Takeaways and eating out

Healthier lunch options

Whether you buy your lunch from a sandwich shop, café, supermarket or work canteen, there are usually plenty of healthy lunch options available.

You should consider portion size.  

The Eatwell guide shows how much of each food group should be consumed overall to help achieve a healthy balanced diet.

Look for healthy options within meal deals to help reduce your fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar intake, such as:

• water instead of a fizzy drink
• fruit instead of a chocolate bar

Salads

Salads can be very filling, especially if they include some starchy foods such as rice, pasta, potatoes or couscous.

Cold grilled chicken (without the skin), egg, prawns, tuna, sardines, cottage cheese and hummus are all healthy choices to add to a salad.

You should add a variety of vegetables, such as:

• roasted peppers and courgettes
• avocado
• spring onions
• salad leaves
• tomatoes
• olives
• radishes
• grated carrot
• raisins
• green beans

If you are making your own salad at home, you could also add leftover potatoes or rice.

Avoid salads that contain a lot of mayonnaise or other dressings high in fat, such as:

• coleslaw
• potato salads
• some pasta salads

Pre-packed salads often have a nutrition information panel on the label so you can check how much total fat, saturated fat, and salt they contain.

Choose salads that are lower in fat, especially saturated fat and salt (or sodium) or look for smaller portions.

Sandwiches

Whether you're buying a sandwich or making your own, you can achieve a healthier lunch by:

• choosing brown, wholemeal bread or rolls
• picking healthier sandwich fillings, such as lean meats (this includes ham, beef, turkey and chicken without the skin), tuna, smoked mackerel, hard-boiled egg, and cheeses such as Edam, Emmental, Gruyère, mozzarella and low-fat cream cheese
• going for a sandwich that contains salad - add or ask for extra, if possible
• if the sandwich is home-made or made to order, having it without, or with a small amount of butter, spread, mayonnaise or other dressing, especially if the filling is moist
• if you do have mayonnaise, choosing a low-fat variety, when you can

To add variety, you could use different types of bread.

For example you could choose:

• granary rolls
• brown bread with added nuts or seeds
• rye bread
• bagels
• tortilla wraps
• wholemeal pitta bread

Here are a few suggestions for different sandwich combinations:

• low-fat cream cheese, roasted red pepper and sunflower seeds in a toasted bagel
• edam, tomato and cress in granary bread
• chicken tikka and cucumber with a mint and yoghurt dressing in chapatti or pitta bread
• avocado, hummus and salad leaves on rye bread
• mozzarella, olives, roasted vegetables and red onion in a wholemeal roll
• turkey, cranberry sauce and baby spinach in brown bread

To add interest and texture, add a few olives, sundried tomatoes (drain off the oil), gherkins, or some seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin.

When buying pre-packed sandwiches, look at the nutrition information on the label to help you understand which products are healthier.

Hot food

Baked potatoes are a good lunchtime choice, but it's better to leave out the butter, or just have a tiny bit.

Healthy fillings include baked beans, cottage cheese and ratatouille.

Try to avoid ready-mixed fillings that contain lots of mayonnaise, because these can be high in fat.

When choosing pasta, try to avoid dishes served with a creamy or cheesy sauce, or mixed with lots of oil, because these tend to be high in fat.

Tomato or vegetable-based sauces are a healthier choice.

Soups with chunky vegetables can also help count towards your five-a-day. To make it a filling and balanced meal you could add a wholemeal bread roll.

Meals out and takeaways

Takeaways and meals out can be high in fat, saturated fat and salt, so try to eat them in moderation. 

Look for calorie information on the menu as this can help you decide how healthy the meal is.

Choose healthier options when eating out, such as:

• water instead of a fizzy or alcoholic drinks
• a salad instead of chips

You can also end up eating more than you would have done if you had made the food yourself.

Although big portions may feel like good value for money, if you're trying to eat healthily, it's easy to eat too much or have much more fat and calories than you need to.

