Fast food doesn’t have to be unhealthy – here’s what a nutritionist would swap in 2022
Noticed anything different at your favourite fast food place recently? A change of law in April 2022 meant that food businesses with more than 250 employees must now include calorie counts on their menus. The Government believes this will shock us into making healthier choices and help tackle the obesity crisis.
With the fast food industry worth an astonishing £20.6 billion in the UK, and expected to grow nine per cent in 2022, it’s easy to see why the blame for our expanding waistlines is being laid at their door. The Gov.UK website says that portions of takeaway food contain, on average, twice as many calories as the equivalent bought at the supermarket where nutritional labelling is mandatory. And, with the advent of food delivery apps like Deliveroo, we don’t even have to get off the sofa to indulge in our favourite takeaway (a pandemic-related behavioural shift which saw online orders double following the first lockdown).
But do nutrition experts agree that focusing on calories is the way to turn around the nation’s health? Registered dietitian Sarah Schenker, who has served on a number of professional and government committees, can see some advantages.
“Seeing the calorie counts could be beneficial for some customers who otherwise might be tempted to over-order,” she says. “However, if people are just comparing calories and not considering the ingredients, they could end up choosing something less nutritious. A salad containing avocado, pine nuts and olive oil dressing will have a hefty calorie count due to the high (healthy) fat content, for example. It’s the same for dishes containing oily fish, which we want to encourage people to eat more of.”
Let’s face it, if you are looking for a healthy meal your nearest fast food outlet is hardly the place to go, but if you do just happen to find yourself in one there’s no harm in exercising a little damage limitation.
Here are some of the worst offenders and what to choose instead:
McDonald’s
Avoid: Double quarter pounder with cheese – health score 2/5
739 cals / 19g sat fat / 10g sugars / 3.1g fibre / 53g protein / 3.2g salt
Wow, that’s a lot of saturated fat and salt even before you’ve started on the fries. Where this really loses points is the processed nature of the ingredients.
Order instead: Filet-O-Fish – health score 3/5
319 cals / 2.3g sat fat / 4.8g sugars / 2.7g fibre / 14.0g protein / 1.6g salt
Clearly better in terms of calories, saturated fat, sugar and salt and includes a welcome portion of fish (we are advised to eat fish twice a week).
KFC
Avoid: Zinger stacker burger – health score 2.5/5
780 cals / 7.3g sat fat / 12.0g sugars / (no info) fibre / 51.7g protein / 4.3g salt
Calories, sugar and salt are high even if the saturated fat is reasonable, but that’s before ordering fries and a drink.
Order instead: Chicken fillet salad – health score 4/5
370 cals / 2.7g sat fat / 10.6g sugars / (no info) fibre / 27.1g protein / 2.3g salt
By choosing the salad the calorie count is significantly reduced and the vitamin, mineral and fibre content will be higher. Much better.
Nando’s
Avoid: Fino pitta – health score 2/5
817 cals / 15.2g sat fat / 14.5g sugars / 3.6g fibre / 62.5g protein / 3.2g salt
An alarmingly high calorie count for what some might consider a healthy option, and look at all that saturated fat, sugar and salt. There’s a big dose of protein from the chicken but overall this is a red card.
Order instead: Grilled chicken pitta – health score 4.5/5
485 cals / 3.1g sat fat/ 7g sugars / 4.1g fibre / 36.6g protein / 1.7g salt
A great choice. Calories, saturated fat, sugar and salt are all where you want them, it still provides more than half your daily protein requirement and 4g of fibre to boot.
Five Guys
Avoid: Bacon cheeseburger – health score 1.5/5
904 cals / 25g sat fat / 7.7g sugars / 2.2g fibre / 62g protein / 4.1g salt
Five Guys pride themselves on their quality ingredients but unfortunately this burger contains a gut-busting 904 calories and 25g saturated fat. Also note, their Five Guys Style Fries are the among the most calorific out there, at 1073 calories for a regular fries and a chocolate milkshake clocks up another 842 calories.
Order instead: Little hamburger – health score 4/5
464 cals / 8.2g sat fat / 6.3g sugars / 1.7g fibre / 24g protein / 0.6g salt
The great thing about Five Guys is you can customise your burger. By choosing the basic “Little Hamburger” you can up its health credentials by adding lots of veg: onions, mushrooms, lettuce and tomato. Just skip the mayo.
Domino’s Pizza
Avoid: Meatfielder pizza (medium size, regular crust) – health score 1/5
1972 cals / 42.4g sat fat / 39.7g sugars / 13.5g fibre / 80.4g protein / 9.3g salt)
Even if you only manage half of this it’s still a poor choice nutritionally. Very calorific, heaps of saturated fat, sugar and salt. There’s some fibre here and lots of protein, but sadly all from processed meat.
Order instead: Vegi supreme pizza with reduced fat mozzarella (personal size) – health score 3/5
560 cals / 4.7g sat fat / 15.7g sugars / 6.5g fibre / 21.6g protein/ 2.6g salt
You could have the Vegi Supreme Wrap at just 301 cals but, if it must be pizza, go for this one. It’s helped by the vegetable toppings which increase the fibre content and provide welcome vitamins and minerals.
