Yet worryingly, the problem we are now facing is obesity because takeaways are full of salt and fats which are pushing serious health risks such as heart disease and diabetes to the forefront of our minds. Obesity has become one of the biggest problems faced by the UK today and so all eyes are turning to healthy alternatives.
The ease of technology means that you can order your food online and the whole process is so simple and takes almost no effort whatsoever. Yet a positive side to the modern day takeaway craze is that you can find healthy alternatives when ordering, meaning that you can have the convenience of not having to cook whilst feeling the benefits of having a healthy, well-cooked and tasty meal served right to your front door.
Finding the Healthier Alternatives
So imagine that you’re on your way home from work, it has been a long day and you still have a family to feed; what do you do? If you are like me then you will stop on the way home and pick up a pizza or pasta which makes things a lot easier when you get home. Although this is not the healthiest of options, there are ways to make your choice that little bit healthier by not ordering extra cheese for example. You could even make your own pizza which allows you to add more vegetables to the pizza, making it a healthier option.
If you intend on stopping to get pasta from a takeaway it is important that you stay away from the cream based sauces if you are looking for a healthier option. Instead you could choose the tomato sauce pasta which has much less fat and is a much healthier alternative.
Things to Avoid
One of the most famous takeaways in the UK is fish and chips. Lightly battered fish, deep fried in oil and accompanied by a pile of greasy chips; I am sure that you can already see the problem. If the chippie is the only alternative then it is recommended that you don’t eat the batter as the batter actually soaks up the oil. What’s more it is suggested that you could only order a small portion of chips to accompany your fish. Bear in mind that fatter chips are healthier and always ensure they are making their own chips from real potatoes and not using the frozen alternatives.
Other takeaways meal options that you should try and avoid include pies, burgers and anything crumbed and anything fried. If you are ordering Chinese you can enjoy a great range of dishes; just stay away from the fried options and crumbed options.
Healthy Options
Luckily when you order your food online you can choose healthier alternatives that have reduced fat and salt, such as wraps. Wraps with duck and salad or even chicken and salad are both seen as much healthier options than ordering a burger and chips.
Other options include subs which can be healthy when filled with salad and meats or try fajitas if you’re getting Mexican food filled with salad, peppers and meat. Sushi is a great healthy takeaway using fresh fish or if you are really stumped you can always order a salad.
I know that when getting a takeaway a salad may sound boring, but think of this you stop next time to get a pizza to take home with you. A pizza topped with vegetables and a side salad is perfect for a family meal. You could offer less pizza per plate and pile on the salad as this is a great healthy alternative and it still includes your favourite food.
The only way you can ensure that your family doesn’t suffer when you order your food online is to choose healthier alternatives, read through the menu, find something that isn’t fried and if you have to choose chips, portion them out; don’t just get a large chips per person. Many takeaways these days understand the important of fresh food, which you can use to your advantage ensuring you only get healthy takeaway options.
Originally posted 2013-05-03 10:40:47.