Here are the TOP 5 HEALTHY TAKEAWAYS options you can tuck in to, without feeling guilty...
When we do our weekly shop we are bombarded with information on the packaging which tells us exactly how much fat, salt and sugar and how many calories each item contains. However, when we eat out, it’s not so obvious.
In the not-too-distant future restaurants and takeaway shops will have to provide health warnings on menus as part of a government campaign to prevent obesity.
Last summer, 21 restaurants and caterers took part in a pilot scheme which saw the likes of Burger King, KFC,
Pizza Hut and Pret A Manger trying out prominent displays of calorie counts at counters or on their menus.
The Food Standards Agency says it is confident a voluntary partnership with the catering industry will eventually result in widespread calorie labelling on menus in the majority of British food outlets.
“Providing clear calorie information in restaurants and for takeout food could help people make better choices and be a great help in fighting the obesity epidemic,” says nutritionist Fiona Hunter.
“Whether this will be achieved voluntarily or through legislation remains to be seen.”
However even if calorie labelling becomes the norm, there’s still a lot we won’t be told about our favourite takeaways.
“It’s not just about how fattening your food is,” explains Fiona. “You have to take care for all sorts of reasons; sugar and salt content for example.”
An investigation by consumer magazine Which? in 2008 found that a 300g portion of takeaway pepperoni pizza contained more than two-thirds of the recommended daily allowance of salt for an adult and more than a whole day’s worth of saturated fat for a woman.
A Chinese meal contained more than 19 teaspoons of sugar.
To help you stay healthy and trim follow our guide to the best takeaway choices and those to avoid.
Bear in mind that to maintain portion control and whittle down the calorie counts it’s best to decant your takeaway on to a normal-sized dinner plate and not to overfill it.
INDIAN TAKEAWAY
Worst choice: Chicken korma and pilau rice
1,100 calories, 60g fat
An average portion of an Indian takeaway contains 3.2g more saturated fat than a woman should eat in a whole day, according to Which? With its generous content of cream and coconut you can expect a chicken korma to beat even this high level of cholesterol-raising saturates.
Add naan bread and poppadoms and it could easily reach 1,300-1,400 calories. Other cream-laden types to avoid are pasanda and tikka masala.
Better choice: Chicken biryani
730 calories, 24g fat
Biryani has rice included so you don’t need to order rice as a side dish. Go easy on the separate pot of sauce and ask for it without the fried egg or omelette on top.
Others in the moderate-calorie category include lamb rogan josh and prawn or chicken jalfrezi.
Best choice: Tandoori chicken with half a naan or half portion of boiled rice
380 calories, 10g fat
The healthiest Indian dish is a sauce-free one such as tandoori chicken or chicken tikka. Alternatively have any starter you like and bulk out with salad, dhal and a couple of poppadoms. A non-creamy vegetable curry can be a good bet too.
Top tips
Choose just one accompanying carbohydrate; rice or naan for example, not both. Eat only half a portion if they are huge.
If you’re anaemic opt for a balti (but skim the excess fat off the top). The pots they are cooked in add extra iron to your meal.
Avoid Indian food in unnatural hues of red or yellow as it’s bound to have artificial colours in levels higher than would be allowed in supermarket food.
Leave some of the sauce behind. It contains the meal’s highest fat and calories.
BURGERS AND FRIED CHICKEN
Worst choice: McDonald’s Big Tasty large meal with banana milkshake
1,640 calories, 89g fat
You can guarantee that anything with “big” or “whopper” in the title is going to be a calorie nightmare. A McDonald’s Big Tasty burger alone has more than 1.5 times a woman’s guideline daily amount of saturated fat and with the large fries and milkshake the meal has more calories than five Mars bars.
This meal also supplies more than three-quarters of your daily recommended maximum intake of salt.
Better choice: Burger King cheeseburger with small fries
520 calories, 20g fat
Teamed with a small portion of fries, a standard cheeseburger isn’t such a bad bet. You’ll at least get some calcium from the cheese and iron from the burger and the calorie count is manageable.
It does contain half your daily salt and 40 per cent of a woman’s recommended intake of saturated fat, though, so save for an occasional treat.