Pret a Manger
Avoid: Ham and cheese sandwich – health score 3/5
530 cals / 15.2g sat fat / 3.2g sugar / 5.6g fibre / 31.4g protein / 3.5g salt
Pret has always been the place to go for a fresh and healthy lunchtime bite, but you still have to read the small print. The calorie count, saturated fat and salt are surprisingly high for a sandwich and the lack of any salad makes this a poor choice.
Order instead: Free-range egg mayo sandwich – health score 4.5/5
372 cals / 2.9g sat fat / 2.9g sugar / 5.4g fibre / 17.5g protein / 1.5g salt
A box ticker if ever there was one – wholegrain bread, free-range eggs for healthy protein and nutrient-dense mustard cress all for a mere 372 calories. Have with a piece of fruit for a little extra fibre and you can’t go far wrong.
Leon
Avoid: Moroccan me*tballs rice box – health score 3.5/5
756 cals / 7.4g sat fat / 3.4g sugar / 8.0g fibre / 25.0g protein / 3.1g salt
Leon works hard to live up to its mission of providing “naturally healthy fast food” but this meatless rice box is high in calories and salt for a weekday lunch. It does score marks for the high fibre and plant protein count, however.
Order instead: Harissa chick’n wrap – health score 4.5/5
412 cals / 1.3g sat fat / 7.2g sugar / 8.4g fibre / 19.0g protein / 2.6g salt
You are spoilt for healthy choices at Leon, including this colourful vegan “chicken” wrap. The salt is a little higher than you’d probably want for lunch but with 19g plant protein and over 8g of fibre this will keep hunger at bay all afternoon.
Pizza Express
Avoid: Diavolo romana pizza – health score 2/5
1167 cals / 20.1g sat fat / 15.0g sugar / 10.2g fibre / 59.1g protein / 7.1g salt
Anyone with children will no doubt be a regular at this high street institution, but it pays to read the small print. This popular pizza contains two-thirds of your saturated fat, half your sugar and your total salt allowance for the day. The high fibre content and overall quality of the ingredients earn it two points.
Order instead: Leggera quattro verdure – health score 4/5
544 cals / 1.2g sat fat / 10.5g sugar / 9.1g fibre / 21.4g protein / 3.6g salt
Although you might feel slightly cheated by the hole in the middle of the pizza, it does bring the calorie load down to a very reasonable 544. The saturated fat is drastically reduced whilst retaining most of the fibre. The sugar and salt are still on the high side, so it loses a point.
Wagamama
Avoid: Grilled duck donburi – health score 2/5
1282 cals / 12.2g sat fat / 22.6g sugar / 9.0g fibre / 58.9g protein / 6.3g salt
You might think the vibrant, Asian-style menu at Wagamama is one of the healthier high street options, but again it’s buyer beware. This rice bowl packs some serious calories, sugar and salt. It scores a couple of points for having some vegetables and an egg but overall this is one to swerve.
Order instead: Chicken katsu salad – health score 4/5
578 cals / 4.2g sat fat / 10.1g sugar / 5.8g fibre / 39.1g protein / 2.8g salt
By cutting out the sticky white rice the carbs and calories are reduced, there’s a good variety of vegetables included and the curry dressing is served on the side so you can choose how much to add. However the sugar and salt are still a little high. Interestingly, some of the most calorific things on the menu are the vegan curry options so don’t assume plant-based is necessarily healthier.
And how does the average Chinese and Indian takeaway stack up?
Indian
Avoid: Chicken tikka masala – health score 3/5
768 cals / 7.0g sat fat / 15.0g sugar / 0.0g fibre / 19.0g protein / 1.8g salt
The calories are up there, especially if you add a naan and rice to your plate. Saturated fat is OK but of course it will vary according to how heavy-handed your particular local takeaway is with the ghee. Where this loses points is the very high sugar content and lack of veg.
Order instead: King prawn saag – health score 4.5/5
405 cals / 2.0g sat fat / 6.0g sugar / 5.0g fibre / 61.0g protein / 2.0g salt
This is looking good across the board and it also contains plenty of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. Have with a wholewheat chapati which is lower in fat and higher in fibre than naan or paratha.
Chinese
Avoid: Sweet and sour pork – health score 2.5/5
732 cals / 8.0g sat fat / 22.0g sugar / 0.0g fibre / 41.0g protein / 1.0g salt
Again, it’s the sugar that’s the culprit here, exceptionally high for a single dish. Generally speaking the meat will not be great quality and there’s a distinct lack of veg.
Order instead: King prawn veggie fried rice – health score 4/5
504 cals / 2.0g sat fat / 4.0g sugar / 3.0g fibre / 36.0g protein / (no info) salt
A complete, balanced meal that’s not overly calorific. You can always ask for some extra vegetables to be included to bump up the nutrient content and the prawns and egg provide a good hit of lean protein.
For reference, the UK Government’s daily dietary recommendations are as follows:
Calories: men 2,500/women 2,000, sat fat: men 30g/women 20g, sugar: 30g, fibre: 30g, protein: men 56g/women 45g, salt: 6g]
This article is kept updated with the latest information.
