Hello everybody, it’s Coach Brian here, back with another “Ultimate Guide”, this time discussing the “Tesco Meal Deal”. As always, the point of these guides is so that we can empower people to be able to make the best choices for their goals in any food environment. This is a problem we constantly help our coaching clients to solve, as the reality is that nearly everybody at some point will need to get a meal on the go from a petrol station, deli, fast food outlet etc. and we want to show them that it can be done. These situations are bound to come up, and to deal with them, you just need a plan of action.
If you don’t have a plan, the default thinking often becomes ‘oh well, this is crap now because I have to get a meal in here and I’m unprepared’. People just assume it’s going to be a suboptimal choice and we want to show people that this isn’t necessarily the case. It is very rare that you can’t make a better choice and you can’t navigate the situation to allow you to hit your calorie and macronutrient targets. We coach people on this all the time, so we know it is possible to navigate a whole host of situations, and in our coaching practice, we have seen a lot of different situations crop up and we have helped people navigate them seamlessly.
Of course, you do still have to work on the foundational nutrition habits first and foremost, and learning to navigate eating on the go is only one part of a much larger nutritional paradigm.
Tesco Meal Deal
In this guide, we’ll explore healthy eating on the go with the Tesco Meal Deal*, as it offers quick meal solutions for busy lifestyles. As far as meal deals go, is pretty elite. The competition has some catching up to do! For €4.49 (at the time of writing) the meal deal offers a wide variety of options that will cater to almost every need. There are some choices that will be counterproductive to some people’s goals but in this case, I’ll show you how to make the best of it so that if you’re ever stuck for a meal, and there’s a Tesco nearby, then you can rely on that to get a good meal in (except potentially if it’s quite late in the evening when stocks could be low).
*note this is the Tesco Meal Deal available in Ireland at the time of writing and may differ slightly depending on your location.
Step 1: Select a Sandwich
For the most part, from a calorie to protein point of view, the sandwiches are the superior option as the ‘main’ part of the meal. The chicken pasta options can also be quite good but they’re not as easy to eat while on the go, however, between them and the sandwiches, you will have a good base.
As a rule, the wraps tend to be a lot higher in calories so if you are trying to manage these as per the guidelines in our article on setting up your diet this should be taken into account. Even still, the sandwiches can still be calorie-dense if they have a lot of fat sources in them (mayonnaise, cheese, bacon etc.) so we have outlined a selection of the best ones below.
As a general rule of thumb, if you can get ~20g protein and <20g fat in one of these sandwiches then you are doing well, so you can check the labels to determine which are the better options available to you. And if you’re not sure how many calories, protein, fats or carbs you should be eating then check out our free calorie and macronutrient calculator (or if you already know how many calories you should be consuming, then our ultimate nutritional set up calculator may be a better option).Â
It is important to familiarise yourself with the nutritional information provided on the side of the packs. In general, we want to keep an eye on the calories, protein, fat (especially saturated fat) and fibre content of the meals. We generally want to try to make choices that have higher protein content than fat content, and ideally choices that also include some sort of foods that also contribute to our fibre intake.
Step 2: Select a Drink
This step is simple enough as you will choose either water or a diet soda in most cases. However, this is one area where the Tesco Meal Deal really shines as it gives you the option to get a protein milk which can further bolster your protein intake for this meal. By adding this in, you could very well tick the boxes for your protein intake at a meal very easily.
Of course, the milk does contain some carbohydrates and fats as well so at ~300kcal it’s not exactly a low calorie option but we’ll cover the best combination for that later on in this article. The worst choices of drinks will be the sugar-sweetened sodas and the smoothies/juices are not a great choice either, because they are also high in sugar and don’t contain much fibre like a homemade smoothie or fresh fruit does.
Step 3: Select a Snack
This is another area where the Tesco Meal Deal can be a great option for a lunch on the go. The addition of the Everest Protein Pudding to the meal deal selection means that you can easily get another 20g of high quality protein for only 150kcal. Not bad for when you’re on the go!
