Eat This, Not That: Junk food

When your only option for a closing-time refuel is displayed on a back-lit menu, use this guide to make your instant hit healthier.

Save 249kcal at Subway

Eat This: Chicken Tikka 6 Inch Sub

311kcal

Tikka spices are weight loss champions, adding flavour and raising your metabolic rate without the fatty sauces. Don’t go undoing its good work with unnecessary additions, such as cheese or mayonnaise.

Not That: Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt 6 Inch Sub, Ranch Dressing

560kcal

Yes, it looks 'fresh' and contains salad, but the cuts of bacon at fast food restaurants are fattier than the stuff you cook at home. Add to it some cheese and dressing and you are quickly making this unhealthier than your average burger.

Save 695kcal at KFC

Eat This: BBQ Rancher Burger, BBQ Beans, Black Coffee

490kcal

When a bleary-eyed stumble from the pub finds you at the mercy of The Colonel, the Rancher Burger skips the batter and the fryer. Add low-fat beans and wash it down with coffee.

Not That: Toasted Twister, Large Fries, Large Pepsi

1,185kcal

If you’re not careful Colonel Sanders will hit you with a truly belt-busting meal deal. The Twister actually contains more fat than the burger, and Pepsi is just a bucketful of sugar.

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These foods could be making you fat

You'll be surprised at which "healthy" foods make our list

Rice cakes

You may see rice cakes as a staple diet snack, but in fact their high Glycemic Index (GI) means they’ll raise your blood sugar levels and leave you hungry quickly. Not a good way to  stick to the diet, as you’ll be reaching for a more filling (and more fattening) snack in no time. Swap the rice cake, which has a GI of 87, for a Ryvita, which has a GI of 63.

Salad dressing

Don’t ruin your healthy salad by slapping an unhealthy dressing all over it, full of saturated fat and empty calories. Dietician Ursula Arens says, “A lot of salad dressings are high in fat. I specifically would advise caution with the creamy US-style dressings, like blue-cheese dressing. French vinaigrette still has a lot of oil but it is highly unsaturated, so better on the health scale.”

Nutritionist Penny Crowther recommends making your own dressing with sesame or hemp oil for their content of omega 6 fats, which “if unheated are very beneficial and will actually help the metaboli

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Eat well, stay lean

Thai prawn curry

You’ll burn more fat during exercise by using coconut butter to sauté the spices, thanks to the medium-chain triglycerides it contains. Prawns are a good source of selenium and zinc – both important nutrients for thyroid function and metabolism.

Per serving
Calories 297
Protein 23.6g
Carbs 21.5g
Sugar 8g
Fat 12.9g
Sat fat 6.6g

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 sweet potato
1 red pepper
1 red onion
2tsp coconut butter
1tbsp Thai green curry paste
2tsp turmeric
150g green beans, halved
400ml light coconut milk
350g large prawns, cooked
Handful of spinach leaves

Method

Step 1 Cut the sweet potato, red pepper and onion into chunks. Heat the coconut butter in afrying pan.

Step 2 Sauté the curry paste and turmeric for 1-2min then add the potato, pepper, green beans, onion and coconut milk. Let it simmer for 15-20min until the potato is tender.

Step 3 Add the prawns and spinach and heat through. If you’re cooking to impress, sprinkle over a few roughly chopped coriander leaves before serving.

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Eat well, stay lean and stay wrong.

Throw together these simple, speedy dishes to help you keep the weight off without sacrificing flavour.

Bean & chicken burritos

The fibre in the beans will increase satiety, while calcium from the cheese plays a role in the breakdown of fatty adipose tissue. Prepare the filling in advance and reheat when needed for an instant, guilt-free snack.

Per serving
Calories 228
Protein 14.4g
Carbs 35g
Sugar 3.9g
Fat 3.3g
Sat fat 1g

Ingredients (makes 8)

1 red onion
1 courgette
1 red pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp cumin
½tsp mild chilli powder
2 skinless chicken breasts
400g canned kidney beans
200ml passata
8 tortillas
Half-fat grated mozzarella

Method

Step 1 Chop the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the veg and spices for 2min.

Step 2 Cut the chicken into chunks, add to the pan and fry for 5min until browned and cooked through.

Step 3 Tip in the beans and passata (or chopped tomatoes). Simmer for 6-7min until the vegetables have softened, then lightly mash the beans with a potato masher.

Step 4 Warm the tortillas in the oven and fill with the bean and chicken mixture. Top with a little cheese. Fold over the ends and roll them up.

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How To Eat well, stay lean

Spicy grilled mackerel

Tamarind, an African fruit, contains HCA, an acid that reduces fat storage and increases your serotonin levels, boosting feelings of happiness as a bonus.

Per serving
Calories 490
Protein 38g
Carbs 13.1g
Sugar 4.9g
Fat 32.4g
Sat fat 6.6g

Ingredients (serves 4)

paste
1tsp chilli powder
1tsp grated root ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
2tbsp honey
Handful of fresh mint, chopped
4 small mackerel fillets
2 spring onions, sliced

Method

Step 1 Mix together the tamarind paste, chilli powder, ginger, garlic, honey and mint in a shallow dish.

Step 2 Slash the mackerel on either side with a sharp knife, then dunk it into the marinade and coat it thoroughly on both sides.

Step 3 Place the mackerel on a lined baking sheet and grill for 10min or until cooked through.

Step 4 Scatter the spring onions over the fish. Serve with steamed veg or a mixed salad.

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Ofe Onugbu (Bitter Leaf Soup)

Ofe Onugbu is a dish from the Eastern part of Nigeria and is particularly popular among the Igbos. It is a dish that is native to Anambra state in Nigeria.

