Simple lunch ingredients swap could save you £156 this month

As the nation returns to work after the festive break and grapples with the rising trend of 'lunchflation', January 2025 presents a prime opportunity to make a cost-effective change. Last year, 40 per cent of adults in Great Britain reported spending more than usual on their regular food items, with 44 per cent buying less food when shopping.

Love Canned Food, the champion of canned ingredients, proposes a New Year change that could lead to substantial savings for families. Their latest data indicates that by switching the ingredients for their lunches from fresh to canned, a family of four could save just over £156 during January, or £1,879.13 across the year.

READ MORE: Six money mistakes people make in January and how to avoid them

READ MORE: Small money habits to start this week to help reach your financial goals in the New Year

Love Canned Food says that by embracing canned food, families can unlock impressive savings across the board and office workers could pocket as much as £497.69 annually - an impressive saving of 76 per cent. For those packing lunches for kids, a switch to canned could see a monthly saving of £40.01 per child, translating into a yearly windfall of £480.15 - a saving of 73 per cent.

If you're working from home, replacing fresh ingredients with canned could trim your lunch costs by £35.09 each month, adding up to an annual saving of £421.14, a significant 72 per cent reduction.

For those trying out Veganuary, opting for canned ingredients in your vegan lunches could make them £15.53 cheaper each month, equating to an annual saving of £186.34 and a 56 per cent saving.

With 43 per cent of the UK's 19.5 million families having one or more dependent children, rising food prices are putting additional pressure on household budgets. And as more people return to the offices, or step up hybrid working, affordable and easy-to-prepare lunches for both home and office settings are a must.

Consumer expert, Kate Hardcastle, supports this initiative, saying, "Canned food is a game-changer for families looking to save this January and beyond. With the significant savings available across all types of lunches, it's an easy switch with a big pay-off. Plus, with a variety of delicious recipes available, there's no need to compromise on taste.

“For inspiration and ideas, Love Canned Food's Instagram page is a treasure trove of affordable, tasty, and easy-to-make canned food lunches."

Beyond these impressive savings, taste isn't compromised either. Research from Manchester Metropolitan University found that in over half (53%) of cases, canned ingredients were as tasty, if not tastier, than fresh. In fact, in 13 of the 15 recipes tested, canned ingredients held their own against fresh, debunking the myth that canned food doesn't match up to fresh.

Top saving canned recipes

Vegan lunches:

• Spicy Falafel Wrap

• Vegan Nachos

• Three Bean Tacos

Kids lunches:

• Tuna Melt Club Sandwich

• Airfryer Tuna and Cheese Bagel

• Cheeseburger Pasta

Office packed lunches:

• Tuna, Haricot and Red Onion Salad

• High Protein Salad Jar

• Tuna & Avocado Fruity Poke Bowl

Working from home lunches:

• Tandoori Spiced Flatbread

• Stewed Steak and Vegetable Pasties

• Salmon and Bean Salad

To help families make the switch, Love Canned Food carefully curated 31 canned recipes for each occasion - office, working from home, children’s and vegan, one for each day of the month for January (and beyond). The recipes can be found on Instagram, @lovecannedfood.