Salad or a Big Mac?

Researchers from Which? magazine looked at 20 salads from the major outlets and found many contained more fat than A Big Mac and fries.

In a report published by the BBC today, it has been revealed that pre-packed salads are often not the healthier option.

While retailers said they offered a range of clearly labelled salads, Which? magazine has demonstrated how people do not read the fat content of the food they are buying. Although how they could class some pasta dishes as salad remains a mystery. All the same, it was a perfect opportunity to compare these pre-packed salads to a McDonald’s meal as the UK’s leading source of fast food.

Smedleys Atlantic Prawn Marie Rose Salad, sold at Morrisons, was highlighted by the magazine as one of the key offenders on the fat and calories front.

Which? said it contained 855 calories and 66.3g of fat - nearly half of a woman’s recommended daily energy intake of calories and nearly all of the fat.

RECOMMENDED DAILY INTAKE
Men - calories: 2500, fat: 95g
Women - calories: 2000, fat: 70g

In comparison, a Big Mac and medium fries contains 820 calories and 40g of fat - although this meal does contain twice as much saturated fat as the prawn salad.

Nathalie Winn, nutritionist for World Cancer Research Fund, said: “Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables probably reduces risk of several types of cancer, but if you are regularly eating salads that are packed with calories then you are more likely to put on weight.”

When it comes to salads and eating healthy, the answer is always to prepare food yourself. But we can only wonder how good a Mconalds Big Bac would be when it comes to running?

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