From fat-packed pizzas to sushi full of sugar, the unhealthiest meals on the High Street!
Eating out is the downfall for many dieters. But even those not watching their weight would be shocked if they knew how much saturated fat, sugar and calories they were getting in their favourite choice.
We asked Claudia Louch, from the Harley Street Nutrition Clinic, to look at High Street chains to see which is their unhealthiest choice — and what you should choose instead...
Even those not watching their weight would be shocked if they knew how much saturated fat, sugar and calories they were getting in their favourite choice
PIZZA HUT
UNHEALTHIEST MAIN: Stuffed crust pizza, £11.49
The biggest problem with restaurant pizzas is the huge amounts of cheese — they are high in calories and full of saturated fats.These are supposed to be shared, but eat one — as many men would — and, at 2,544 calories, you immediately exceed the daily calorie allowance of an average adult.
You’d also be taking on more than twice the recommended daily amount of saturated fat (there’s 50g in the pizza) and salt (equivalent to 24 bags of crisps).
The biggest problem with restaurant pizzas is the huge amounts of cheese - they are high in calories and full of saturated fats
HEALTHIEST MAIN: Tuscani tropicale, £7.99
At 579 calories, this thin base topped with ham and pineapple is the lowest-calorie pizza on the Pizza Hut menu. It has a commendably low 11.3g of saturated fat (the daily recommended maximum amount for women is 20g, for men 30g), very little salt and 4g of sugar (just under a teaspoon), most of which comes from the pineapple.Your healthiest option of all would be to take a bowl to the salad bar (£3.99) and choose only from the fresh, undressed, salad options.
UNHEALTHIEST DESSERT: Cookie dough, £3.69
The chocolate chip cookie is topped with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. One portion is 635 calories and contains 32g of fat, a surprising 2.21 g of salt (a third of your daily allowance) and a staggering ten teaspoonfuls of sugar.HEALTHIEST DESSERT: Dessert shot trio, £2.99
These three little shot glasses are definitely the best choice. The lemon and raspberry shots are low in calories (138 cals each) and high in vitamin C and folate (a form of vitamin B). But avoid the chocolate shot if you can, because together, the three add up to 493 calories — which is more than the banoffee pie!PRET A MANGER
UNHEALTHIEST MAIN: Posh cheddar and pickle baguette, £2.99
Yes, the cheese is rich in calcium, but this sandwich is also high in saturated fat (15.6 g) and carries a surprising 779 calories.HEALTHIEST MAIN: Slim Pret tuna baguette, £2.69
Pret A Manger's Slim Pret tuna baguette: It is specially baked with healthy fats (not saturated fats) and at 242 calories is low in energy
UNHEALTHIEST DESSERT: Chocolate mousse, £1.95
Just a few small mouthfuls, yet this provides 506 calories and 23.7 g of saturated fat to clog your arteries.HEALTHIEST DESSERT: Piece of fruit, 50p
I know it’s predictable, but fruit really is good for you. And whole fruit contains more vitamin C than a fruit salad, as the nutrient evaporates if the fruit is cut.NANDO’S
UNHEALTHIEST MAIN: Beanie pitta, £5.72
Beanie pitta contains 476 calories and has 5g of saturated fat (a quarter of a woman's daily recommended allowance)
Most of the Nando’s options aren’t excessively calorific, but if you add a regular portion of chips (£1.99) and coleslaw (£1.99), your meal would increase to an unhealthy 1,055 calories.
HEALTHIEST MAIN: Peri-peri chicken breast fillet pitta, £5.40
Breast is definitely the leanest part of the chicken, and though full of flavour, the peri-peri marinade is not packed with fat or sugar.Order a mixed leaf salad (£3.90) or a selection of vegetables to make this a good, balanced meal, and try not to eat all the pitta bread — it can be alarmingly high in salt and calories.
