Resources - Nutrition
Choosing the best takeaway option
| Come Friday night, it’s not uncommon for many of us to choose the quick and effortless takeaway option instead of the time-consuming home cooked dinner. However, many takeaway options are high in kilojoules, fat and salt, and low in fibre, so it’s better to use them as an occasional treat than a regular occurrence. Some takeaway options have a better nutritional value than others, however despite many of us attempting to choose the healthier option from the takeaway menu, research shows we don’t do a very good job at it. In fact, when presented with a range of takeaway options, most of us are unable to accurately identify the foods higher or lower in kilojoules. For some of us, seeing vegetables included in the meal description on the menu is enough for us to think it’s a healthy option. While for others, portion distortion can mean we eat more than we need. |
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Next time you choose from your favourite takeaway menu, use this guide to help you make the better choice.
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Take-away Cuisine |
Better choices |
Choices to limit |
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Chinese |
Jiaozi (steamed meat & vegetable dumplings) Zongzi (steamed sticky rice dumplings) Steamed buns such as mantao or baozi Steamed dim sum Clear broths Steamboat (dish of simmering stock used to cook meat, leafy vegetables, egg dumpling & seafood at the table) Steamed fish dishes Steamed rice Meat & veges dishes served with rice (oyster, garlic, chilli, plum or black bean sauce) Mixed vegetables |
Deep-fried dumplings Prawn toast Prawn cutlets Spring rolls Chicken wings Fried dim sims Fried rice Crispy skin chicken Peking duck Salt & pepper squid Curries with coconut milk Peanut satay sauces Pork spare ribs Laksa soup Sweet & sour pork or chicken |
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Fish ’n Chips |
Steamed dim sims Grilled calamari or octopus Grilled fish Greek salad or side salad Grilled prawns Grilled scallops |
Potato cakes or scallops Fried dim sims Crab sticks Prawn cutlets Fried fish Chips |
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Greek |
Tzatziki dip Dolmades Souvlaki Lean meat or game dishes such as baked lamb, stifado (game in red wine) Vegetarian dishes such as yemista (baked stuffed veges) or Barnies Baked fish or lamb Greek salad (or ask for the cheese and dressing on the side) |
Fried vegetables, calamari etc Pastry parcels such as spanakopita, tyropita Moussaka Kleftiko (fried meatballs) Saganaki (fried cheese) Spetsofai (sausage dish) Gyro (pita bread stuffed with meat, tzatziki & feta) Pastitsio (baked pasta dish filled with meat & Bechamel sauce) Baklava (filo pastry, butter, nuts and spices) Galactoburek (custard layered filo) |
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Indian |
Roti (wholemeal bread) Vegetarian paratha (bread stuffed with veges) Seekh rampuri (lamb and onion skewers) Chicken tikka (sautéed chicken in a dry sauce) Lamb rogan josh (lamb in a rich curry sauce) Tandoori chicken Barrah kebab (marinated lamb skewers) Palak paneer (curried spinach and cottage cheese) Vindaloo curry (vinegar hot curry) |
Naan or Naan makhani (butter bread) Paneer kulcha (stuffed with cheese) Pappadums Samosa (deep-fried parcels) Spinach pakora (deep-fried spinach patties) Korma zaffar shahi (creamy textured curry) Navratan kroma (mixed vegetables in butter and cashew sauce) Shahi paneer (creamy curry) Mung mumtaz begum (butter chicken in creamy curry) |
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Italian |
Antipasto – char-grilled vegies, ricotta, mozzarella, tomato salsa Plain bread Pasta with a tomato-based sauce Ravoli Tortellini filled with vegies Marinara linguine Risotto Gnocchi with tomato sauce Minestrone soup Italian salad or side Osso bucco Char-grilled octopus salad Chicken cacciatore |
Antipasto – hard cheeses, dipping oils, deep-fried seafood, aioli, deli meats Garlic and herb bread Pasta with a creamy-based sauce such as carbonara or three cheese Ravoli filled with cheese Tortellini filled with cheese Lasagne (always made with too much cheese) Veal Deep-fried fish Creamy risotto Creamy sauces on meat or chicken Eggplant parmigiana |
