BEST TAKEAWAYS

But unless you scrutinise the label, it is all too easy to end up choosing a snack that is loaded with saturated fat, sugar and salt. Here, we examine the nutritional content of popular convenience foods and suggest healthier options.

SNACK 1

Ginsters Original Cornish pasty.
Per 227g pasty: 626 calories, 45g fat, 22g saturated fat.
This meat and swede pasty provides virtually no nutritional benefits. And like many pastry-based foods it has more saturated fat than a woman should eat in a day.

Healthier alternative
Summerfield jacket potato with chilli con carne
Per 340g meal: 460 calories, 15.6g fat, 9.2g saturated fat.
This contains a fraction of the fat of the pasty but the combination of potato, meat, beans and tomatoes provides vitamins and minerals and will keep hunger at bay for longer.

SNACK 2

Prêt A Manger all day breakfast sandwich: 608 calories, 35.7g fat, 8.6g saturated fat.
This combination of egg mayonnaise, sausage and bacon contains nearly 2g more fat than a McDonald’s Bigger Big Mac and over a gram more salt.

Healthier alternative
Prêt A Manger ham and egg bloomer: 476 calories, 17.7g fat, 3.5g saturated fat.
Lower in fat and calories but higher in fibre. It contains hard-boiled egg, ham and tomatoes on multi-seeded bread, which fills you up for longer than standard breads.

SNACK 3

Pizza Hut potato skins loaded with cheese.
Per portion: 571 calories, 34.2g fat, 17.9g saturated fat.
This calorific snack contains more than double the amount of fat found in a portion of battered deep fried sweet and sour pork.

Healthier alternative
Pizza Hut potato wedges
Per portion: 328 calories, 13.8g fat, 6g saturated fat
If it’s a carbohydrate fix that you crave, then plain potato wedges are far better than the fatty cheese-laden skins.

SNACK 4

Starbucks chocolate decadence cake. Per serving: 755 calories,
43g fat, 17g saturated fat.
This has more calories, fat and saturated fat than a burger and around 12 teaspoonfuls of sugar.

Healthier alternative
Starbucks fruit cake.
Per serving: 295 calories, 7g fat, 3g saturated fat.
The dried fruit in this cake adds fibre and provides a slow release of energy. It also provides minerals such as potassium.
 
SNACK 5

Kentucky Fried Chicken meal (two pieces of chicken with regular fries): 776 calories, 34g fat, 5.2g saturated fat
Contains virtually no nutrients other than fat.

Healthier alternative
Chicken kebab served in pitta bread with salad: 290 calories,
6.8g fat, 2g saturated fat 
Doner kebabs tend to be made of poor quality meat glued together with fat. Shish kebabs – especially those made with chicken and served with salad – are far lower in fat and give a good mixture of minerals, such as zinc.

SNACK 6

Café Nero white and dark chocolate cheesecake.
Per portion: 52.7g fat, 35.9g saturated fat.
This pudding contains more fat than there is in two large portions of chips. It is also high in saturated fat with over twice that found in a cheeseburger. It also contains around seven teaspoonfuls of sugar.

Healthier alternative
Café Nero summer pudding.
Per pudding: 313 calories, 2.6g fat, 0.4g saturated fat.
This contains sponge with a mixture of berries which provide essential vitamins. It contains virtually no saturated fat and only moderate amounts of sugar.

SNACK 7

Dominos double decadence cheese and tomato pizza.
Per half medium pizza: 1,092 calories, 47.6g fat, 16.8g saturated fat.
Pizza need not be unhealthy but when made with fatty meats or, as in this case, cheese, cream cheese and oil, it becomes a very fatty meal indeed. A whole pizza like this contains more fat than it is recommended a man eat in a day. It is also hugely salty.

Healthier alternative
Dominos Hawaiian pizza.
Per half medium pizza: 588 calories, 12g fat, 6g saturated fat.
This is topped with pineapple, mushrooms, ham and tomato sauce – a far more healthy combination. Lower in salt and contains a fraction of the fat.