Nutritionist exposes ‘truth' behind Aussie office lunch fave

News.com.au

04-07-2025

With the cost of living still rising, Aussies are scrutinising every dollar spent at the supermarket.
But a viral TikTok is urging shoppers to look beyond just the price tag, exposing major differences between budget and premium versions of everyday staples.
Filming from inside a supermarket, Dietitian Joshua Wernham holds up two cans of tomatoes, one a Coles home brand for $0.95, the other, a branded option from Mutti for $2.30.
'This one has almost 100 per cent tomatoes,' he says, gesturing towards the more expensive can.
'Other ones, typically have only around 60 per cent – and there are many other examples of this throughout the supermarket you might not know.'
Differences between budget and premium products
He then compares tuna cans, revealing that Sirena tuna contains 73 per cent tuna, while the Woolworths can of the same size contains just 35 per cent, the rest made up of oils and flavourings.
While he acknowledges that he's comparing a spring water version with a flavoured one, he points out that you're better off buying the Sirena one and adding your own flavourings to it, to get the most tuna.
When it comes to maple syrup, he compares Woolworths' 100 per cent pure Canadian Maple Syrup, which has just one ingredient and costs $9.50, with Woolworths' Maple Flavoured Syrup, costing $2.50, which has over nine ingredients.
Parmigiano Reggiano, which is aged for a long time, was compared with regular parmesan, which he called just 'a regular hard cheese'.
Olive oil wasn't spared either. He explained: 'Your extra virgin is basically just cold pressing olives, whereas your regular is extracted by using heat and/or chemicals, and in doing so, you lose many antioxidants and polyphenols. So pay for the quality'.
His video quickly went viral, with commenters shocked by the differences.
'I didn't know that about tuna!' said one viewer. Another added, 'Interesting, just proves that generic brands are a rip off'.
'Thank you. This is why I don't buy home brand,' a third admitted.
More price and ingredient disparities
Mr Wernham told news.com.au there are countless examples of these product disparities.
'Coconut milk is one to look out for,' he said. 'For example, Ayam has 89 per cent coconut extract and costs $5, versus only 50 per cent in your Coles or Woolies homebrand (both $1.10). This can go as low as 19 per cent in some light versions too, such as TCC Light Coconut Milk, which costs $2.30'.
Buzzwords to look out for
For those trying to save money, Mr Wernham doesn't simply recommend always buying the most expensive option.
Instead, he encourages shoppers to read ingredient lists carefully and look out for certain buzzwords.
'Terms like 'natural' might sound ideal, but they're not strictly regulated and can be used on products that contain naturally occurring substances, even if they're highly processed,' he explained.
He also warned that products labelled 'sugar free' or 'low sugar' may contain sugar alcohols, a type of sweetener.
'Although they contain fewer calories than sugar, it's important to remember they still have a few (2 kcal per gram), and in high amounts, they can cause gastrointestinal discomfort for some people,' he said.
Shoppers should also be mindful of hidden sugars. Ingredients like maltodextrin, cane juice, dextrose, or corn syrup are 'basically just sugar in disguise,' he noted.
'Superfood' is another marketing term to watch out for.
'This is promoted for foods with supposed health benefits, as they're often very high in a certain nutrient,' he pointed out. 'While this is great, they may be lower in others, so I wouldn't say they're necessarily more or less beneficial than other foods.'
And if a label claims to 'detox', he said it's worth remembering that the body's own organs do that job just fine.
He also advised being cautious of products labelled as 'high protein', as sometimes the difference between the high-protein and regular options is very small.
For example, Mayver's 'Protein' peanut butter has only 1.4g more protein than Mayver's standard crunchy peanut butter.
How to maximise value
After weighing all this up, Mr Wernham also suggests comparing prices per 100g, which are listed in small print on supermarket shelves.
'There might be a happy medium where they don't have many of the above, but still offer a reasonable price compared to the cheapest options with less ideal ingredients,' he said.
He also recommends avoiding pre-sliced or pre-seasoned products, as they tend to cost more and may be packed with additives.
Not shopping while hungry is also a common tip people may know, but he says it really does lead to unnecessary spending.
Lastly, he recommends frozen products for maximising value without sacrificing nutrition.
'This helps with convenience as you don't need to chop anything beforehand. They also don't spoil as quickly, so there's minimal waste,' he said. 'They're just as nutritious as fresh, so that's not an issue either.'
Overall, he urges people to read food labels and base their diets mainly on lean meats, in-season fruits, and vegetables.