'I tried the M&S Only Ingredient range and would steer clear of one item'
The Daily Record's Nicola Croal tried out M&S' Only Ingredients range which consists of essential food products made with eight ingredients or less and no added preservatives.
M&S have recently expanded its Only Ingredients range which focuses on deliveringevery day essential food products which are made with eight or fewer ingredients and free from artificial colours or preservatives. The retailer's 26-product range first launched in 2025 with some basic ingredients but they have recently brought out some new items including meats and sauces.
Marks and Spencer's Only Ingredients range vows to reduce additives and strip food back down to basics so consumers always know exactly what they are putting into their bodies while still making it taste delicious. Some of the items on offer include four ingredient rolls, three ingredient burgers and one ingredient cornflakes.
The range also extends to sweet treats such as date chocolate bars, as well as yoghurts and porridge and condiments like mayonnaise and ketchup.
Food additives are used to enhance flavour and shelf life but they are also linked to chronic health issues and can have an impact on gut health. As so many items on the supermarket shelves include these extra preservatives, it's became very normalised to put things in our bodies without any idea what they actually are.
As someone who is trying to lead a healthier lifestyle and cut out processed food, I was intrigued by the Only Ingredients Range and decided to give a few of the products a taste test. After giving these products a go, there is one I will never touch again.
Burgers
M&S' British Beef Burgers were the product from the Only Ingredients range which caught my eye the most due to the fact it has just three ingredients in it - beef, salt and pepper.
Take a pack of Asda's reduced fat succulent beef burgers for example and look at the lengthy list of ingredients - Beef, water, Rice Flour, Onions, Pea Fibre, Maize Starch ( contains Sulphites), Salt, Onion Powder, Yeast Extract, Preservative (Sodium Metabisulphite), Dextrose, Bamboo Fibre, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Flavouring, Green Tea Extract, Antioxidant (Extracts of Rosemary), Bay Leaves.
In comparison, it's a stark difference. The Only Ingredients burgers are oven and air fryer friendly and I opted for the latter so I didn't need to wait for them to pan fry over the course of 23 minutes.
The beef cooked in 18 minutes in the air fryer and they came out very juicy and more oily than I expected. They tasted buttery with the salt and pepper coming through in the flavour.
The burgers are also quite thick and I'd recommend putting them in a thicker bun because of this, making for a very filling and delicious dinner.
Despite there being just beef and salt and pepper in the burgers, the price tag is rather high at £5.25 which poses the question - would you be better just buying beef to make burgers and adding salt and pepper to it yourself?
That being said I would buy these again for the pure convenience and the reassurance of knowing what you are putting in your body.
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Cereal
I tried out the six ingredient Choco Hoops cereal. While the one ingredient cornflakes and five ingredient multi grain hoops were also on offer, I went for the chocolate version hoping it would taste a little less bland.
It turns out I was wrong. Consisting purely of oat flour, corn flour, brown rice flour, date syrup, cocoa powder and salt, I was disappointed yet not surprised to discover the cereal tasted of exactly what I'd imagine cardboard to be like.
Granted the cereal doesn't have any added sugars (which is very evident in the taste), it also lacks vitamins, proteins and fats which are all something I like to have in my breakfast to boost my energy for the start of the day and keep me fuller for longer.
The gluten free Choco Hoops are also vegan and veggie friendly.
Priced at £2.50, which is slightly cheaper than your average box of branded cereal, I wouldn't reach for this particular item again.
Yoghurt
The third product I picked up is the five ingredient Raspberry Yoghurt. This was made up of Greek style yogurt, raspberry compote, honey, water and lemon juice.
Priced at £2.50, the yoghurt tasted delicious and was an excellent addition to my fruit bowl I enjoy in the evenings.
The yoghurt had a strong raspberry flavour and tasted smooth and creamy. I'm not a huge fan of Greek yoghurt but I really enjoyed this one which leads me to believe the less ingredients the better.
M&S also offer a rhubarb flavoured yoghurt in their Only Ingredient range and I would definitely be adding this one to my basket again.
Overall verdict
I would certainly try some more products in the M&S Only Ingredients Range, particularly the meats as I think the three ingredient burgers tasted delicious and I'd hope the meatballs and sausages would follow the same standard.
I love the overall concept of stripping food back down to basics and it has been eye opening to realise just how much is added to the things we buy and most of us consume on a daily basis.
That being said, I'm not sure I would be picking up this range regularly as some of the prices are rather high which I believe could put shoppers off the simplicity of their products.
Nicola Croal is a showbiz and lifestyle reporter with a special interest in compelling TV news. She covers a range of shows - from the BBC biggest dramas to the latest hot reality shows. Nicola also covers lifestyle hacks ranging from cooking to cleaning advice, as well trending news topics like weather and much more.