We all know that the summer is on it’s way when all of our friends and family are talking about dieting to get into those summer clothes and to look good in the holiday photos with sun kissed skin. Weekends may be the hardest when everyone is picking what to eat from their favourite takeaway and you’re worrying about putting on the pounds you have worked so hard to lose during the week. At Smart Restaurants we have come up with 5 simple tips on how to order a healthier takeaway so that you no longer need to panic about what you can and can’t eat. Follow these simple tips and you may be surprised when you step onto the weighing scales on Monday morning.
1. Keep it Hot
Indian takeaways are very popular offering a variety of flavoured meals using various spices. At Smart Restaurants we say ‘the spicier, the better’. It has been proven that spices can actually help you lose weight, so the next time you think about ordering a curry don’t worry about playing it safe with a mild Korma, go for something much hotter such as a Tandoori meal which is full of tasty spices.
2. Thin Base & Less Toppings
It may surprise you that pizza’s can actually be healthy, the deep bases and packed out toppings are what load the calories onto your pizza. Keep it simple, a nice thin based Italian pizza is the best choice for when you are calorie counting. Carefully chose your toppings, keeping the cheese to a minimum and choosing healthy toppings such as vegetables. Choose a nice side of salad instead of that portion of chips.
3. The Healthy Burger
Burgers can be quite healthy is you choose the right one. Many takeaways offer a variety of burgers for you to choose from. A simple chicken or fish burger can be much more nutritional for you than a thick double quarter pounder beef burger. Then there is always the choice of a vegetarian burger which can be surprisingly tasty if you give it a go. Many takeaways will provide a vegetarian burger which is either soya, bean or vegetable based. Instead of having cheese on top of your burger why not go for a few lettuce leaves to make your burger even healthier.
4. Typically British
The good old fish and chips meal can be one of the healthiest options out there for you. Most fish and chip shops will offer a variety of food for you to choose from ranging from chicken, various pies and a selection of fish. We suggest that you order a medium sized cod or haddock with a small portion of chips. The batter and the chips are where the majority of your calories will be found so how about scraping the fish out of the batter to eat with your chips can make your meal that tiny bit healthier.
5. Oriental Cuisine
Oriental cuisine consists of most Asian food such as Chinese, Japanese and Thai meals. You will find many tasty choices in most oriental takeaways, however you must always choose the ones that are going to be the healthiest for you if you are watching what you eat at the moment. Most oriental meals are designed to be shared so if you do this make sure you choose small portions for yourself. Battered pork and chow mein meals may all seem like tastier options but at Smart Restaurants we suggest that you go for something rice based which is less fatty and greasy than noodle based meals with a sauce. Rice and a portion of vegetables can be the healthy option if ordering a Chinese meal.
Follow our 5 simple tips so that the next time you are with friends or family that are about to order a takeaway you will have already decided on what you are going to eat. Remember that you don’t have to eat everything, it is best to leave any leftovers so that you are not eating for the sake of it or how about recycling your takeaway to eat the following day and make two meals out of one?
