Supermarket-own hot cross buns can be sweeter, saltier and more calorific than biscuits, crisps and doughnuts, MailOnline analysis shows.
This website analysed the nutritional content of 70 hot cross buns on sale at Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, ALDI, LIDL, Waitrose, , Iceland and Co-op.
The sweetest option contained 19.4g of sugar — the equivalent of four McVitie's chocolate digestives, while one Easter snack had 0.83g salt, making it twice as salty as a packet of Walker's ready salted crisps.
And more than a third of the products had more calories than aKrispy Kreme glazed doughnut, with the worst offender containing a fifth more (235 calories).
Britons are advised to eat no more than 6g of salt (around one teaspoon) and 30g of added sugar (approximately seven sugar cubes) each day.
This website analysed the nutritional content of 70 hot cross buns on sale at Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's Morrisons, ALDI, LIDL, Waitrose, M&S, Iceland and Co-op. The sweetest option contained 19.4g of sugar — the equivalent of four McVitie’s chocolate digestives, while one Easter snack had 0.83g salt, making it twice as salty as a packet of Walker's ready salted crisps. And more than a quarter of the products had more calories than a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut, with the most calorific containing a fifth more (235 calories)
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WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
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A salt-heavy diet can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke, while too much sugar can lead to weight gain.
Health campaign groups told MailOnline the huge variation in sugar and salt content across supermarket hot cross buns is 'absolutely baffling'.
Manufacturers have access to the same ingredients and know salt and sugar are harmful to health so should offer healthier products instead of adding 'unnecessary levels', experts claimed.
MailOnline analysis shows Morrisons' double chocolate and caramel hot cross buns contained 235 calories— the most out of the 70 own-brand buns available from 10 of the UK's biggest supermarkets.
Having one as a snack would account for 12 per cent of a woman's recommended calorie intake and nine per cent of a man's daily allowance.
Overall, more than a third (36 per cent) contained more calories than a Krispy Kreme doughnut.
The lowest calorie option— Co-op's gluten and dairy free version, which cost £2.10 for a pack of four— contains just 139 calories per bun, 96 fewer than Morrisons' option.
Meanwhile, Iceland's hot cross buns — which cost £1 for a packet of six — contain 19.4g of sugar per serving.
At the other end of the scale, M&S's Marmite cheese hot cross bun contained the least amount of sugar, with 1.7g per bun— 11 times less than the worst-offender.
Many of the products contain dried fruit, which can be packed full of natural sugar themselves. The products do not list exactly how much added sugar they contain.
The NHS states eating too much sugar can contribute to people having too many calories, which can lead to weight gain.
But the same M&S Marmite snack, which costs £1.75 for a pack of four, was the saltiest hot cross bun on sale, with 0.83g per serving— around a sixth of an adult's daily recommended maximum intake.
ASDA's extra fruity hot cross buns were the least salty, with just 0.21g per serving, around a quarter of the amount in the M&S product. ASDA's version of the Easter treat costs £1.50 for a packet of four.
Katharine Jenner, a public health nutritionist at Queen Mary University of London and director at Action on Sugar and Action on Salt, told MailOnline: 'It is absolutely baffling' that one hot cross bun can be 11 times as sweet or four times as salty as another.
She said: 'All manufacturers have the same ingredients available to them and know that salt and sugar are harmful to our health, so why can't they all offer healthier options instead of products containing such high and unnecessary levels of added sugar and salt?
