After the rich foods and general indulgence of the festive season, many of us will now be looking for simpler, more wholesome fare. And you can’t go far wrong with an old-fashioned plate of baked beans.
Indeed, although your post-New Year Instagram feed may well currently be pelting you with complicated food prep options, baked beans could be an ideal way to sneak a little extra protein into your diet while offering the sort of comfort food necessary when faced with the January blues.
According to the British Heart Foundation, just three table tablespoons of baked beans contain a full six grams of protein, which is essential for everything from energy levels to building muscle. In other words, this understated dish makes for a perfect, near-effortless addition to your ‘New Year, New Me’ routine.
Heinz is, of course, the go-to brand when it comes to this beloved cosy treat, but a number of excellent supermarket dupes could well do the trick at a snip of the price…
With a long stretch of gloomy January evenings ahead of us, it’s more important than ever that we take good care of our minds and bodies. And you don’t have to be a Michelin-starred chef to enjoy a certain nutrition-packed yet often overlooked microwaveable feast.
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An excellent source of iron, zinc and fibre, baked beans can also keep your gut in tip-top shape while keeping your cholesterol levels in check. Truly the magical fruit and worth the occasional toot.
Health benefits aside, beans on toast certainly makes for a far cheaper midweek option than steak – and with Christmas fast approaching, every penny most certainly counts.
Plus, this scrumptious dish makes for the ideal TV supper as binge-watching season continues. Especially with a sprinkling of cheddar.
With this in mind, I decided to pit five different types of beans against each other, with the mighty Heinz battling it out against four popular supermarket dupes – from Aldi, Sainsbury’s, M&S, and Tesco.
I was keen to see whether I could get the same distinctive Heinz flavour I know and love for a snip of the price. One brand in particular could well have fooled me had I been blindfolded…
Aldi
Bramwell Baked Beans in Rich Tomato Sauce 410g – 41p from Aldi
I’ve long counted on Aldi for producing excellent dupes and wasn’t disappointed with this one.
Starting off strong with my first bean helping of the evening – Aldi’s Bramwell beans feel like a clear homage to Heinz.
Sweet, although not quite as sweet as the OG, Aldi’s offering was pretty much bang on. The sauce could have been a little richer, however, and the beans didn’t have that pillowy softness I’ve come to associate with a classic beans of toast supper. At 41p, however, I’m absolutely not complaining.
Rating: 8/10
Tesco
Tesco Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce 420g – 42p from Tesco
There’s more of a subtle, earthier flavour going on here here. The savoury notes are amped up in this one, which may please those who find Heinz to be too sweet. The beans were lovely and soft. A perfectly nice Sunday night treat, but they didn’t blow me away.
Rating: 7/10
Heinz
Heinz Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce 415g – £1.10 from Sainsbury’s with Nectar card (£1.40 without).
The tin that, of course, needs no introduction. A true icon of the supermarket shelf, just one smooth spoonful of Heinz took me straight back to after-school teas before Brownies meetings. Pure nostalgia, and moreover, absolute quality.
Rich, comforting and filling, and the most tomato-heavy of the bunch, this legend is a tough one to mimic. You can bet I licked the spoon with this one.
Rating: 10/10
M&S
M&S Baked Beans 400g – 50p from M&S
I absolutely love M&S – particularly when I find a treat that isn’t anywhere near as expensive as its ‘posh’ reputation would suggest.
However, although I enjoyed this tin, I can’t say it’s one I’ll be craving going forward. In a similar vein to Tesco, the M&S offering just didn’t have the sweet note I’ve come to associate with beans on toast.
This is a bit more of a grown-up version which might not go down as well among those of us who enjoy the nostalgic factor of the meal.
The sauce was deliciously rich, though, and this still made for a satisfyingly soothing Sunday night dinner.
Rating: 7.5/10
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce 400g – 40p from Sainsbury’s
For me, this felt the closest to the classic Heinz experience. Sweet, rich sauce packed with buttery soft beans, Sainsbury’s’ offering paired perfectly with a slice of toast.
Probably the sauciest of the five, the flavour here was so similar to that of Heinz that a blind taste test may well have had me fooled. An absolute Sunday scaries blaster if ever there was one, and – at a very reasonable price – a new staple for my kitchen cupboard.
Rating: 9/10
The verdict
For me, Heinz is still the best, but I have to say Sainsbury’s own beans come at a very close second. And with such a decent price tag, it really is a no-brainer for me as I turn my attention to post-Christmas budgeting.
Aldi’s flavourful offering comes in at third place, while I’m surprised to say M&S ranks fourth. Although I usually love an M&S brand product, this one just didn’t do it for me – although the value is certainly good.
In third place, I’ve put Tesco. Although tasty, this just didn’t quite hit that sweet spot, although those with more savoury tastebuds may well lap it up. Bean Appetit!
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
