WE all love a bargain lunch and now most supermarkets have a multitude of tasty meal deals we can grab on the go.
But is your budget grub making you fat?
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Nutritionist Amanda Ursell has found many of our go-to lunchtime options are less healthy than we think, and often crammed full of salt, fat and sugars.
Amanda says: “With their mayonnaise-rich sandwiches and bags of crisps, all washed down with a sugary drink, meal deals have rightly experienced poor press from nutritionists in the past.
“Sadly, these options are still commonplace in the meal-deal chill cabinets, with high- calorie pasta dishes, wraps and fat-laden cakes and biscuits adding to the problem.”
Experts advise the daily recommended calorie intake is 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men, with around 600 calories advised for lunch.
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Yet many meal deals come in at 900 calories or more.
Here, Amanda tells Julie Cook how she rates seven typical lunch combos and helps us decide how we can make healthier choices.
Additional reporting: Leo Roberts.
Cheese Pasta Salad: 556cals, 35.2g fat Yorkie Orange Duo: 382cals, 21.6g fat (per bar) Yazoo strawberry milk: 171cals, 3.5g fat
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WITH almost double the recommended calorie intake for lunch in this meal deal, the best thing you can do is ditch the Yorkie and forget the Yazoo strawberry milk too.
This combination is also bulging with fat, at more than 60g in total.
A woman is advised to have no more than 70g of fat in total for the whole day – and men no more than 90g – which helps you to realise that this is an absurd amount.
I would recommend switching to a piece of fruit and a bottle of water.
Even though it will still be a high-fat meal, at least your calories will be on track.
Calories: 1,109
Deli Meat Feast sub roll: 407cals, 11.5g fat Twix: 370cals, 25g fat Lucozade: 142cals
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YET another fat, sugar and salt-crammed meal deal – no wonder it comes in at 319 calories over the daily lunch limit.
Try switching over to a Tesco Prawn Mayonnaise sandwich, which has 318 calories and just 1g of saturated fat, and have a bag of Walkers Baked crisps (164cals) instead of the Twix.
Add an Innocent smoothie (130cals) and you still have a “sandwich + crisps + drink” deal, but with a decent balance of protein, carbohydrate and fats which works out at 612 calories, all in.
Calories: 919
Tomato & Basil Chicken Pasta: 448cals, 12.9g fat Greek-style yoghurt: 258cals, 7.1g fat Coconut Water: 90cals
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THIS healthy-sounding combination still manages to overshoot the lunchtime calorie target, but at least it has some nutritional plus points.
The pasta has around just 1g of saturated fat, which is good for your heart health, and the yoghurt is great to have as it packs bone-building calcium.
There is little added nutritional benefit from coconut water, so I would suggest swapping to “real” water.
This brings the calories down to 606, which is pretty much spot on.
Calories: 796
Southern Fried Chicken wrap: 456cals, 15g fat Mini cheesecake: 403cals, 22g fat Fanta: 96cals
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SWAPPING the main for the Asda Hoisin Duck wheat wrap option cuts calories from 456 to 387.
And trading in the mini cheesecake for an Arla Protein on-the-go strawberry yoghurt (140 calories) saves you a further 263 calories, while adding a hefty 20g of hunger-beating protein.
Rather than a Fanta, have your lunch with a Purdey’s Grape & Apple Natural Energy drink, which has just 66 calories.
Together, you have a 593-calorie meal deal, which will help beat the afternoon energy dip.
Calories: 955
Chicken & Stuffing Sandwich: 460cals, 14g fat Cookie Dough Brownie: 295cals, 15g fat Salted Caramel Milkshake: 211cals, 4.6g
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AVOID sandwiches that boast “stuffing” – it’s light on nutrients and adds unnecessary calories.
Boots has healthier options, so swap this for a Yumie teriyaki smoked salmon rice bowl with just 266 calories and less than 4g of fat in total.
The Cookie Dough Brownie alone adds a whacking 25g of sugar, which is just 5g off your maximum for the day.
Instead, try the Graze chilli and lime punchy nut mix for extra protein and fibre (245 calories) and serve with sparkling water instead of the caramel milkshake.
This choice notches up 511 calories in total, leaving you around 90 to spare.
Calories: 966
Chicken & Bacon Caesar Pasta Salad: 480cals, 18g fat Chocolate Chaos Pot: 243cals, 17g fat Grenade Fudge Brownie shake: 198cals, 7.3g fat
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ONCE again, this meal deal delivers way over the lunchtime calorie limit.
Co-op meal deals include great options like a Greek Style Cheese & Red Pepper Pasta Bowl (335kcals), which you can team with a snack of Chipotle Chicken Protein Bites (166kcals) and a 250ml Cloudy Apple Juice (117kcals).
This gives a great mix of protein, carbo-hydrates, vegetables and fruit, making it a fulfilling lunch that is only just over the 600-calorie barrier.
Calories: 921
Chicken & Bacon Caesar wrap: 493cals, 20.8g fat Chocolate Brownie: 243cals, 13.6g fat Coca-Cola: 210cals
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THIS meal deal needs some serious trimming.
Swap the wrap for Morrisons’ Fish Sushi Snack Pack at only 167 calories per 100g and team it with Mango Chunks at just 52 calories per 100g.
Next, trade the sugar-rich cola for a UFit Lite Protein drink with 99 calories and 15g of protein per serving.
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This makes a filling, nutrient-packed lunch that will help keep you going for the afternoon ahead.
Calories: 946
