HEALTHY TAKEAWAYS!

Article published by Mirror UK in 2008.

We all know takeaways aren't the healthiest of meals but chances are we also don't realise just how bad some of them actually are.

An average Indian takeaway of chicken tikka masala, pilau rice and a plain naan contains a whopping 1,338 calories and 55g of fat, according to a report in Which? magazine last week.

That's two-thirds of the calories and almost 80 per cent of the fat an average woman should have in a whole day. Chinese sweet and sour chicken, egg fried rice and vegetable spring rolls are even worse, containing a massive 1,436 calories and 60g of fat!

Department of Health guidelines say that women should have no more than 2,000 calories and 70g of fat a day, and men no more than 2,500 calories and 95g fat in total.

Here's how more savvy ordering can help you halve the fat and calorie content of your favourites.

Chinese

A lot of oil is used in Chinese cooking and many dishes are deep-fried. But surprisingly, it's not main dishes like beef in oyster sauce, chicken chop suey and prawns in black bean sauce that you need to worry about - they contain a respectable 350 to 450 calories and 10 to 15g of fat per portion. It's the fried rice, starters and side orders that turn a Chinese takeout into a health hazard.

Easy ways to slash the baddies

Choose boiled rather than egg fried rice - a standard carton of egg fried rice contains 625 calories and 32g of fat while boiled has just 370 calories and 1g of fat.

Skip crispy duck - three filled pancakes contain a massive 560 calories and 21g of fat as the duck is served with its fatty skin.

Soups are usually low in fat, containing around 3g for a pot so have them instead of deep-fried starters like wontons, spring rolls, sesame toast and crispy seaweed - just one piece of sesame prawn toast contains 70 calories and 7g of fat.

Avoid prawn crackers - the may be free but at 400 calories and 30g of fat per bag, they'll add pounds.

Instead of...

Half a portion of Peking duck, crispy shredded beef with egg fried rice, and half a bag of prawn crackers: 1,925 calories, 86g fat

Order...

Crab and sweetcorn soup and chicken in oyster sauce with boiled rice: 865 calories, 12g fat

Save: 1,060 calories, 74g fat

Supermarket swap..

1 Sainsbury's Chicken & Chilli Spring Roll with a 400g pack of Sainsbury's Chicken Chow Mein 510 calories and 16.4g fat

Fish & chips

Portions are often huge and nearly everything is deep fried. Batter adds more calories to fish, chicken and sausages so ditch some of it or opt for healthier, unbattered alternatives such as grilled fish or roast chicken.

Easy ways to slash the baddies

Halve your portions - a large portion of battered cod and chips contains a massive 1,385 calories and 77g of fat, whereas a small portion contains 685 calories and 38g of fat.

Choose cod or haddock rather than plaice or rock as they're lower in calories and fat - a small battered haddock is 280 calories; cod, 295 calories; plaice, 385 calories; and rock, 445.

Before eating, empty your fish and chips on to kitchen paper and dab to remove excess grease.

Serve your fish and chips with mushy peas or baked beans - they're low in fat and packed with fibre to help fill you up.

Skip extras like curry sauce, gravy and white bread and butter. They just add extra calories to a meal that's already loaded with them.

Instead of...

Large battered rock with large chips, gravy and 2 slices of bread and butter: 1,920 calories, 115g fat

Order...

Small battered haddock with small chips and mushy peas: 770 calories, 39g fat

Save: 1,150 calories, 76g fat

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Supermarket swap

1 Young's Chip Shop Large Haddock Fillet with 135g oven-baked McCain Oven Chips and half a can Harry Ramsden's Mushy Peas 523 calories, 21.7g fat

Pizza

Pizzas vary massively in their calorie and fat content, depending on their size, base and toppings. This means you can 'tailor-make' your own pizza, giving you more control over the nutritonal content of your meal. Pizza Hut and Dominos also provide nutrition information on their websites (www.pizzahut.co.uk and www.dominos.co.uk).

Easy ways to slash the baddies

Choose toppings wisely - pepperoni, salami, spicy sausage, bacon and extra cheese will pile on the calories and fat. Opt for onions, chillies, mushrooms, tuna, peppers, spinach, olives, pineapple, sweetcorn, chicken and tomato.

Side dishes like garlic bread, chicken wings or dippers, wedges and stuffed potato skins push up the calorie and fat content considerably. A portion of four pieces of garlic bread contains around 400 calories and 17g of fat. Alternatively, order a salad with dressing on the side.

Beware of 'meal deals' - they tempt you to over order and therefore overeat.

Ask for your pizza to be made with half the usual amount of cheese.

Instead of...

2 slices of garlic bread with cheese and half a large Stuffed Crust Meat Feast pizza: 2,040 calories, 91g fat

Order...

Half a medium Hawaiian pizza and salad with dressing on the side: 765 calories, 25g fat

Save: 1,275 calories, 66g fat

Supermarket swap

8in Pizza Express Sloppy Giuseppe with salad and fat-free dressing: 582 calories and 19.2g fat

Indian

Many dishes include lots of oil and with pilau rice, starters and side dishes, Indian takeouts can be a waistline disaster. Watch what you drink, too. Hot curries may leave you downing highcalorie lager to cool your mouth. Instead, stir in a spoonful of low-fat natural yogurt to cool your curry down.

Easy ways to slash the baddies

Creamy curries like masala, pasanda and korma are loaded with calories and fat. Instead, choose those with tomato sauces like jalfrezi, rogan or madras, or opt for dry dishes like tandoori chicken.

Get boiled not pilau rice - you'll save 280 calories and 34g of fat per carton.

Choose a really hot curry like vindaloo or madras - it's hard to eat too much. Go for chicken, prawn or vegetable, too, as they're lower calorie than beef or lamb.

Skip deep-fried starters. An onion bhaji contains 190 calories and 16g of fat, a small vegetable samosa 110 calories and 6g of fat and a poppadum 65 calories and 5g of fat.

Naans are packed with 455 calories and 12g fat so choose a chappati, which has 110 calories and less than 1g of fat.

Instead of...

2 vegetable samosas, 2 poppadums with pickles, chicken korma with pilau rice and half a naan: 2,200 calories, 116g fat

Order...

Chicken tikka starter, beef madras with basmati rice and half a chapatti: 1,240 calories, 33g fat

Save: 960 calories, 83g fat

Supermarket swap

400g pack Weight Watchers Chicken Tikka & Rice with 1 Tesco Light Choices Mini Naan 500 calories, 4.2g fat