UNHEALTHIEST DESSERT: Carrot cake, £3.95
Don’t be fooled by the name, this must be one of the most unhealthy ways to present a vegetable. One slice contains 676 calories of fat, sugar, nuts and more sugar (42 g or eight teaspoons per slice), topped with a thick layer of full-fat cream cheese icing.HEALTHIEST DESSERT: Chilly Billy lolly, £2.80
It’s made with apple and blackcurrant juice and vitamin C, and provides a sweet hit for little more than 49 calories.CAFE ROUGE
UNHEALTHIEST MAIN: Baguette aux saucisses, £9.50
At 1,476 calories, this sandwich packs as many calories as a pizza. The sausages are high in saturated fat (76.6g is equivalent to half a block of butter) and there’s 16 teaspoons of salt on the plate.HEALTHIEST MAIN: Salad Cesar au poulet grille (chicken Caesar salad), £9.75
A healthy choice with cos lettuce and grilled chicken breast. But ask for the dressing on the side as that’s where the bulk of the 489 calories will be hiding.UNHEALTHIEST DESSERT: Trio de creme brulee, £5.75
Cafe Rouge's Trio de creme brulee: The combination of cream, eggs and sugar will add up to an unhealthy amount of saturated fat and over 500 calories
There will be nutrients in the fresh raspberry, but the combination of cream, eggs and sugar will add up to an unhealthy amount of saturated fat and over 500 calories.
HEALTHIEST DESSERT: Coupe rouge, £5.75 (fresh fruit and ice cream)
The fresh strawberries and blueberries are rich in antioxidants (beneficial vitamins) which help boost your immune system. A U.S. study suggested blueberries may help reduce belly fat and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Ask for very little ice cream and no cream if you don’t want to negate any benefit from the fruit!YO! SUSHI
UNHEALTHIEST MAIN: Chicken teriyaki, £3.40
The teriyaki sauce takes this chicken option out of the healthy stakes, with four teaspoons of sugar and 3.2g of salt in one very small serving
HEALTHIEST MAIN: Chicken yakisoba, £2.90
Chicken is often a really healthy choice, especially if served grilled and without the skin.Cooked like this (pan-fried with noodles and vegetables), you get carbohydrate and fibre, but very little fat — just 6.9 g per serving.
UNHEALTHIEST DESSERT: Lemon shortbread cake, £3.90
This is the most calorific dessert on the menu, with 285 calories in one very small piece — but compared with some other food chains, frankly this isn’t too bad.HEALTHIEST DESSERT: Fresh fruit, £2.90
Fruit salad is always a great dessert choice, rich in antioxidants, and a chance to up your daily fruit quota.PIZZA EXPRESS
UNHEALTHIEST MAIN: The Etna pizza, £10.75
This is a rich and fatty combination of spicy sausage, peppers and ham and give you a hefty 1,153 calories. The sausage and ham are an unhealthy combination of saturated fat and salt, too.HEALTHIEST MAIN: The Verdure pizza, £8.95
The Verdure pizza: The topping of peppers, courgettes, mushrooms and baby onions means it provides one of your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
The Verdure is the healthiest choice because the topping of peppers, courgettes, mushrooms and baby onions means it also provides one of your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
UNHEALTHIEST DESSERT: Chocolate glory, £4.90
With chunks of chocolate fudge cake covered in chocolate sauce and topped with vanilla ice cream and a chocolate straw, this indulgence packs 727 calories.HEALTHIEST DESSERT: Tartufo al cioccolato, £3.80
This mini scoop of chocolate truffle ice cream comes with a coffee and will set you back just 70 calories, so it won’t ruin your diet! But don’t kid yourself that it has any health benefit.KFC
UNHEALTHIEST MAIN: Zinger tower burger, £3.59
KFC's Zinger tower burger comes in at 637 calories and packs two teaspoons of sugar and 4.2g of salt
HEALTHIEST MAIN: Chicken salad, £2.99
Many fast food salad options have been criticised for being more fatty and calorific than the burgers, but this salad is just 276 calories — and that includes pieces of coated chicken. Choose the low-fat dressing (21 calories) rather than the Caesar (102 calories).Choose original recipe chicken breast (£1.59) and, instead of fries, ask for a side order of barbecue beans (99p). In total, that meal comes to 333 calories.
No comments:
Post a Comment