Channel 4's new food documentary show, Tricks of the Restaurant Trade, has caused quite a stir after revealing the shocking amount of calories in some of our favourite foods.
From Saturday night takeaways with the family to lunch box favourites, Channel 4's new show reveals how many calories some of the most popular choices can add up to - as well as how healthy or unhealthy they really are.
Takeaways are a big part of UK food habits, with around 100 takeaways being consumed in each household every year and 1 in 4 claiming this is down to laziness.
Eating out or food on the go has become a big fad too, with packed lunches being labelled as 'over-rated' and people preferring their food to be prepared or cooked for them.
Not only could some of our favourites be hurting our bank balance, they could also be having a negative affect on our health...
Calories in sushi
This Japanese favourite has taken the UK by storm as one of the most popular choices when it comes to lunch on the go. You'd think the combination of the fresh ingredients, protein-packed fish and veggies would mean you're eating something healthy - think again.
Tricks of the Restaurant Trade's investigation has revealed that some sushi box sets contain more calories than a McDonald's Big Mac! Not only this but they can be as high in sugar as biscuits and contain as many carbohydrates as seven and a half slices of white bread.
Image: Channel 4/Betty TV
In the second episode of Tricks Of The Restaurant Trade, presenter Kate Quinton asked nutritionist Amanda Ursell to analyse the contents of some sushi snacks on sale at popular restaurant chains including Pret A Manager and Itsu.
Amanda revealed that a portion of Pret A Manager's Salmon, Prawn and Crab Sushi worked out at 359 calories with just over 10g of sugar. Itsu's Health and Happiness box was just as shocking with 579 calories and 24g of fat.
Image: Channel 4/Betty TV
'You might go for sushi and think it is a healthier alternative to the bog standard slices of bread sandwich and yet what you are eating is the equivalent in carbs of seven and a half slices of bread' says shocked presenter Kate.
Calories in Chinese takeaway
The first episode saw celebrity chef Simon Rimmer, presenter Kate Quilton and reporter Adam Pearson looking into high street coffee chains to find out how much they really charge for train station snacks, but it was their investigation into the calorie count in takeaway dishes that shocked viewers.
Viewers were stunned to learn that the average order of Chinese food for a family of five worked out at a staggering 15,000 calories, which works out at 3,000 calories per person if everyone ate every last mouthful.
As a guide, the NHS recommends men need around 2,500 calories a day to maintain a healthy body weight, and women need around 2,000 calories a day.
See the calories in your favourite takeaway options
During the show we met a family of five from Elstree who tend to order at least two takeaways a week. A nutritionist was sent to their house to weigh how much they order, and work out calorie content.
Image: Channel 4/Betty TV
'It's an astonishing number of calories and grams of fat,' she says. 'I actually had to sit down and do it twice just to really check that I had the figures right.'
The nutritionist revealed that the family ate just under half of the food they ordered but nearly all of the family consumed at least their recommended maximum guidelines for both salt and fat in just one sitting.
Image: Channel 4/Betty TV
Not only does this mean that the family's health is at risk, it also means they're wasting food and money. According to the show, they spend around £75 each time they order - which works out at a whopping spend of around £600 every month on takeaways alone.
We're certainly going to be thinking twice when it comes to ordering our favourite takeaway this weekend!
Has this put you off ordering a takeaway or grabbing sushi at lunch? Comment below!