Healthy choices

You should try to go for:

• dishes that are grilled, boiled, poached, steamed or stir-fried
• lean poultry, such as turkey or chicken without skin
• lean red meat
• fish
• pulses such as lentils or beans
• wholemeal, granary, brown, or seedy bread
• rice that is steamed or boiled
• potatoes that are baked or boiled

What to avoid

Foods you should try to avoid or cut down on include:

• dishes that are battered - such as scampi or sweet and sour pork or chicken
• foods that are deep-fried, such as doughnuts or samosas
• pies and fried foods, such as meat pies, bacon and sausages
• pâté
• certain breads, such as croissants or pastries
• rice that is fried or egg fried
• chips and potatoes that are roasted or creamy

Indian

You should try to:

• go for lower-fat options - such as tandoori or madras with chicken, prawns or vegetables
• avoid creamy curries such as korma, pasanda or masala
• base your meal on starchy foods but choose plain rice and chapatti instead of pilau rice and naan
• have plenty of vegetables -  vegetable side dishes or dhal are good options

Italian

If you're having pizza, go for lower-fat toppings, such as vegetables, chicken, fish and prawns. You could ask for some extra vegetables on your pizza.

If you don't want to increase the saturated fat content and number of calories in your meal, don't ask for extra cheese.

For a healthier option when you order pasta, go for a sauce based on tomatoes or vegetables, rather than cream.

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 ciabatta bread topped with fresh tomatoes and herbs.

Chinese

Try to go for lower-fat options, such as:

• steamed fish
• chicken chop suey
• Szechwan prawns
• steamed or plain rice rather than egg-fried rice

Anything in batter will be high in fat. Sweet and sour pork is usually battered. Make sure you ask if you’re not sure.

You should also watch out for 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, such as Pad Thai, grilled skewers or soups.

Green and red curries contain coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat, so if you go for a curry, try not to eat all the sauce. 

Choose steamed rice with your meal, instead of fried rice.

Fish and chips

There are lots of ways of making your fish and chips a healthier option, such as:

• have a portion of baked beans or mushy peas with your fish and chips
• opt for thicker chips where possible as 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, because it soaks up a lot of fat - if you can get it, fish coated in breadcrumbs soaks up less fat
• if fish and chips are cooked in oil at the right temperature, they will taste better and 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.

Try to:

• go for grilled burgers made from lean red meat, chicken or fish
• ask for your burger without cheese or mayonnaise
• ask for extra salad
• go for a shish kebab served with pitta bread and salad rather than a doner kebab

Healthier desserts

If you want something sweet, there are lots of healthier options available. Fruit is an especially good option and can count towards the five portions of fruit and vegetables you should get each day.

What to try

When deciding on a dessert, you could try:

• seasonal or exotic fresh fruit salad
• a slice of melon
• baked apples
• fruit crumble
• tinned fruit with lower fat natural yoghurt - choose fruit in natural unsweetened fruit juice rather than syrup
• low-fat fruit yoghurts - you could buy individual pots, or mix your own using low-fat plain yoghurt and soft fruit

Alternatives to cream or chocolate fillings

Rather than desserts with cream or chocolate fillings, you could try:

• fruit flan, tart or pie - the healthier option is pie with just one crust, either a top crust or a flan with a pastry base
• fruit crumbles – use fruit in season, such as cooking apples, rhubarb and plums
• rice pudding made with skimmed, one per cent or semi-skimmed milk - If you're buying it tinned, go for lower-fat varieties
• try to avoid adding sugar and add some pieces of fresh or dried fruit instead, such as dates

Instead of having cream with your dessert, go for:

• low-fat yoghurt
• low-fat fromage frais
• fruit purée
• custard made with skimmed, one per cent or semi-skimmed milk

More helpful hints

To achieve a healthier meal, you should try to follow the tips below when eating out or ordering a takeaway:

• opt for high fibre, low salt and low sugar breakfast cereals instead of sugar-coated cereals
• go for sauces that are vegetable or tomato based rather than creamy
• go for curries that are dry - avoid creamy or coconut-based
• ask for any dressings on the side
• try to stay away from butter or buttery sauces, oily dressings and mayonnaise even in potato salad or coleslaw
• don't be afraid to ask how a dish is cooked
• try not to have lots of bread or other nibbles before your meal arrives
• share a starter or dessert with a friend
• when ordering a variety of dishes, try not to order too many
• wait until you've eaten your main course before you order a dessert - you might already be full
• if there is a dessert on the menu you really fancy, don't have a starter, or don't have a main course and have two starters instead
• if you want a healthy dessert, go for fresh fruit or sorbet
• if your meal doesn't come with vegetables, order some as a side dish or have a salad with your meal or as a starter
• have salad in your sandwiches
• have a glass of fruit juice with your meal
• choose a meal made with lentils, beans or vegetables
• you don't need to clear your plate -ideally try to eat slowly and stop when you're full