Quick answer: On public Tesco UK product pages checked on 24 September 2026, the listed ingredients for the two dinner assemblies below allocate to about 49p and £1.03 per planned portion. That is the cost of the quantities used, not the cash needed to buy the packs. The separate initial pack outlays are £2.25 and £4.59. Prices, ranges and charges vary; neither meal was cooked or taste-tested by Smaklig. These two examples are a worked cost method, not a promise that every household can make a satisfying, balanced dinner at these figures.
AI-generated content. Always verify ingredients and allergen information yourself. Check the real pack and each diner's needs before cooking; these examples are not allergen-cleared recipes.
What does “under £3” mean here?#
The threshold applies to all food ingredients specified for one assembled dinner portion, using pack price × amount used ÷ pack quantity (or the exact fraction of a count pack). It does not mean a new shopper's basket costs under £3. It excludes cooking electricity or gas, water, delivery/collection fees and any optional toppings or condiments. These examples specify no oil, butter, cheese, salt or seasoning in either assembly, so none is silently treated as free. If you add one, price it and add it to the total. Tesco's public pages are not a postcode-specific basket, stock check or completed transaction. No Clubcard price is used.
These two examples test the £3 arithmetic and the distinction between pack outlay and ingredient cost. They do not rank cheap meals by how filling they are. The government's unit-pricing guide explains why comparing the price per kilogram or litre helps compare pack sizes. Unit price does not tell you the cash needed for a whole pack or whether you will use its remainder.
The NHS Eatwell Guide treats dietary balance over a day or week, rather than demanding that one plate mirror the guide. Potatoes are a starchy base; beans and eggs are protein foods; broccoli and peas are vegetables. This categorisation does not prove these portions meet anyone's energy, protein or medical needs. Adjust the quantity and recalculate for the people eating.
Example 1: jacket potato with baked beans and broccoli, two portions#
Planned ingredients: two baking potatoes, one 420 g tin of baked beans in tomato sauce, and 160 g frozen broccoli. Split the beans equally, so each planned plate has one potato, 210 g beans and 80 g broccoli. Use only these three ingredients for the quoted cost. Scrub and cook the potatoes using the Tesco potato pack directions; heat the beans using their pack directions and cook the broccoli from frozen using its pack directions. Appliances and potato sizes vary. This assembly has not been physically cooked or timed by Smaklig.
| Product, public Tesco listing checked 24 September 2026 | Whole pack price | Amount allocated to two portions | Allocated cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking potatoes, four | £0.79 | Two of four | £0.395 |
| Baked beans in tomato sauce, 420 g | £0.39 | All 420 g | £0.390 |
| Frozen broccoli, 900 g | £1.07 | 160 g of 900 g | £0.190 |
| Total, displayed to three decimals | £2.25 pack outlay | Two planned portions | £0.975, about £0.98 |
The ingredient allocation is £0.79 × 2/4 + £0.39 + £1.07 × 160/900 = £0.9752; divided by two, about £0.49 per planned portion. Buying all three packs costs the listed £2.25 before any other basket charges. Two potatoes and about 740 g frozen broccoli remain. If your potato is larger or you want more beans or vegetables, use the actual quantity and recalculate. The Food Standards Agency advises cooking frozen vegetables thoroughly; follow the broccoli pack. Tesco's product information asks shoppers to check the physical pack because ingredients and allergens can change; check all three, especially for anyone with a food allergy.
Example 2: potatoes, thoroughly cooked eggs and peas, two portions#
Planned ingredients: two of the same baking potatoes, four large free-range eggs and 160 g frozen garden peas. That means one potato, two eggs and 80 g peas per planned plate. Cook the potatoes and peas according to their packs. Boil the eggs thoroughly, until the white and yolk are firm; the Food Standards Scotland cooking guidance explains the extra care needed for eggs. Serve together without oil, butter, seasoning or sauce for the stated ingredient cost. Egg is an allergen. Check the physical packs and suitability for your household. This is an editorial assembly, not a tested recipe or a safe-cooking time supplied by Smaklig.
| Product, public Tesco listing checked 24 September 2026 | Whole pack price | Amount allocated to two portions | Allocated cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking potatoes, four | £0.79 | Two of four | £0.395 |
| Large free-range eggs, six | £2.10 | Four of six | £1.400 |
| Garden peas, 1 kg | £1.70 | 160 g of 1 kg | £0.272 |
| Total, displayed to three decimals | £4.59 pack outlay | Two planned portions | £2.067, about £2.07 |
The allocation is £0.79 × 2/4 + £2.10 × 4/6 + £1.70 × 160/1000 = £2.067; divided by two, about £1.03 per planned portion. Buying the three packs from scratch costs the listed £4.59, even though most of the pea bag and two eggs remain. The six-egg pack may be unsuitable for an egg-allergic household. If you add oil to fry the eggs, butter on potatoes, vegetables beyond the peas or a sauce, these are additional ingredients and costs; the two-portion total must be revised.
A fair comparison before you shop#
The two examples share the four-pack of potatoes. If buying all five distinct packs to make both assemblies once, their listed pack prices total £6.05; the four planned portions allocate about £3.04 of food from those packs. Those are different denominators. The remainder is two eggs, about 740 g broccoli and about 840 g peas; the four potatoes and the tin of beans are used. Freezer space, safe storage and another specific use for the remaining food matter. Those leftovers are not free future dinners: any further ingredients have their own cost.
Before relying on either example, check your actual branch or online delivery postcode, product and pack size, stock, current checkout price, collection/delivery charge and any substitutions. The public Tesco pages recorded for this worked example are dated observations, not a checkout price for your postcode. Recheck them before shopping. Even a figure well below £3 does not prove that another dinner or another shop offers the same basket. No retailer affiliation, live UK Smaklig price feed, shopping cart or savings outcome is claimed.
Does under £3 mean I can buy all the packs for £3?#
No. It means the allocated cost of the quantities used per planned portion in these two examples. The till bills for the full packs are £2.25 and £4.59 before any delivery charge or other basket items.
Will these dinners cost the same in my branch?#
Not necessarily. Check the current pack, shelf or online postcode, checkout price and stock. The public pages checked on 24 September 2026 are a dated illustration, not a local basket or a savings guarantee.
Are these complete tested recipes?#
No. They specify every food ingredient counted in the arithmetic, but no Smaklig kitchen test, timing or suitability assessment has been done. Follow the actual pack instructions and check allergens for everyone eating.
Sources and further reading
- Tesco baking potatoes 4 pack — Tesco
- Tesco baked beans 420 g — Tesco
- Tesco frozen broccoli 900 g — Tesco
- Tesco large free-range eggs 6 pack — Tesco
- Tesco garden peas 1 kg — Tesco
- Unit pricing for consumers — Competition and Markets Authority
- Cooking food safely — Food Standards Scotland
- Cooking your food — Food Standards Agency
- The Eatwell Guide — NHS