Ofe Onugbu can be literally translated to mean ‘Bitter Leaf Soup,’ as bitter leaves are the primary (and only) vegetable involved in the cooking of this dish. Another ingredient that makes Ofe Onugbu into the soup that it is, is Cocoyam.

I love bitter leaves and it’s probably one of my favorite native vegetables and so, by extension, I quite enjoy Ofe Onugbu. 

To learn how to make Ofe Onugbu, here’s what you’ll need:

        Ingredient

• 4-6 medium pieces skinless goat meat
• 4-6 pieces medium pieces honeycomb tripe/shaki
• 4-6 medium pieces cow skin/kpomo
• 3-4 Knorr cubes OR 6-8 Maggi cubes
• 1 cup smoked catfish bits
• 1 cup dried stockfish/kpanla/okporoko bits
• 4-6 scotch bonnet peppers
• 2 cups dried whole crayfish
• 1-2 cups fresh bitter leaves
• 3-4 cups Palm Oil
• 1-2 cups dried cocoyam flour/ede
• 1 small red onion
• 4 garlic cloves

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Eat this not that: ready meals.

So you finished work late (or went for a swift one afterwards) and the fridge is empty. Time to 
make the right choices at the supermarket stop-off

  

Chicken

Save yourself 220 calories

Eat this Tesco Finest Chicken with Mushrooms & Madeira Sauce Despite being covered in a creamy sauce, this chicken breast is a low-fat and low-calorie option. Serve it with a pile of green veg on the side for an ideal late-night, low-carb feast.

Not that Tesco Finest Chicken En Croute These parcels are no bigger than a chicken breast and yet, thanks to the pastry, they pack almost three times the calories, along with 16g of sat fat (13g more than the chicken in sauce).

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Drink this, not that!

Choosing the right cocktail will help you end the night with your physical goals and your faculties intact.

Drink this Gin Rickey

50ml Tanqueray gin
25ml lime juice
Top up with soda
114kcal, 1g sugar

Not that Gin & Tonic

50ml Tanqueray gin
100ml tonic water
146kcal, 9g sugar

The Fine Print In the world of cocktails, soda is water and water is soda. So a soda-based cocktail such as the Gin Rickey is low in sugar, whereas a tonic water cocktail such as a Gin & Tonic is usually higher in calories. Bubble accordingly.

Drink this Bloody Mary

50ml vodka
100ml Tabasco
Bloody Mary mix
118kcal, 1g sugar

Not that Vodka & Orange

50ml vodka
100ml orange juice
146kcal, 9g sugar

The Fine Print There’s no competition when it comes to these two brunch beverages. The Bloody Mary’s base is mainly tomato juice, which is much lower in calories than OJ. Your next-best bet is to swap out the OJ for lower-calorie (and more bracing) grapefruit.

Drink this Old Fashioned

50ml whisky
2 dashes Angostura
50ml soda
1 sugar cube
130kcal, 6g sugar

Not that Whisky Sour

50ml whisky
50ml lemon juice
25ml sugar syrup
Maraschino cherry
184kcal, 18g sugar

Drink this Irish Coffee

The Fine Print Despite its name, the Whisky Sour is actually loaded with sugar. If you’re the sort who’s partial to a whisky cocktail but don’t want to feel the guilt, switch to its sophisticated and much in-vogue cousin, the Old Fashioned.

50ml whisky
225ml coffee
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp whipped cream
147kcal, 9g sugar

Not that Black Russian

75ml vodka
50ml coffee liqueur
192kcal, 8g sugar

The Fine Print By trading artificially flavoured and sugar-sweet coffee liqueur for real java and modest amounts of sugar and cream, you will conserve calories but end up with a far more decadent-tasting drink.

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Beef bourguignon.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg/3lb5oz chuck beef or braising staek, cut into 5cm/2in pieces
• 3 tbsp  olive oil
• 1 large  carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 sticks celey, rough chopped
• 2 bottles red burgundy wine
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
• 4 bay leaves
• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 225g/8oz whole piece of smoked bacon or pancetta
• 450g/1lb shallots, peeled
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 375g/12oz chestnut mushrooms
• 290ml/½ pint fresh beef stock
• 5 tbsp  brandy
• freshly chopped flatleaf parsley

  Preparation method

  1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, garlic and 2 bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
  2. Place the beef in a large bowl and pour over the wine marinade. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. This is known as a cook marinade.
  3. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Drain the beef from the marinade into a colander over a glass bowl. Reserve the marinade and set aside.
  4. Heat 25g/1oz butter and 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the bacon and cook until golden and brown. Add the shallots and transfer to a large casserole dish.
  5. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Pat dry the cubes of beef from the marinade mixture using absorbent kitchen paper. Add half of the beef to the pan and cook until brown on all sides. Remove the beef and transfer to the casserole dish with the bacon, shallots and vegetables. Repeat with the remaining beef and add to the casserole dish.
     Watch technique1:06 mins
  6. Stir in 2-3 large spoonfuls of the reserved marinade mixture to deglaze or remove any sediment from the pan. Pour into the casserole dish
     Watch technique1:18 mins
  7. Stir in the plain flour, the remaining marinade mixture and beef stock into the casserole dish.
  8. Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven for 3-3½ hours or until the beef is very tender.
  9. Halfway through cooking, heat the remaining oil and butter in a large frying pan and cook the mushrooms until brown. Add the brandy and cook for a few minutes.
  10. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish, stir and return to the oven the remaining cooking time.
  11. Serve with new potatoes, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley and 
      purple sprouting broccoli.

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