'That is why mandated salt, sugar and calorie reduction targets should be implemented by the Government without further delay.'
| SUPERMARKET | HOT CROSS BUN PRODUCT NAME | COST | CALORIES | SUGAR (g) | SALT (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Fruity Hot Cross Buns, Taste the Difference x4 280g | £1.25 | 192 | 15 | 0.24 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Hot Cross Buns x6 | £0.85 | 143 | 2.8 | 0.49 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Triple Berry Hot Cross Buns Taste the Difference x4 280g | £1.25 | 201 | 14.4 | 0.29 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Chocolate & Caramel Hot Cross Buns, Taste the Difference x4 | £1.25 | 222 | 11.8 | 0.54 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns, Taste the Difference x4 | £1.25 | 193 | 13.3 | 0.27 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Free From Fruity Hot Cross Buns x4 280g | £2.00 | 176 | 10.4 | 0.43 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Cheddar & Caramelised Onion Chutney Hot Cross Buns, Taste the Difference x4 280g | £1.25 | 192 | 3.6 | 0.64 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Triple Chocolate Hot Cross Buns, Taste the Difference x4 280g | £1.25 | 210 | 9 | 0.33 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Free From Caramel & Chocolate Hot Cross Buns, Taste the Difference x4 280g | £2.50 | 176 | 8.7 | 0.32 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Hot Cross Buns x6 | £1.00 | 200 | 12 | 0.3 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Hot Cross Buns, Be Good To Yourself x6 | £1.00 | 186 | 11.6 | 0.3 |
| SAINSBURY'S | Sainsbury's Hot Cross Bun Bagels, Taste the Difference x4 | £1.60 | 207 | 7.9 | 0.61 |
| TESCO | Tesco 6 Hot Cross Buns | £1.00 | 175 | 12.3 | 0.33 |
| TESCO | Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack | £0.70 | 208 | 14.5 | 0.47 |
| TESCO | Tesco Finest 4 Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 205 | 14.8 | 0.34 |
| TESCO | Tesco Finest 4 Blueberry Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 179 | 8.1 | 0.39 |
| TESCO | Tesco Finest 4 Salted Caramel & Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 218 | 10.2 | 0.5 |
| TESCO | Tesco Fresh Free From Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack | £2.20 | 161 | 12.2 | 0.6 |
| TESCO | Tesco Finest 4 Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 191 | 9 | 0.4 |
| TESCO | Tesco Finest 4 St Clements Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 182 | 14.6 | 0.32 |
| TESCO | Tesco Free From 4 Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns | £2.00 | ? | 10.2 | 0.4 |
| ASDA | ASDA Extra Special 4 Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 192 | 14 | 0.21 |
| ASDA | ASDA Baker's Selection 4 Hot Cross Buns | £0.75 | 153 | 9 | 0.27 |
| ASDA | ASDA Extra Special Belgian Chocolate & Sourdough Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 206 | 12 | 0.29 |
| ASDA | ASDA Extra Special Bramley Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 191 | 13 | 0.33 |
| ASDA | ASDA Extra Special Belgian Blonde Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 220 | 12 | 0.37 |
| ASDA | ASDA Extra Special St Clements Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 195 | 16 | 0.33 |
| ASDA | ASDA Extra Special Tomato & Red Leicester Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 197 | 3.4 | 0.58 |
| ASDA | ASDA Extra Special Tickled Pink Belgian White Chocolate & Cranberry Hot Cross Buns | £1.50 | 210 | 11 | 0.38 |
| ASDA | ASDA Free From 4 Hot Cross Buns | £2.20 | 166 | 10 | 0.38 |
| ASDA | ASDA Free From 4 Choc Chip Hot Cross Buns | £2.20 | 194 | 5.9 | 0.43 |
