Kokova Magazine

Takeaways are often cheap, convenient and satisfying, but unfortunately they are not always very healthy.

Some takeaway meals pack enough salt and fat to push you over your recommended daily allowance, which can lead to a variety of health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Here are some tips on foods to avoid and healthier options when ordering your favourite takeaway.

Fish and chips
There are lots of ways of making your trip to the chippy a healthier one.

The thicker the chips the better because they absorb less fat. Try to have a smaller portion or share your chips.

Ask for your fish and chips without salt – if you want some salt then add it to taste yourself.>

Don't eat all the batter around your fish because it soaks up a lot of fat. If available, have fish coated in breadcrumbs as it soaks up less fat.

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.

Try to avoid: thin-cut chips, cheese and onion pie, steak and kidney pie, jumbo sausage.

Healthier options: fish coated in breadcrumbs, mushy peas, thicker cut chips without salt.

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.

With pasta dishes, go for a sauce based on tomatoes or vegetables for a lower-fat option, 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 fat), you could try bruschetta, which is a tasty ciabatta bread toasted and topped with fresh tomatoes and herbs.

Try to avoid: large deep pan pizzas, pizzas with the crust stuffed with cheese, triple cheese with pepperoni pizzas, creamy pasta sauces, garlic bread.

Healthier options: small or medium pizza with a thin base and vegetable or lean meat topping, tomato-based pasta sauces, bruschetta.

Chinese
Try to avoid anything that's battered or marked as 'crispy'’ on the menu as that means it's deep fried. Anything in batter will be high in fat.

Sweet and sour pork is usually battered. Steamed dishes are the best option, but stir-fries are fine because they are usually lower in fat and include vegetables.

Watch out for starters such as prawn crackers and spring rolls because these are generally deep fried.

Try to avoid: sweet and sour battered pork balls with special or egg fried rice, prawn toast, spring rolls.

Healthier options: crab and corn soup, steamed dumplings, steamed vegetables and plain boiled rice, steamed fish, chicken chop suey, Szechuan prawns.

Indian
Try to avoid anything that's creamy or deep fried. To reduce the amount of fat in your meal, choose dishes with tomato-based sauces such as tandoori and madras, plain rice or chapatti, and plenty of vegetables, including lentil side dishes (known as dhal).

Try to avoid: any creamy curries such as korma, passanda or masala with pilau rice, naan, bhajis, pakoras and poppadoms.

Healthier options: tandoori or madras with chicken, prawns or vegetables, plain rice and chapatti.

Kebab and burgers
Donor kebabs can often be high in fat, so for a healthier option go for a shish kebab, which is a skewer with whole cuts of meat or fish and usually grilled.

If you're having a burger, avoid breaded or battered chicken or fish patties, extra cheese, bacon strips and high-fat sauces such as mayonnaise. Instead go for a regular, single-patty hamburger without mayo or cheese and extra salad.

Try to avoid: large doner kebab with mayonnaise and no salad, burgers with cheese and mayonnaise, thin-cut chips, chicken or fish patties deep fried in batter.

Healthier options: shish kebab with pitta bread and salad, grilled burgers made from lean fish or meat (beef or whole chicken breast) and without cheese and mayonnaise.