More protein may not be your priority in this case though so there are also good options for low-calorie plant-based crunchy snacks or fresh fruits and vegetables.
And for those of you with high protein and calorie needs, you can choose the NutriQuick Power Pot for a carb dense 20g of additional protein.
If you are being conscious of your caloric intake the bigger bags of crisps or chocolate bars will be the worst options. Although sometimes you may wish to have something a little chocolatey, in which case a chocolate protein bar may be a good choice (although these do tend to be relatively high in calories for a snack, and I don’t believe they are included in the Tesco Meal Deal).
Special Combinations to Suit Your Needs
We work with a variety of different types of people in our coaching practice, and as such, we have to help them work around their own unique nutrition needs. While we can’t give you specific advice (unless you work with us via online coaching), we can give you a few combinations of foods in the Tesco Meal Deal that can be particularly helpful, depending on your individual goals.
The Plant-Based Pick-Up
Yes, the Tesco Meal Deal can even cater to vegans and vegetarians (or anyone looking to increase their plant intake as a priority)! Expect to choose a salad or wrap for 350-400kcal or thereabouts. The protein content won’t be as high but they are the best options on the menu for people trying to increase their fibre intake. The onion bhaji wrap and Moroccan hummus salad are phenomenal options for those looking to include more plants in their diet.
If you are not trying to absolutely maximise your protein and you are a lacto-vegetarian but you want a nice balance of plants and protein in your meal deal, a great combination would be the plant-based salad or wrap, along with protein milk and/or protein pudding. That way you’ll still get about 30-65g protein but you’ll also get >10g fibre which is very good for a single meal on the go.
If you are vegan you can select a diet soda or water as your drink and a fruit or low-kcal crunchy snack.
The Protein Paragon
Now for those of you who do want to just maximise your protein intake, you can get a whopping 76 grams of protein with this combination for only ~850kcal. Impressive!
This combination is low on plants though, so I would recommend adding some fruit or vegetables to this to really round it out. It is important to eat enough fruits and veg throughout the day, as most people don’t eat enough fruits/veg throughout the day and try to consume it all in the evening meal, and thus end up falling short on their fruit, veg and fibre intake.
The Performance Lunch
For anybody who has high calorie and protein requirements (e.g. quite active individuals), this combination has almost the same protein content as The Protein Paragon but more carbs and calories too.
Just select the Power Pot instead of the protein pudding and the pasta instead of the sandwich and you’ll be all set. If you need more calories still, you can choose one of the higher kcal wraps as the main item.
This combination is low on plants though, so I would recommend adding some fruit or vegetables to this to really round it out. As with the Protein Paragon, you could really turn this into a really well balanced meal with the inclusion of some sort of fruits and/or veg. For example, you could add some fruit to the meal, or you could add a side salad to boost the fibre and nutrient content of the meal (it all adds up!).
The Fat-Loss Favourite
Finally, for those of you wanting to select the best option for fat-loss purposes, this is one of the highest protein but lowest kcal options.
Another good variation on this would be to choose one of the plant-based main items to give you an extra plant and fibre boost for only ~10g or so less protein which could be quite acceptable depending on your individual protein needs.
In any case, you’ll still get about 35-45g protein and potentially >10g fibre as well, all for about 500kcal which is quite good going.
Balancing a Busy Lifestyle with Healthy Eating: The Tesco Meal Deal Advantage
In today’s fast-paced world, finding the time for a nutritious meal can be challenging. The Tesco Meal Deal can be incredibly helpful for busy people, as it is both convenient and you can make choices that are health conscious. Whether you’re a busy professional, a student juggling deadlines, or simply someone with a packed schedule, these meal deals can be tailored to fit your lifestyle without compromising your dietary goals. But the key is to know what you are looking for ahead of time.
