The Off Topic Thread...

Marty McFly wrote: »

I don't know about that but regardless my local takeaway isn't trying to promote itself as being health concious like McDonald's is currently doing .

My local chipper sort of is.

1. Thick chips absorb less oil than thin ones, are high in fibre so our chunky chips are healthier
2. An average serving of chips contains more than double the amount of fibre found in an average serving of brown rice or a bowl of porridge
3. Get 1/3 of your daily vitamin C from our chips
4. Fish and Chips have only 595 calories in the average portion. An average pizza has 871 while a big mac meal has 888
5. Fish and Chips are the least processed takeaway food

http://www.romayos.ie/pdf/menu.pdf
That is greatly underestimating the calories, I have seen this gross underestimating in a noodle place and kebab shop too, so not just this chipper chain at it.

I wouldn't really say those mcdonalds adverts as trying to say they are healthy, the free range egg thing is more about advertising farming ethics, and advertising as some just like free range for the taste. And saying the nuggets are chicken breast is just like any brand of frozen ones would, like birds eye might, making a point its not cheaper bits.

hollypink wrote: »

595 calories, that would be great! I wonder what a realistic figure would actually be.

I had the chips alone as possibly being over 1000


here are some takeaways I estimated before.

rubadub wrote: »

Bag of chips from Italian chipper 455g

Going off mc-cains site their premium chips are 253kcal and 7.2g fat sat per 100g

So 1,151kcal and 33g sat fat so 24.5points for the bag.
http://points.ogo.ms/

There is an interview with the italian chipper association guys on youtube, one guy said they used lard, another said a typical fish & chips has about 800kcal! no way in hell!

Just back from the Chinese now, chips weighing in at 395g, so 853kcal, 4.3g sat fat, so 13.5 points. Again that is conservative using the McCains figures which are probably lower than usual to appear lower in cals.

YOu can get values for burgers on mcdonalds, their chips are far smaller than a chipper would have.

I got a rogan josh from letseatin, combined weight of rice and lamb & sauce was 960g, over twice what most ready meals would be.

I got a singapore chow mein last week, weighed 800g.
Using this calculator http://points.ogo.ms/
I hit 5.5 points at 370kcal presuming zero fat (and it was fairly greasy)
That means if this was true then it was 46.25kcal per 100g. I would estimate it at 250kcal per 100g though, this is comparing it to supermaret ready meals and the fact that the noodles are much denser, i.e. not boiled to death where they take up lots of water. A single pack of 80-100g dry supernoodles can be 550-600kcal. I would also conservatively estimate 5% fat since it was fried noodles & meat and quite oily, so 40g of fat, and 20g goes in my calculator. So using the same calculator I would estimate 33.5points.

My usual was chicken balls, curry sauce, chips (I know not chinese!).

I got it and it weighed loads, always did. So I got home and weighed each to see what I used to be eating.
Chips- 520g (no joke! my scales is fine)
Chicken balls- 350g
Sauce- 200g.

I reckon the chips are ~250kcal per 100g, chicken ~300kcal/100g, sauce 150kcal/100g. Those are probably conservative figures, chicken balls are really just donuts, and sauce is probably loaded with oil.

So probably at least 2500kcal in all.

back from "lets eat in", the portions looked small compared to the usual chinese/indian takeaways huge helpings. They are in cubic boxes so it is deceiving. I am in work & had a scales handy, I also like to calculate calories to show people the reality of takeaway portions, rice was 310g, korma was 520g. 830g in total, now most microwave kormas are 300-400g, so it is over twice that. The rice was the size of a decent mug.

I would guess at least 1200kcal, will have to have a look at some rich korma sauce labels and try and figure it out better.

hollypink wrote: »

Those numbers are shocking!

I am always weighing take away food out of habit. The chipper with that menu do give bags of a similar size, about 450g.

Most are twice the size of ready meals in supermarkets.

People go on about mcdonalds food not being filling, as though there is some magical additive or something in it. The standard burgers & meal sizes are simply not that big a portion size, a big mac is 490kcal. But its rare to hear people say the portions are scabby, just this comment about feeling hungry an hour later.

People may not often pour out chips on a plate so might not realise how big it is. My housemate was buying "tesco finest oven chips", they were about 400g, meant for 2-3 people, I was saying that with the cost of electricity for the oven it would be cheaper to get a single bag delivered from the chipper. You can look at it as good value. I usually get 2 feeds from any chinese takeaway.