The decision by two supermarket giants to slash the price of a loaf of bread down to 8p is expected to start a major price-cutting war. T&A reporter Olufunmi Majekodunmi walked the shopping aisles to see what you can get for less than £5.

A TIN OF beans at 9p and a loaf of bread at 8p - put them together and you have a healthy meal for an amazing 17p.

Bradford shoppers have never had it so good with the supermarket shelves groaning with cut-price food.

Armed with her shopping basket our reporter toured local stores and ended up with a bagful of bargains - for less than a fiver.

Soups, spaghetti, tinned tomatoes - if shoppers don't mind the no-fuss packaging the choice is endless.

Supermarkets say they are trying to cater for all pockets and are all joining the cut price battle to get customers down the aisles.

But state-registered dietician Lisa Edwards, of Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust, warned shoppers to beware of what they ate.

She said although many stores offered a wide range of promotional or low cost goods, more should be done to encourage healthy eating.

A Food Commission survey shows the majority of promotional items are fatty or sugary processed foods.

Mrs Edwards said: "We are becoming a nation of fatties, so it is important to get the balance of foods just right."

She is urging shoppers to eat more fruit or vegetables, meat, fish, pulses and plenty of bread, potatoes or chapattis - but steer clear of fatty or sugary foods.

But for the stores it is quality and price that will keep the consumer happy.

A Morrisons spokesman said: "We offer a wide choice of good quality value on many products to suit all pockets."

A Sainsbury's spokesman said quality and price were both important for the store's customers - and some took advantage of economy goods while at the same time buying specialist produce such as olive oil or foreign-style bread.

At Asda big sellers this week are its Farm Stores range of one litre cartons of orange juice for 35p, and packs of six jam tarts at 29p.

A Tesco spokesman said: "We won't be beaten on price, which is why our bread has come down."

He said the store had cut back on packaging costs but not at the expense of quality.

As for fruit and veg, he said: "We are always making these cheaper. It has got to be healthy - that's what we are trying to provide, so that people on a limited budget can have healthier food."

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