Best choice: KFC mini-fillet burger
273 calories, 9.3g fat
Opting for mini-portions is the best way to satisfy a fast food craving without ruining your waistline and you’re likely to feel no more or less satisfied a couple of hours later.
A KFC fillet burger contains less than a 10th of a woman’s daily recommended limit of saturated fat and it’s high enough in protein to curb the appetite reasonably well. Alternatively, choose a McDonald’s Happy Meal or a McDonald’s snack wrap.
Top tips
Swap your fries for healthier side orders such as sweetcorn or beans.
Choose water or orange juice rather than sugary fizzy drinks or milkshakes.
Avoid the temptation to “go large” under any circ*mstances.
CHINESE
Worst choice: Battered sweet and sour pork with special fried rice
1,100 calories, 37g fat
Battered, deep-fried pork balls with sugary sweet and sour sauce adds up to well over half your daily calorie intake and can have up to 19 teaspoons of sugar if you eat all the sauce, a Which? survey revealed.
It’s best to avoid battered options completely as this is where the calories really lie. Fried rice has 50 per cent more calories than plain.
Better choice: Chicken chow mein
860 calories, 30g fat
Still not a top choice if you’re trying to lose weight but chow mein is one of the more nutritionally balanced Chinese takeaways, especially if you ask for extra vegetables (or swap the chicken version for a mushroom one). It has less saturated fat than battered dishes and only moderate salt levels.
With noodles already incorporated in the dish you won’t need side orders. Other reasonable choices include beef in black bean sauce and chicken with cashew nuts.
Best choice: Szechuan prawns and vegetables with half a portion of steamed rice
589 calories, 14g fat
Look for steamed or wok-fried dishes, preferably those with seafood and/or vegetables to ensure the lowest-fat choice. Szechuan prawns or prawns with ginger and spring onions fit the bill perfectly but eat with only half a portion of boiled rice.
Top tips
Avoid fattening side orders such as spring rolls, crispy seaweed and prawn crackers.
Try a portion of stir-fried vegetables as a lighter alternative to rice.
Ask for your meal cooked without monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour-enhancer often used in Chinese food.
PIZZA
Worst choice: Half a large stuffed-crust, meat feast pizza
1,600 calories, 70g fat
A stuffed doughy base and the cheesy, meaty topping make for an extremely fattening, blood pressure-raising, artery-clogging choice.
Better choice: Individual ham and pineapple pizza
772 calories, 26g fat
If you still want something meaty, ham and pineapple is a relatively healthy option; as long as it’s on a thin and crispy base.
Best choice: Half a medium tuna, anchovy and olive pizza
403 calories, 15g fat
Seafood or vegetarian options are best if you are watching your weight. Halving a medium pizza that serves two can save you calories against having an individual one to yourself.
Anchovies, capers and olives add taste with few calories.
Top tips
Ask for your pizza without cheese to shave calories and fat.
The thinner the base the better if you’re watching your weight.
To get the balance right, use a plate and fill half with pizza and half with a big pile of undressed salad.
Add some sweetcorn or peppers.
FISH AND CHIPS
Worst choice: Pie and large chips
927 calories, 50g fat
With virtually no redeeming features, pie and chips from your local chippy is loaded with saturated fat and probably won’t even fill you up that well given that it contains a relatively low level of appetite-curbing protein.
Better choice: Medium cod or haddock and chips
838 calories, 48g fat
Fish and chips doesn’t have to be a nutritional sin. It provides protein, vitamins and iron and no chemical additives. Team with a glass of juice and some vegetables to make a more balanced meal.
Best choice: Mini-cod and a potato scallop
555 calories, 30g fat
A mini-cod is easier to work into your daily calorie allowance and still supplies you with plenty to eat. Team it with a traditional potato scallop, which is lower in calories than chips.
Top tips
Don’t eat all the batter; the soggy section underneath the fish can be discarded.
Check what type of oil your chip shop uses. The best choice is a liquid vegetable oil. Hydrogenated (hardened) vegetable fat and beef dripping are much less healthy.
Swap your chips for a portion of mushy peas and you’ll be adding a vegetable portion as well as cutting calories.
