An age old question: what is the best meal deal?
Well, here at The Badger we give to you a selection of our Editors putting their favourite combination into the mix…
Charlie Batten, Sport Print-Editor
The ultimate meal deal for me has to be a BLT, a pack of Skips and the energise innocent smoothie from Sainsburys. It single handedly gets me through 15 hour shifts as a bartender and for £3.50 it’s a steal. To go through each piece of this delicious jigsaw, let’s start with a BLT. It is a beautiful mix of smokey bacon with crunchy lettuce and cool refreshing bit of tomato that not only fills the hole in your stomach but delights the taste-buds. To move onto the Skips, these foamy, zingy prawn cocktail crisps are just delightful and take me back to my childhood. The last piece of puzzle is the innocent smoothie. The key to the best meal deal is to get a drink that costs at least 2 quid just cause then you’re just being economically intelligent. It also means I get all the vitamins and nutrients I need so I can spend the rest of the day eating fast food and not feel bad about it.
Ali Arief, Theatre Editor
Nothing comes closer to Heaven than a Chicken & Bacon sandwich, a packet of cheesy Quavers and a bottle of full sugared Sprite (I’ll have none of that aspartame nonsense thank you). Tesco will usually have your back when it comes to this combination, however you can also find this at the Co-op, Sainsbury’s and any other right minded supermarket. I need to emphasize to everyone reading that a Chicken and Bacon sandwich is the ultimate hangover cure. The chicken to start with is full of protein and aminos to give you energy, and the Bacon provides salty deliciousness to satisfy the amount of salt you lost the night before.
The Sprite may seem a controversial choice, however as a child I was not allowed sugary drinks and now that I’m an adult with full fledged freedom, I reserve the right to indulge myself in the crisp, refreshing lemony elixir that only a full sugared Sprite would provide.
Now, let me talk about Quavers. Cheesy, crunchy and especially filling, I cannot stress how this is the superior crisp choice, especially combined with the salt of the bacon from the sandwich. This is a meal deal of the Gods.
Emma Norris, Film & TV Editor
The only meal deal that matters is a Boots meal deal. For some, this may sound a more bougie option, but it’s £3.39 price tag puts it on par with most other supermarkets and, for this price, you can get an absolute, top tier lunch. In true Brighton fashion, my main meal typically consists of a vegan sandwich or wrap – my favourites being the hoisin ‘duck’ wrap or the ‘chicken’ salad sandwich. If I am feeling really crazy, the higgidy vegan quiche is gorgeous and a nice alternative to a typical sandwich. To go with this, I will normally pick an oat milk iced latte because obviously, you have to pick a more expensive drink option to get your money’s worth. If I’m feeling healthy, I’ll get fruit or a cereal bar as my snack, but most of the time a grab bag of skips is what I lean towards, creating a truly beautiful meal deal.
Dylan Bryant, Music Editor
I’m going to start off by saying that if you choose anything other than an innocent smoothie or one of those posh, fancy juices then you’re silly – purely on an economic basis. The key to any good meal deal is to save money, so this really is a no brainer! With this said, my drink of choice is a strawberry & banana innocent smoothie. Sweet, tasty, healthy and great value for money – can’t go wrong! At least a £1 saving straight off the bat.
Whilst Innocent smoothies are sold in most respectable supermarkets, I usually go for a meal deal from Sainsburys. This is where my meal deal gets rather controversial… For my main meal I choose Sainsbury’s spicy chicken pasta. Sorry sandwich lovers, but I don’t like the soggy white bread you tend to get with most sandwiches. That being said, forgetting a fork is a detrimental mistake and yes; I have done this on many occasions – you got me there.
And finally, for my snack of choice I’m going for a classic Snickers because you’re not you when you’re hungry and all this meal deal talk has got me starving (sorry).
Molly Openshaw, Arts Print Editor:
Firstly, let’s picture the scene: it’s the middle of summer, you’re about to join your mates in the park and you fancy a cheeky little meal deal. I, personally, believe that the best opinion is the hoisin duck wrap, it’s exotic, a hefty size and tantalizing on the taste buds. To go along with this brilliant main, you need a bit of a crunch. Now, this is a difficult decision, and I will be honest, it depends on the day. It is either between some Walkers Prawn Cocktail crisps, a classic, or Thai Sweet Chicken McCoys. To wash down that incredible, delightful ensemble of taste, I am going to choose the king of drinks. That is the Oasis. Named after that sweet refreshing watering hole in the horizon, this drink is sure to quench your thirst.
Georgia Keetch, Editor in Chief:
Wow, thinking about meal deals just makes me unbelievably hungry. The possibilities are endless alongside the combinations. The thing is with meal deals is that it can show you a lot about the person who is picking it and I have often got the ick over people’s meal deal choice. Now; cutting to the chase. You pick the drink first- which must be either a fanta fruit twist or a dr pepper. Then, you barge your way past the other hungry gremlins in the aisle and make a b-line for the tomato and feta pasta. Finally, to reward yourself for regressing back to a hunter-gatherer you pick up god’s gift to humanity- a twix. Sit down, relax, and crack into the combination of food that will make you feel like you have finally girlbossed too close to the sun.
Robyn Cowie, Online Production Editor:
The thought of a meal offers me a warm sense of nostalgia for my days at sixth form, finally being allowed out for lunch and in need of a quick, easy decision of what to get – this particular meal deal quite literally powered me through my gruelling A-Levels.
Now, a meal deal is a very personal and even more controversial thing… This being said, if there was ever any doubt for seventeen/eighteen year old me, the £3 Tesco meal deal was where it was at.
First and foremost, gotta be a wrap and a Chicken Fajita Wrap. A fail safe and slightly more interesting than your humble sandwich. A consistently reliable choice. Now for a drink, tried, tested and true – it has to be a Ribena. Last but not least, gotta be some sort of chocolate bar – in which – any cadbury’s shall do. Whether it is a Wispa, Twirl or a Dairy Milk of various sorts. As someone who quite frankly despises crisps (a controversial opinion I know), there is no better way to end.
Isaac Hallé, Agony Owl:
When I find myself at Lewes road petrol station filling my tank, my stomach often gets a fill too. Now this isn’t just a meal deal, this is an M&S meal deal. It may be a little more pricey but such is the cost of true class. Having deciphered the confusing signage I pick up an egg, tomato and salad cream sandwich-a delicious god tier sandwich which doesn’t cost the life of any of my animal pals. Some cheese and onion crisps, smooth strawberry flavoured water and I’m revved up and ready to go.
Rob Barrie, Science and Technology Editor:
If I received a penny every time I was asked this, I still wouldn’t be able to afford a Sainsbury’s meal deal. Which is why, for my lunch (which is usually about an hour after I wake up), Tesco’s is my port of call – like a lighthouse welcoming weary ships in from the storm. Centre stage is occupied beautifully by a Hoisin Duck wrap. I’m not a big fan of wraps that decide to start occluding your breathing apparatus halfway through swallowing. This wrap is not one of them, being paired majestically with hoisin sauce, results in a fresh and moist combination. Prawn cocktail crisps (anything other than the dreaded ‘ready salted’ wins my vote) and a galaxy chocolate bar (so divine that I’m convinced it was created by the Greek Gods themselves) complete the meal. For a drink to wash the meal down with (needed more for the drier sandwiches in truth – ham and cheese I’m looking at you), I go with Pepsi Max. Yes, Pepsi tastes different to Coca Cola. And yes, it tastes better. Regardless, that’s my meal deal and the formula for an enjoyable but affordable lunch. Enjoy!
