What are the best and worst basics/value/smartprice own brand products out there?

Fire_Fox

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Porridge, Shredded Wheat and Weetabix (generic) are the lowest in sugars, but its the carb content that's the issue for diabetes more than the sugar itself, although you're right - not good for your teeth, and highly addictive!

If I allow myself Shreddies, I can demolish a big box unassisted in days

Erm, sugar is a carbohydrate, I assume you are actually claiming all starches are worse than all sugars which is simply not supported by the research (see studies on the glycaemic index). It's the type of carbs that is an issue for diabetics as well as the overall amount and the combination with protein and fat in any given meal or snack.

The vast majority of commercial breakfast cereals are made from very finely ground, highly processed wheat flour which is super easy to digest and absorb. Many people eat a smaller serving of carbs with oatmeal, especially if they eat the minimally processed stuff like the jumbo or steel cut. Regular porridge oats are actually pretty processed being steamed, flaked, dried and rolled even if nothing 'foreign' or artificial is added. Pearl and pot barley is even lower GI than oats, wheat berries (literally whole wheat grains) are much lower on the glycaemic index than sucrose (table sugar).

BTW starches feed plaque bacteria just as sugars do. If people ate more unprocessed wholefoods that looked much as they did when it comes off the plant or animal and the wide variety of different foods as per the official guidelines we'd have healthier diets, this country is obsessed with processed wheat products and our breakfasts are wall-to-wall carbohydrate.

Ilona

Tesco Value Bran Flakes for me, 88p for 750grms. I will not buy sugary cereals at all.The only other item I get from that aisle is Value Porridge Oats. Makes shopping so much easier.
Ilona

Fire_Fox

Ilona wrote: »

Tesco Value Bran Flakes for me, 88p for 750grms. I will not buy sugary cereals at all.The only other item I get from that aisle is Value Porridge Oats. Makes shopping so much easier.
Ilona

Value bran flakes are 17% sugar by weight, sugars are the third and fourth ingredients (barley malt extract is about 70% sugars).

VfM4meplse

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Erm, sugar is a carbohydrate, I assume you are actually claiming all starches are worse than all sugars which is simply not supported by the research (see studies on the glycaemic index). It's the type of carbs that is an issue for diabetics as well as the overall amount and the combination with protein and fat in any given meal or snack.

Actually, that's such a commonly held myth. Yes the GI index matters to some extent, but it's the overall load that's the issue, in whatever form it comes, simple or complex - you still need insulin to deal with it. It's all too easy to consume a big bowl of cereal thinking that it's good for you, rather than a small serving that is enough to keep you going. Yet we still have healthcare professionals urging their diabetic patients to eat more carbohydrates, when an excess gets stored as fat and contributes to insulin resistance - smart!

I don't believe in low-carbing, but excess carbohydrate is partly to blame for both the rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Fact.

Just to add now the threads been merged - Aldi's Sunnybisk is only really edible with hot milk, too tightly packed to work with cold unless you have time to let it sit.

lwelly

After reading on here about sainsburys smart price tea bags I thought I would give them a go as we generally go through about 80 tea bags a week. We normally drink tesco own brand tea bags and these are on par with tetley and pg, but they still keep rising in price so decided to try typhoo, hated them had too much of a tangy taste.
Sainsburys smart price in my opinion are just as good as the tesco own label and honestly don't think I could tell the difference.
Colour is darker than the tesco ones too which is surprising coming from a budget tea bag. Will definitely be going back to stock up on them.

Ash88uk

I like Asda's smart price mild curry sauce, Bolognese sauce but I can't stand the Smartprice sweet and sour sauce so watery.. vile

Ash88uk

Does anyone know what Morrison's E saver Sweet and Sour sauce is like? better then Asda's?

