The new year is here and with it many of us are starting diets, but our appetite for takeaway food remains – so we thought we’d take a look at some of the healthy options.
Indian takeaway
A lot of Indian takeaway foods can be high in fat, but there are plenty of delicious healthy choices as well – anything cooked in a tandoor oven such as tandoori king prawns, chicken tikka or shashlik is relatively low in fat. If you want a curry with sauce, go for something tomato based such as rogan josh; avoid creamy sauces such as korma, and the nations favourite, chicken tikka masala. Vegetable biryani is another healthy choice (but don’t eat too much of the sauce that comes with it).
The best choice of bread is chapati – it’s delicious but is simply wholemeal flour, water and salt (although it’s occasionally brushed with a little butter or ghee); naan bread and parathas are enriched with sugars and fats so avoid them if you can – or share one. Order brown rice if they do it, otherwise stick to plain boiled/steamed rice – pilau rice contains far more calories.
If you like your curries hot, try ordering a raita to go with it (or just have a pot of low fat natural yogurt on standby) this will help you cool your mouth and help with digestion – and is better for you than downing lots of lager!
Pizzas
Although pizza is often quite high in fat, there are a few things you can do to make ordering a takeaway pizza healthier. Firstly, stick to the thin crust pizza rather than deep pan (and resist the stuffed crust too!). Also, try ordering a size smaller than you usually would. When it comes to choosing toppings, the most diet friendly pizza is a simple margarita – but if you want something else on top, go for vegetables, chicken or tuna. Avoid fatty meats such as pepperoni, or spicy beef/pork toppings.
Some of the bigger pizza chains offer reduced fat cheese as an option on their pizzas (you can customise them easily when you order online).
Chinese takeaway
The bad news is favourites such as spring rolls and prawn toast are unhealthy choices are they’re usually deep fried, prawn crackers aren’t diet friendly either so resist them if you can. Also out are favourites such as sweet and sour sauce, battered dishes (such as chicken balls) and the special/fried rice and noodle dishes.
Healthy choices for starters are sweetcorn or crab soup. Diet friendly mains include stir-fries or dishes cooked in an oyster or black bean sauce – order boiled rice to go with it.
Kebabs and burgers
The nations favourite post-pub food, a doner kebab is definitely not diet-friendly, it’s far too fatty – so opt for a chicken shish (or lamb). Resist mayo or garlic sauces – chilli sauce is generally okay if it’s freshly made. Order a smaller kebab, but have plenty of salad with it or an extra pitta bread to fill you up.
It can be tricky to find a healthy burger but if you can find one that’s either chicken or fish that isn’t breaded/fried then they are the best options. Avoid cheese and sauces – although a little tomato ketchup isn’t too bad.
Fish & Chips
Surprisingly, Fish and Chips can be one of the healthiest options when it comes to takeaway food! Make sure you have thicker cut chips as they absorb less fat they’re cooking (we think they taste better too). Cod and plaice are good choices – but haddock is the best as it’s rich in iodine which helps to stimulate the metabolism. Remove the batter (a little won’t hurt!) and you are left with steamed fish. Avoid sausages and pies, they are generally made with very fatty meat.
If you have a great tip for choosing diet-friendly takeaway meals, please share it by leaving a comment below.
Comment by Tony Tang
Left at 13:16 on 22/02/2012HI I give u Good Suggestion to reduce the wait and healthy also u can go with Fish and Dry Roti and lettuce is the healthy food.