Thursday, 25 June 2009

Scales salad shocker sensation Saturday (sorry, Thursday)

Got on the scales this morning and got a nasty shock. Yes, they were live.
No, that tightening of the shirt collar has a perfectly rational explanation - getting fatter.
What's surprising is the explanation. It's not that portion of french fried onions from the really good chipper run by the Derry woman in Falcarragh (probably the best fish and chips in the North West), the daily '99', the crisps or the occasional treat from the Journal vending machine.
Which? (aren't they a busy crew these days)has the explanation today -

Supermarket salads get a dressing down

If you think salad is always a healthy option, think again, says Which? as it found a salad sold at a supermarket containing more calories than a Big Mac and fries.

The consumer organisation bought a selection of 20 pre-packed salads on the high street.* It found Smedleys Atlantic Prawn Marie Rose Salad, £1.49 (300g), which was on sale at Morrisons, contained 855 calories and 66.3g fat, which is more than a McDonald’s Big Mac and medium fries and 70% of the fat a man should eat in a day.

Another unhealthy option was Asda Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, £2 (297g), which contained 43g of fat, nearly as much as six Cadbury’s Creme eggs. Almost a quarter of the salad is made up of high-calorie dressing (13% mayonnaise, 10% Caesar dressing).

Mayonnaise or creamy sauces were often the reason many of the salads were so surprisingly high in calories and fat. Mayonnaise dressing was the second highest ingredient (27%) in an M&S Pasta with Tomato & Basil Chicken salad, £3.20 (380g), which had 760 calories and 46g fat.

Sainsbury’s Tomato & Basil Chicken salad, £2.95 (350g), was also comparatively high in fat. The label specified that it had no mayo but the ingredients list revealed that it contained egg yolk, oil and white wine vinegar - the same ingredients as mayonnaise.

Another potentially confusing label was on a Tesco Tuna Layered Salad. At a glance, it seems the salad contains 275 calories and 20.5g fat - but this is for half the pack. If you eat the whole 350g pack (a reasonable amount for one person), you would consume 550 calories and 41g fat.

Which? wants food companies to adopt one label so that shoppers can see at a glance levels of fat, sugar and salt. Definitive research by the Food Standards Agency shows that a combined label including traffic light colours, guideline daily amounts, grams of nutrients per portion and the words ‘high’, ‘medium’ and ‘low’ works best for consumers.

It’s not all bad news for salad lovers, though, as salads can contribute to their ‘five-a-day’. Sainsbury’s Rainbow Salad, £2.20 (215g), contains lots of vegetables and has soya beans and lentils, which are low in fat and a good source of protein. The dressing is on the side, so you can add as much or as little as you want. Another healthy option is Sainsbury’s Thai Chicken Noodle, £2.95 (260g), which also has the dressing in a separate container and is low in fat, salt and sat fat.

How to be good

Which? says -

Look for a salad with lots of different colours as it’s likely to have one or two of your ‘five a day’.
Look for salads that contain separate containers of dressing, as they allow you to add as much or as little as you want.
Salads that have a lot of cheese are often high in fat. Vegetarians looking for a lower fat option, go for something with pulses or beans.

And then have as many fish suppers and pints of Guinness as you like.

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