If you are a busy individual, while the options we have outlined in this article will be great options, it can be helpful for you to have a framework in your mind for decision making with the Tesco Meal Deal. This will depend on how well stocked your local Tesco is, but in general, if you try to be conscious of your calorie intake, try to get a decent amount of protein, and then also try to get some sort of fibre in, you will likely be making better choices. It definitely does help to familiarise yourself with the various Tesco Meal Deal options, so when you are in a rush, you can just grab something on the go.
Remember, eating on the go doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality. Tesco Meal Deals offer a versatile range of options that can cater to various dietary needs and preferences, once you know how to make better choices. You can get a meal with a decent hit of protein, that ranges in calories all the way from ~300 up to ~1200, depending on your choices. So you really do have a lot of options, depending on your specific goals.
It can be helpful to have a few options in mind when you do go into Tesco, so you have a much better chance of making a good choice. It can also be helpful to have different options in mind, depending on what else is going on in your day. For example, maybe you have a Tesco Meal Deal in mind for when you have to grab something on the go during the work week. Maybe you also have something in mind for when you are eating on the go, but need to (re)fuel before/after a training session. The beauty of the Tesco Meal Deal is that you can tweak your selection to allow you to hit a variety of nutritional targets.
Eating On The Go: Tesco Meal Deal Conclusion
So, there are some options to help you eat on the go. The Tesco Meal Deal can be a real lifesaver when you are trying to stay on track with your nutrition goals, but you need to grab something on the go. Now, we always try to teach our clients to think of this stuff more broadly, rather than focusing on the specifics we have discussed here. What I mean by this is, while yes, you can use this information to make better choices with your Tesco Meal Deal, you can also use the thinking we outlined in this article to help you to make better choices with all of your meals. You can hopefully see how we went through a logical framework of building out the meals, based on specific criteria for the diet (i.e. we were calorie conscious, and we tried to focus on getting protein and fibre (fruits and veg) at each of the meals). This kind of thinking can be used whenever you are eating on the go.
Now, I did assume that you have some sort of understanding of the diet more broadly, and your own dietary needs in this article, but if you really don’t have a clue about nutrition, then I would recommend reading our comprehensive diet set up article and potentially also using one of our diet set up calculators (the ultimate diet set up calculator would be a good one if you already know how many calories you should be eating, alternatively our calorie and macronutrient calculator may be more beneficial if you don’t know how many calories you should be consuming for your goals).
If this content is something that you resonate with, or if you want to get your health and fitness questions answered and a comprehensive plan of action put in place to help you, then we might be able to help you on a one-to-one basis through our online coaching services. With coaching, we can look at your overall diet and help you come up with a comprehensive, science-backed plan of action to help you get the results you are looking for.
We also teach people to become nutrition coaches on our nutrition coaching certification course, if you are a coach who wants to upskill or you are interested in learning how to actually coach someone to better nutrition. If you just want to learn more about all things health and fitness, then feel free to explore our free content and subscribe to our email newsletter. If you prefer visual content, then subscribe to our YouTube channel, X and Instagram.
Brian OhAonghusa
Hey I’m Brian O'hAonghusa, nutrition coach at Triage.
I have a bachelors degree in Human Nutrition & I’m currently doing a masters degree in Counselling & Psychotherapy (cognitive behavioural modalities). I have coached a wide variety of clients since 2017 and in particular I love to help people to transform their health & their relationship with food for the better.
I enjoy lifting weights, BJJ, basketball, reading, eating and spending time in nature with my dog, Kodi.
Paddy Farrell
Hey, I'm Paddy!
I am a coach who loves to help people master their health and fitness. I am a personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and I have a degree in Biochemistry and Biomolecular Science. I have been coaching people for over 10 years now.
When I grew up, you couldn't find great health and fitness information, and you still can't really. So my content aims to solve that!
I enjoy training in the gym, doing martial arts and hiking in the mountains (around Europe, mainly). I am also an avid reader of history, politics and science. When I am not in the mountains, exercising or reading, you will likely find me in a museum.
