Tinned beans are a versatile cupboard staple, suitable for chilli, soup, stew, salads, and many other meals. They are rich in protein and fibre and are inexpensive, making them a popular choice for budget-conscious cooks. Shops offer a range of options, from basic tins to more expensive products, and a food expert has shared advice on when it is worth paying more.
Expert Advice on Spending and Saving
Kathryn Bruton, a TikTok creator with more than 17,000 followers who shares simple, cheap recipes, posted a video from a supermarket's tinned beans section. "Let's talk about tinned beans - where I spend, and where I save," she said. "I mostly save, and I think you should too." She described the area as having "the most amazing value for money," noting that the ingredient "will just give you so many different types of meals."
Pointing to cheaper tinned beans, Bruton said they are "all absolutely delicious, and they're all around 45p." She added that for one person, a single tin provides at least two meals, making them "mega store cupboard fillers" that she always keeps on hand.
When Spending More Makes Sense
Bruton also discussed more expensive beans packaged in resealable glass jars, which cost about £3.25 each compared with between 45p and around £1.35 for tinned versions. "If you are going to spend, and where sometimes I spend cooking for one, is in this area here," she said. She acknowledged the quality is "really good" and highlighted the convenience of the jar: "It takes the pressure off me, getting through the whole jar all in one sitting or over the course of two days. So I open the jar and I leave it in the fridge, and I just work away at it during the week when I'm cooking for myself."
Viewer Tips and Reactions
Comments on the video included suggestions to buy dried beans, which one user said are "even cheaper and taste the same once hydrated." Another recommended reusing washed mayonnaise jars for storage. Other viewers expressed reluctance to pay over £3 for a jar of beans, with one stating, "45p tin will do the job," while another raised concerns about added ingredients in cheap beans. Some praised tinned pulses as "most underrated food for health," and one user said, "I live on tinned pulses, add them to everything."