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Korean |
Bulgogi (shredded marinated beef, grilled) Hoe (raw seafood) Sannakji (live octopus) Sinseotto (meat & veg cooked in a rich broth) Gujeolpan (vegetables & meat on thin pancakes) Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste soup) Bibimbap (Mixed rice) |
Galbi (pork or beef ribs) Jokbal (pig’s feet with red salted shrimp sauce) Samgyeopsal (pork bacon dish) Makchang (pork large intestine) Soondae (Korean sausage) |
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Lebanese |
Fresh & pickled vegetables Hummus & Baba Gannouj Labne (lamb dip) Kibbeh (lamb mince with cracked wheat) Tabouli (parsley & cracked wheat) Fattoush (salad with grilled flatbread & dressing) Shawarma (marinated grilled chicken or lamb) Cousa (mince & rice filled zucchini) Grilled fish or lamb Kebabs (grilled) |
Falafel balls (deep-fried) Spinach pie Manaeesh (pastries) Fried vegetables Ladies fingers (filo pastry filled with vegetables) Spicy sausages Shishtawook (grilled chicken breast served with cream garlic sauce) Pan-fried fish and meat dishes Lamb kofta |
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Mexican |
Frijoles (bean dip) Guacamole Tomato & chilli based dips Sort tortilla bread Fajitas (build your own, add heaps of veges) Chilli con carne (beef & beans in a tomato & vegetables sauce) Oven-baked chicken Chilli verde (beef chunks in vege & chilli sauce) Soft tacos with vegetables and lean meat or chicken |
Corn chips Crunchy tortillas such as chalupas or chimichanges Con queso (cheese dip) Chilli rellenos (chile stuffed with cheese covered in batter) Nachos Burritos with meats, beans, sour cream and cheese (baked) Enchilada with meat, sauce and cheese (baked) Quesadilla (tortilla with cheese and meat) Taquito (deep-fried corn tortillas filled with beef topped with sauce lettuce and cheese) |
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Pizza |
Thin crust pizza Vegetables Lean meats Seafood Reduced-fat cheese |
Thick crust pizza Meat lovers Extra cheese Supreme Cheese-filled crust |
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Spanish |
Olives Grilled or marinate vegetables Spanish-styled bruschetta Plain bread Grilled meat or fish on skewers Meat or fish grilled in a tomato-based sauce Paella (meat, vegetarian or seafood) Tortilla Poached fruit in syrup |
Fried seafood Patatas bravas (fried potato in a spicy tomato sauce) Chorizo (Spicy sausage) Jamon (Spanish ham) Meat served in creamy sauces Croquettes Empanadas (pastry pie) Churros (Spanish-style doughnuts) |
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Thai |
Rice paper rolls Lean been and chicken skewers BBQ octopus Tom yum or Tom saep (hot & sour soups) Yum nua (Thai beef salad) Jungle curry (doesn’t contain coconut milk) Stir-fries with lean meats, vegetables or tofu in light sauces such as oyster, sweet and sour, sweet chilli or fish sauces Steamed, sautéed or barbecued seafood dishes Steam noodle dishes Steam rice |
Deep-fried spring rolls, curry puffs Satay chicken, beef or prawns Tod man pla (deep-fried fish cakes) Gai Tom Kha (coconut milk soups) Mee grob (crispy noodles) Pad-thai or other fried noodle dishes Green/Red Massaman chicken curry – or anything made with coconut milk Stir-fries in heavy sauces such as satay sauce Crispy duck dishes Khao Pad (fried rice) |
Vietnamese |
Rice paper rolls Fish balls Canh (clear broth vegetable or meat) Banh boa (steamed bun dumpling) Banh canh (thick noodle soups) Bangh chung (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves stuffed with mung beans) Bo kho (beef and vegetable stew) Bun Bo Hoe (spicy beef soup) Steamed rice |
Deep-fried spring rolls Fried pork balls Banh xeo (crepe filled with fatty pork, coconut oil, vegetables) Crispy meat, chicken or seafood dishes (they are fried) Bun Mang Vit (Bamboo and duck soup) Cha-lua (sausage made with pork) Pate Chaud (French inspired meat-filled pastry) Sup mang cua (creamy bamboo-crab soup) Mi xao don (crispy deep-fried egg noodles stopped with seafood and vegetables) Vietnamese curries |
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