| ASDA | ASDA Free From 4 Vegan Chilli & Cheddar Alternative Hot Cross Buns | £2.50 | 143 | 2.4 | 0.62 |
| MORRISONS | Morrisons The Best Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns | £1.00 | 210 | 18.6 | 0.42 |
| MORRISONS | Morrisons Hot Cross Buns | £1.00 | 177 | 13.6 | 0.37 |
| MORRISONS | Morrisons The Best Very Berry Hot Cross Buns | £1.00 | 204 | 14 | 0.47 |
| MORRISONS | Morrisons The Best Lemon Drizzle Hot Cross Buns | £1.00 | 211 | 14.9 | 0.45 |
| MORRISONS | Morrisons The Best Double Chocolate & Caramel Hot Cross Buns | £1.00 | 235 | 13.6 | 0.43 |
| ALDI | Specially Selected Triple Chocolate Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack | £1.19 | 229 | 13.2 | 0.31 |
| ALDI | Specially Selected Cheddar & Caramelised Red Onion Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack | £1.19 | 191 | 3.1 | 0.48 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns | £1.65 | 190 | 14.7 | 0.36 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose 4 Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns | £1.65 | 171 | 13.2 | 0.43 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose St Clements Hot Cross Buns | £1.65 | 187 | 14.5 | 0.46 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose Wholemeal Hot Cross Buns | £1.65 | 187 | 12.4 | 0.4 |
| WAITROSE | Essential Hot Cross Buns | £1.00 | 163 | 13.1 | 0.4 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose 4 Sticky Toffee Hot Cross Buns | £1.65 | 216 | 12.5 | 0.41 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose 4 White Chocolate & Lemon Hot Cross Buns | £1.65 | 234 | 9.3 | 0.55 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose 4 Chocolate & Orange Hot Cross Buns | £1.65 | 217 | 9.1 | 0.46 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose 4 Triple Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | £1.65 | 213 | 13.9 | 0.52 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose Free From 4 Hot Cross Buns | £2.35 | 184 | 14.8 | 0.4 |
| WAITROSE | Waitrose 4 Hot Cross Brioche Rolls | £1.50 | 223 | 3.1 | 0.62 |
| M&S | M&S 4 Extremely Cheesy Hot Cross Buns | £1.75 | 181 | 2.1 | 0.49 |
| M&S | M&S 4 Luxury Hot Cross Buns | £1.75 | 220 | 19.3 | 0.29 |
| M&S | M&S Bramley Apple Hot Cross Buns | £1.75 | 173 | 14.4 | 0.28 |
| M&S | M&S Chocolatey Hot Cross Buns | £1.75 | 212 | 11.6 | 0.33 |
| M&S | M&S 4 Salted Caramel & Blond Chocolate Hot Cross Buns | £1.75 | 213 | 11.9 | 0.46 |
| M&S | M&S Blueberry Hot Cross Buns | £1.75 | 183 | 13.2 | 0.28 |
| M&S | M&S Plant Kitchen Luxury Hot Cross Buns | £1.75 | 178 | 14.6 | 0.3 |
| M&S | M&S Marmite Cheese Hot Cross Buns | £1.75 | 187 | 1.7 | 0.83 |
| M&S | M&S Made Without Hot Cross Buns | £2.00 | 185 | 16.2 | 0.3 |
| ICELAND | Iceland 6 Hot Cross Buns | £1 | 222 | 19.4 | 0.7 |
| CO-OP | Co-op Irresistible Chocolate Toffee & Salted Caramel Hot Cross Buns 280g | £1.5 | 198 | 10 | 0.44 |
| CO-OP | Co-op Irresistible Limited Edition Deliciously Spiced Masala & Chilli Hot Cross Buns | £1.5 | 167 | 11 | 0.65 |
| CO-OP | Co-op Happy Easter 6 Hot Cross Buns | £1.35 | 157 | 9.7 | 0.34 |
| CO-OP | Co-op Happy Easter 4 Hot Cross Buns | £0.85 | 166 | 13 | 0.25 |
| CO-OP | Co-op Irresistible Limited Edition Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns | £1.5 | 184 | 14 | 0.39 |
| CO-OP | Co-op Limited Edition Irresistible Deliciously Sweet Carrot Cake Hot Cross Buns | £1.5 | 161 | 11 | 0.29 |
| CO-OP | Co-op Free From 4 Hot Cross Buns | £2.1 | 139 | 12 | 0.26 |
| LIDL | 6 Hot Cross Buns | £0.89 | 184 | 12.3 | 0.5 |
| LIDL | 4 Apple Cinnamon | £0.99 | 173 | 11 | 0.57 |
| LIDL | Brioche Hot Cross Buns | £0.99 | 187 | 12.5 | 0.4 |
