According to the study (ACNeilsen Omnibus poll) it is very astonishing to find out the diet of a normal Australian. It is found to be rich in saturated fat. The study participants included about 1400 Australians. It talks about the most popular food items present in an average Australian lunch and how it affects his health and the alternatives he can choose to prevent various health problems. As part of the inaugural Australian Lunch Week, Sanitarium Nutrition Service dietitians have analyzed a range of common lunch options found in food courts around the nation. Most of us will be stunned at the high amount of fat, salt and sugar in many dishes and drinks – even those we think of as relatively healthy!
What We're Really Eating!A serve of hot chips (~300g) provides 45% of your recommended daily energy intake, 75% of your daily fat intake and your entire daily intake of saturated fat (24g). It also provides one third of your daily carbohydrate needs and almost a quarter (23%) of your daily sodium intake.
A medium Big Mac Meal including Big Mac, Fries and Coke, contributes 45% of your average daily energy intake, 62% of your daily total fat intake, 53% of your recommended saturated fat intake, 45% of daily sugars and 42% of recommended sodium intakes.
A meat pie provides 18% of your daily intake of energy, 29% of your total fat intake, 41% of your daily saturated fat intake and 20% of your daily intake of sodium/salt.
A toasted cheese, tomato and ham sandwich can provide over half (55%) of your recommended daily sodium/salt intake and a McDonald's Deli Choice Roast Beef and BBQ Sauce Roll provides 61% of your recommended intake.
A Subway Chicken Fillet 6-Inch Sub contains about the same amount of fat as a regular meat pie (20g versus 20.5g).
Advertisement
What You Need To Do To Work This Off!
Advertisement
A 65kg woman would have to spend just over 3 hours walking to expend the same amount of energy in a 300g serve of hot chips.
A 74kg man would need to mow a lawn for an hour and a half to expend the equivalent energy to a Chicken, Cheese and Avocado Toasted Foccacia.
Healthier Convenient Lunch Options
Sanitarium Lunch Today Mediterranean Pasta provides 11% daily energy, 8% daily fat, 2.5% saturated fat and 20% of daily sodium intake. It also contains two serves of vegetables and is low GI.
Other healthier convenient lunch options (from those analysed) include McDonald's Garden Salad, Subway Veggie Delight 6-Inch Sub, Sushi Rolls (watch the salt), and Low-Fat Cup-a-Soup with wholemeal toast.
A cheese and salad sandwich or baked beans on toast are also good choices provided wholegrain bread and low-fat cheese is used.
Tips for Choosing a Nutritious Lunch According to Sanitarium Dietitian, Cathy McDonald, a healthy tasty lunch will be based on wholegrain carbohydrates, protein (we recommend plant proteins, such as legumes and nuts), a variety of vegetables and some fruit and water or low-fat milk/soymilk. "Meals based on these foods are nutritious, taste good and boost our sense of wellbeing. Other tips to keep in mind include: 1. Try and choose foods that aren't deep fried or contain pastry as these often contain high amounts of saturated fat. 2. Portion size is important – eating large amounts can lead to excess energy/kilojoule intake, making it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. 3. Sauces and dressings can also add unwanted energy, fat and salt, so go easy on these and where possible ask for them on the side so you can add your own if you want," she says.
Source: Eurekalert
