Chinese, Indian, a cheeky Nando's, chippy tea - is it possible to order a healthy option when you treat yourself to a takeaway?
You don’t normally associate the word takeaway or fast food with health and nutrition - with many of us looking at this option as more of a naughty treat.
And it’s not surprising to see why when you consider that just one battered sausage from your local chippie can contain more than 400 calories and almost half your salt content for a day. And that’s before you’ve added in the chips, mushy peas and curry sauce!
And research by the Government's Food Standards Agency found that an Indian takeaway can sometimes contain more saturated fat than a woman should eat in an entire day.
But it’s so difficult to resist the temptation of a takeaway when that menu is pulled out of the messy drawer or your mate gets the Just Eat app up on their phone.
In fact, research last year showed that adults in the UK eat 79 million ready-meals and 22 million takeaway meals every week. We’re clearly a country that doesn’t make the best use of our kitchens.
But is there a way to make our takeaway orders healthier? And ensure it doesn’t do a huge disservice to our diet – and health.
Closer called on clinical nutritionist Simon Trestain to advise on the best things to order when you need to dial out for your dinner.
Healthiest takeaway options
Closer Healthy Takeaway Options
1 of 9Nando's healthy options
Simon says the best option at the famed chicken restaurant is actually their fillet steak and chargrilled veg pitta, which comes in at just 432 calories.
2 of 9Dominos healthy option
Fancy a bit of pizza? Simon advises you lay off the meaty toppings and stick to a classic cheese and tomato on a medium classic crust. Only 137 calories per slice.
3 of 9Five Guys healthy option
The American burger chain's menu may have a whole host of calorific burgers but if you stick to the bunless hotdog (just 210 calories) and a side salad, Simon insists you won't do your diet a disservice.
4 of 9Fish and chip shop healthy option
Let's face it, battered fish is never going to be one of your five a day. But Simon suggests ordering the fish without the chips and instead opting for a salad, bringing the calorie total to a moderate 559. Simon adds, "You can always go with the grilled fillet of fish if they have that option and that would reduce the amount of calories."
5 of 9Chinese takeaway healthy options
Put down the prawn crackers. There's lots of heavy options on a Chinese takeaway menu but Simon suggests sticking to the crispy chilli beef (380 calories per portion) or a simple chicken chow mein, which is 361 calories.
6 of 9Indian takeaway healthy option
Some curries are full of butter or cream, which make them delicious but not very good for our waistlines. Simon suggests a prawn balti curry (at 277 calories) and just one poppadom with a simple side salad.
7 of 9Burger King healthy options
Think you can't have a burger? Think again. Simon says go for their hamburger at 250 calories but skip the fries and stick to a garden salad. Alternatively, you could go for their crispy chicken salad, which is 210 calories, or six nuggets with a side salad - 305 calories.
8 of 9KFC healthy options
If you're craving a chicken burger, Simon advises going for the Mini Fillet which is 280 calories. Swerve the fries and go for a plain salad. You could also try the Zinger Rice Box which is 485 calories or the Zinger salad for 380 calories.
9 of 9McDonald's healthy options
Why not try the Garlic Chicken Mayo wrap? It's o345 calories. Or you could go for the Crispy Chicken Salad which is only 265 calories. Opt for the fajita style dressing at 21 calories.
Lizzie Cundy shows the results of her bum lift
READ MORE
Toblerone is returning to its ORIGINAL shape and fans are super excited
What takeaway have we missed? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter what other options you'd like to know more about