Beans, beans... (Tesco Value Baked Beans)

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Tesco Value Baked Beans
Date:	25/06/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Taste good!

Disadvantages: A slight difference from Heinz...

It is inevitable that any value baked beans are going to be compared to the almighty king of the food stuff - Heinz. Whilst I did notice a very slight decline in quality from those beans, these still go well with a burger and chips in particular, as well as a variety of other meals.

Nutritional Information (per tin):
Protein = 17g
Carbohydrates = 31g
Fat = 1.2g
Fibre = 18g
Sodium = 1g

Although the price of the beans has incresed somewhat with the recession and all (I recall these being about 8 or 9p a few years ago!), they are still far away cheaper than the likes of Heinz and Branston beans, and the taste difference is nowhere near enough to push you to those more expensive alternatives. It essentially comes down to one factor shared by the sauce and the bean - thickness. Ideally, the tomato sauce shouldn't be runny - it should be thick, whilst the beans should compliment this by being soft and not overly chewy. I did find that the Tesco Value sauce was a little runnier than I'm used to with the Heinz stuff (when I'm not the one doing the shopping!), and the beans themselves didn't seem quite as soft. However, it's largely a minor difference and not one that makes them much worse than the Heinz stuff.

But how healthy are they? Well, they have a surprisingly small amount of fat in them compared to what I expected. They are high in Protein and especially in Carbohydrates, meaning that they're fine in moderation, and although it's not exactly a meal at the Ritz, I find that they go very nice with a burger and chips, or especially alongside egg, sausage and bacon in a fry-up.

If you've been reared on "premium" beans like Heinz your whole life, you might notice a little difference, but otherwise, these are a great alternative to them.

Summary: A good alternative for sure!