Choosing healthier meals
(eatwell.gov.uk)
Updated: 2006-07-31 15:27
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Indian
Choose lower-fat options such as:
tandoori or madras with chicken, prawns or vegetables.
plain rice and chapatti instead of pilau rice and naan.
Try to avoid creamy curries such as:
1.korma
2.passanda
3.massala
Remember for a healthy meal you should try to:
1.base your meal on starchy foods, so this means choosing plain rice or chapatti.
2.have plenty of vegetables, so choose vegetable side dishes and a dhal.
Italian
If you're having pizza, choose lower-fat toppings, such as vegetables, ham, fish and prawns. You could ask for some extra veg on your pizza to bump up your daily fruit and veg portions.
But if you don't want to increase the saturated fat content and number of calories in your meal, don't ask for extra cheese.
When you have pasta, for the healthier option go for a sauce based on tomatoes or vegetables, rather than cream.
If you're having a starter or a dessert then you could go for a smaller main meal such as a starter-size pasta with a side salad – Italian restaurants often serve two sizes of pasta dishes.
Rather than garlic bread, which often contains a lot of butter (and so is high in saturated fat and calories), you could try bruschetta, which is a tasty ciabatta bread topped with fresh tomatoes and herbs.
Chinese
Choose lower-fat options such as:
1.steamed fish
2.chicken chop suey
3.Szechwan prawns
Remember anything in batter will be high in fat. Sweet and sour pork is usually battered (ask if you're not sure).
Go for steamed or plain rice rather than egg-fried rice and watch out for those deep fried starters such as prawn crackers, dim sum and spring rolls.
Thai
Try to stick to stir-fried dishes or steamed dishes containing chicken, fish or vegetables.
Green and red curries contain coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat, so if you do choose a curry, try not to eat all the sauce. And have some steamed rice with your meal.
Fish and chips
There are lots of ways of making your fish and chips a healthier option:
1.Have a portion of baked beans or mushy peas and bread with your fish and chips.
2.The thicker the chips the better because they absorb less fat.
3.Try to have a smaller portion or share your chips.
4.Ask for your fish and chips without salt--if you want some salt then add it to taste yourself.
5.Don't eat all the batter, because it soaks up a lot of fat. If you can get it, fish coated in breadcrumbs soaks up less fat.
6.If fish and chips are cooked in oil at the right temperature, they won't only taste better, but they absorb less fat. So watch out for soggy batter and chips because this is often a sign that the oil wasn't hot enough.
Burgers and kebabs
If you're having a burger you can still go for the healthier option:
1.Choose grilled burgers made from lean meat or fish.
2.Ask for your burger without cheese or mayonnaise.
3.Ask for extra salad.
Go for a shish kebab served with pitta bread and salad rather than a donner kebab.