What to takeaway?

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Posted at 12:02PM, 21 October 2011 by Roxanne Fisher - Writer/Sub-editor, bbcgoodfood.com

Healthy eating and Friday night feasting rarely go hand in hand. Three of our favourite takeaway temptations; Chinese, Italian and Indian, often pose particular calorie-conundrums as we battle with the dilemma of choosing between virtue and vice.

Follow our handy hints when ordering in and avoid the inevitable guilty-comedown.

Don't let your hard work go to waste. Everyone deserves a treat but follow our handy hints when ordering in to lessen the inevitable guilty comedown. Can't resist those old favourites? Making your own will mean you know exactly what goes into your dish of choice and will help you keep control of your recommended daily allowances.

Indian

Our western taste for creamy Indian curries and hearty naans can play havoc with our waistlines - and often isn't too heart-friendly either. Tandoori dishes are one of the easiest ways to enjoy a healthier takeaway as the meat is normally grilled rather than fried, cutting down fat as well as calories.

Stick to tomato based sauces and choose something with a bit of spice, guaranteed to quickly satisfy your taste buds. Swap your naan for a couple of poppodums topped with raita or tomato sambai and choose plain over pilau rice, which is cooked with extra oil.

Cold shoulder:

Creamy based curries like masala, pasanda, korma, naan bread, pilau rice, bhajis.

Tuck into:

Tomato-based or dry curries like tandoori, madras, jalfrezi, rogan and bhuna dishes, plain rice, roti, chapatti, poppodums.

DIY dishes:

Try using sunflower or rapeseed oil when cooking Indian food at home and use wholemeal flour and rice rather than white to make your dishes even more wholesome.

Chicken bhuna

Creamy veggie korma

Easy chicken biryani

Chinese

Our favourite Chinese takeaway dishes tend to be battered, fried and crispy rather than the cuisines' more traditional low-fat offerings. Over-eating is a big stumbling block so fill up on rice and soup starters while looking to steamed and stir-fried options to fill you up.

Cold shoulder:

Fried rice, crispy duck, sticky sauces like sweet & sour, battered chicken/prawn/pork balls, prawn crackers, wontons, spring rolls, sesame toast, spare ribs.

Tuck into:

Steamed/boiled rice, plain noodles, crab & sweetcorn soup, steamed dumplings, steamed fish, chicken chop suey, Szechuan prawns, vegetable stir-fry.

DIY dishes

Making your own Chinese favourites means you can cut down the amount of salt you'll be taking in. Also, practice using chopsticks in the comfort of your own home. You'll eat slower and therefore give your tummy a chance to tell your brain when it's full.

Sweet & sour chicken & veg

Prawn chow mein

Pork, ginger & black bean stir-fry

Italian

Bowls piled high with creamy pasta and deep-pan, cheese-laden pizzas can significantly set back any diet. The good news is there are still lots of lovely low-fat alternatives that will fill you (not fatten you) up. Opt for thin-based pizzas and pastas with a tomato or vegetable sauce plus, ditch the garlic bread in favour of better-for-you ciabatta.

Cold shoulder:

Deep-pan or thick/stuffed-crust pizza bases, pepperoni or extra cheese toppings, creamy pasta sauces, garlic bread, lasagne, fried calamari, ravioli.

Tuck into:

Thin crust pizzas, lean meats, vegetable and seafood toppings, bruschetta, ciabatta, Italian soups (pasta fagioli, minestrone, etc).

DIY dishes

If making your own Italian feast, favourites like carbonara and lasagne needn't be off the menu. Use less oil when cooking and stick to lean meats and lower-fat soft cheeses to make your sauces creamy.

Creamy ham, leek & mushroom spaghetti

The ultimate makeover: spaghetti carbonara

Superhealthy pizza

What are your top takeaway tips?

Comments

Mums_Kitchen

27 October 2011, 11:29PM
Mums_Kitchen

Find a fabulous fish and chip shop and enjoy good old British traditional food. They are hard to find though, and I really don't like the ones where the fish is uniform in size and not at all fishy shape.

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radial

4 November 2011, 8:15PM
radial

takeaways are still as popular as they have ever been from a personal standpoint i prefer chinese meals because of the fortifying and satisfying quantity and quality always available in local emporiums.

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Amina

30 January 2012, 3:47PM
Amina

Nice article! I like to order food online. And specially italian, chinese and indian takeaways. There is one very useful website - www.yumyummm.co.uk Really great service! I advise it for others who likes takeaway as me. You can order your meal on collection or on delivery of your order.

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