 stars.
Lidl Wafer Thin Ham
Costing £1.89 for 400g (47p per 100g), Lidl's ham has a 16-day shelf life and 66 calories, 1.3g saturated fats, 0.4g sugars, and 0.67g salt per 50g serving. Made with 81% pork from British and EU sources, it featured very thin, high-quality slices. Not slimy or watered down, it tasted tender and meaty with a slight smokiness. We rated it 5 out of 5 stars for exceptional value.
Aldi Wafer Thin British Ham
Priced at £1.89 for 400g (47p per 100g), Aldi's ham has a 17-day shelf life, the longest of all, and 22 calories, 0.4g saturated fats, 0.1g sugars, and 0.30g salt per two slices. Made with 81% British pork, it came in pale rounds that weren't particularly thin but had a rich, smoky flavor reminiscent of traditional German ham. We liked it and gave it 5 out of 5 stars.
Tesco Wafer Thin Honey Roast Ham
Costing £1.25 for 125g (£1 per 100g), Tesco's ham has an 11-day shelf life and 28 calories, 0.2g saturated fats, 0.8g sugars, and 0.39g salt per two slices. The pork origin isn't stated. Made with 86% pork, it had a slight sweetness and came in sandwich squares that looked processed but tasted succulent and tender. We rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
Overall Verdict
We were surprised by the significant variations in price and quality among the brands. The most expensive options, M&S and Tesco, had higher pork content but weren't worth more than double the price of Aldi and Lidl hams. Aldi and Lidl emerged as clear favorites, offering excellent value for money in lunchbox sandwiches.