Fire_Fox

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Actually, that's such a commonly held myth. Yes the GI index matters to some extent, but it's the overall load that's the issue, in whatever form it comes, simple or complex - you still need insulin to deal with it. It's all too easy to consume a big bowl of cereal thinking that it's good for you, rather than a small serving that is enough to keep you going. Yet we still have healthcare professionals urging their diabetic patients to eat more carbohydrates, when an excess gets stored as fat and contributes to insulin resistance - smart!

I don't believe in low-carbing, but excess carbohydrate is partly to blame for both the rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Fact.

You worded your earlier post badly then, you gave the impression you thought sugars and carbs are different. It's not a myth it's evidence based and I did say the overall amount was important but you neatly skimmed over that.

I am a healthcare professional (lifestyle) and I don't recommend 'more' carbs neither do my colleagues, please don't lump us all together. Healthcare is a VERY broad church and some professionals know very little about lifestyle modification just as my knowledge on brain surgery is p1ss poor. Lifestyle professionals should be looking at the type and amount of carbs eaten, the type and amount of fats.

Portion moderation is a HUGE message in management of type 2 diabetes. Very few need to eat 'more' carbs, they are often already eating more than the recommended number of servings of all macros. It's not just excess carbohydrates that get stored as body fat, ANY excess calories may be. Saturated animal fats are the easiest conversion, some plant oils/ fats but they vary, carbs are a slightly more difficult conversion and protein the most difficult but can still be stored as fat.

If you look here (read all of it, note the advice about different types of fats and the absence of the word 'MORE' in respect of carbs) you will see a decent summary of current NHS advice for diabetes and general healthy eating. Having said that why the powers-that-be persist in having beans and lentils in the protein instead of whole starches category I have no idea, I don't even think it helps vegetarians or vegans.

The whole lot should be taken together, it's disingenuous to pick out or or two headline statements and claim that applies to the entire diet. As I have said many times the guidelines are not optimum nutrition they are intended as minimums/ maximums/ short form/ generalisations. They are designed to be manageable for those on the average UK diet, to provide a basic amount of all nutrients and something that people can stick with longer term.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/nhs-diet-advice.html
It's also worth considering the strong links between insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and a raft of nutrient deficiencies, cutting out or back hard on food groups other than processed junk is not necessarily helpful.

I'd love to see nine servings of fruit and veg, oily fish or molluscs daily, beans/ lentils daily, organ meats regularly in the guidelines but honestly how many people do you know who would pay any attention to that? IIRC the current UK average is just one third of a serving of oily fish a week and three servings of produce a day so we have a loooong way to go.

Jazzyj_2

Sainsbury's Basic's tinned rice pudding is nice (13p a tin)
Sainsbury's Basic's red kidney beans are great for chilli (27p a tin)
Sainsbury's Basics carton of chopped tomatoes are ok for pasta, stews etc. (sorry forgot the price)
Sainsbury's Basic's tinned custard is a hit in my house (17p a tin)
Sainsbury's Basic's cooking bacon is lovely (£1.09 a pack)
you need to try and look for packs with decent pieces in but I have made a lovely bacon and sausage casserole with them and usually as I buy two packs put some of the nice pieces into the oven on a tray and serve with potatoes roasted in butter and vegetables. Really tasty meal.
I don't like Tesco's basics in general so was taken aback by the sainsbury's quality of basic's range.

I have got the sweetcorn and Jam this week so will let you know how they go down here.

EDIT:
Sainsbury's Basics Long Grain Rice is a no no in my opinion. Tried it, used it all up as trying not to waste food and all I can say is it just seems to ruin whatever it is served with:(

mcculloch29

I've tried Aldi's lower priced dry spaghetti and it was absolutely fine. They seem to be introducing more products to their shelves to compete with the 'Value' ranges.

I did previously buy their Italian labelled make but have now switched.
Their lower price wholemeal bread kept for ages at only 50p a loaf, it was moist and tasty to the end.

Aldi's low-priced Lacura make up and toiletries range is amazing. I've yet to find a product I dislike.
And no.... I don't work for them!